PLD Series Amplifiers
7
Application Guide—Portable PA
Rev. E, Apr. 2015
User interface
The front panel of a PLD amp features a 400 × 240 pixel color screen that, along with the master control knob and both
mute and select buttons for each channel, serves as the user interface (UI).
The UI handles all amplifier configuration and is completely menu driven. Unlike past QSC amplifier models, there are no
configuration switches on the rear panel.
Built-in processing
An ample amount of digital signal processing (DSP) is built into the PLD Series amplifiers. The DSP serves a dual purpose:
first is to manage the operation of the amp—by controlling the functions of the power supply, the protection systems, the
fan speed, signal routing and mixing—and the second is to execute the necessary loudspeaker and system processing that
used to require one or more external devices.
The processing functions available include:
• Five bands of parametric EQ per channel.
• High- and/or low-pass filtering, with choice of frequency, slope, and filter type. High and low shelving are also avail-
able.
• Limiting, with selectable threshold and ratio, as well as selectable power limiting.
• Delay, up to 75 ms on each channel
Weight savings
Some of us remember when even a 1,000-watt amp wasn’t something you could just grab and lift with one arm.
Now, thanks to advanced switch-mode power supplies, which operate at high frequencies and therefore can convert thou-
sands of watts in small, lightweight power transformers, and highly-efficient class D amplification technology, which can
turn those thousands of watts into audio power with a minimal number of semiconductor devices and relatively small heat
sinks, we can have four-channel amplifiers rated at 2,000 watts per channel that weigh only 22 pounds.
The potential savings in labor, freight, and wear and tear are enormous, especially for weekend warriors and regular gig-
ging.
