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user manual

TFS-780

TFS-780 user manual

Page 17

Procedure for flying a Flashlight array

The following notes describe the procedure for flying left and right Flashlight arrays
designed to provide coverage of an outdoor area for approximately 15,000 people. The
configuration in this example is a six-wide Flashlight array, each side of the PA giving a
horizontal coverage angle of about 90

°

. This is made up of a 4-wide main bar assembly and a

twin bar assembly, requiring three lifting points. A half spacer bar connects the main bar and
twin bar, effectively continuing the curve of the array and setting the distance of the last two
columns, and hence the third lifting point.

1.

 

Remove the flybars from the fly bar trunk
and set them out on the stage wings
according to the required configuration.
Splay all the bars out to form a smooth,
shallow curve by locating the spring-
loaded index pins on each bar in the bar
locator holes. Normally you will want to
start with all the index pins in the fourth
index hole, giving a horizontal splay angle
of 15 degrees between each vertical
column.

2.

 

Move the flybars into the approximate position on the stage wing where the PA is to be
flown, and check that the curve of the array is going give you the expected horizontal
coverage. Position the bars such that the break between the first and second on-stage
columns is pointing directly at the mix position – this works best when the mix position
is between 27.5m (90ft) and 43m (140ft)
from the stage – and make sure that the
off-stage column is giving you adequate
coverage of the bleachers or side-stage
seating. Sometimes you may want to
open up the angle of the two off-stage
columns to the next (fifth) index hole to
give a little more coverage of the off-
stage seating if it is particularly wide.
Once you are happy with the splay of the
bars, choose and fix your flypoints such that the chain drops fall exactly above, and in
line with, the pick up points on the flybar. Note: 

Note: 

Note: 

Note: the outer holes on the flybar are the

pickup points; the inner holes are the safety points. Take time to get the flypoints
positioned accurately, as it is much easier to do it now than later when the flybar is
under load.

Summary of Contents for TFS-780

Page 1: ...0 Flashlight System User Manual Turbosound Ltd Star Road Partridge Green West Sussex RH13 8RY England Tel 44 0 1403 711447 Fax 44 0 1403 710155 web www turbosound com Issue 1 4 Turbosound Limited October 2000 ...

Page 2: ...nd Stacking 25 Vertical Dispersion Considerations 25 Flown Systems 26 LMS D6 Loudspeaker Management System 27 Introduction 27 General features facilities 27 Unpacking 27 Mechanical Installation 27 Front Panel functions 28 Rear Panel functions 29 Mains Power 29 Voltage Setting 30 Safety Earthing 30 AC Power Fusing 30 Powering Up 30 Audio Connections 31 Input and Output Connector Wiring 31 Time corr...

Page 3: ...Polarity 43 Input Impedance 43 Muting 44 Sensitivity 44 Attenuation Gain Setting 44 Signal Metering 44 Output Connections 45 Damping Factor 45 Which speaker impedance 45 Long Speaker Lines 45 The Cooling System 46 Filter Inspection Maintenance 46 Temperature Metering Protection 46 Fan Speed Setting 47 Fault Modes 47 Troubleshooting 48 Maintenance 50 Gaining Access 50 To withdraw one of the amplifi...

Page 4: ...e TFL 760HM and is used for high end far field coverage of the furthest audience areas The Loudspeaker Management System LMS Concept The LMS D6 Loudspeaker Management System is more than just an electronic crossover It provides full digital time alignment of all components in the Flashlight Floodlight enclosures to ensure a coherent acoustic output It also incorporates a number of features which c...

Page 5: ...k with all necessary wiring and multi pin connectors The loudspeakers are of six types of compatible dimensions but with differing frequency ranges projection capabilities and dispersion patterns TFS 780L low frequency enclosure The TFS 780L low frequency enclosure covers the sub bass and bass ranges up to 150 Hz It contains a single 21 drive unit with a 6 voice coil loaded with a TurboBass device...

Page 6: ... mid field applications The TFL 760H is fully equipped for touring with a hinged rear access door integral multi way speaker cable heavy duty wheels ergonomically placed flush handles weatherised birch plywood construction and optimised truck pack dimensions The TFL 760H shares the same height and width as the Flashlight TFS 780H and the positions of the keyhole fly plates allow use of the highly ...

Page 7: ...pairs with a removable wheel dolly matching the dimensions of a TFS 780H Flashlight enclosure The TFS 780HF is equipped with keyhole flyplates and hinged rear access door LMS D6 Loudspeaker Management System Use of the LMS D6 loudspeaker management system ensures accurate time alignment of the system drive units and also provides a facility for users to select additional delay either to compensate...

Page 8: ...ating from adjacent cabinets will successfully blend over a range of included angles and this results in the ability to tailor both the overall coverage and the SPL at a given distance Most of the adjustments can be easily made whilst the system is in the air The flying bars consist as follows Single bar supports a vertical column of cabinets up to 5 deep Twin bar supports two single bars Main bar...

Page 9: ...hain Suspension Point To suspend four columns of Flashlight enclosures with indexed horizontal adjustment FC 780 FLYING CHAINS one pair required for each enclosure to be flown TS 780 TILTING STRAP one required for each column of enclosures These are handed left right the left ones have RED Shortening Hooks the right ones BLUE Shortening Hooks FB 780A MAIN BAR ...

Page 10: ...user manual TFS 780 TFS 780 user manual Page 10 Figure 3 Flying Bars and Spacer Bar Configurations Figure 4 Flying System Main Components ...

Page 11: ...Small Components Figure 6 Adjustable Chains 6mm Eye Safety sling hook 6mm CONNEX Connecting link 6mm Shortening hook 6mm UNILOCK D Ring 6mm Grade 80 Chain Righthand Chain with blue shortener Lefthand Chain with red shortener Both Chains are 40 links long Assembly examples ...

Page 12: ...s the array remains in perfect balance A secondary chain bypasses each pivot point to comply with safety requirements The Index Pin allows angles between columns of 0º to 40º to be set in 5º degree increments A minimum of 10º in the horizontal plane is recommended between Flashlight high packs to ensure even coverage at the higher frequencies Increased coupling is best achieved in the vertical pla...

Page 13: ...to achieve the desired tilt WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING If the strap is released suddenly the row of enclosures may tend to swing violently forwards and care must be taken to avoid danger to persons in the vicinity It is essential to check that nobody is standing immediately in front of the column and to give a suitable warning before the strap is released Ideally two persons should support th...

Page 14: ...always be carried out by a professional rigger and in accordance with the local rules of the venue The house rigger and or building manager must always be the local rules of the venue The house rigger and or building manager must always be the local rules of the venue The house rigger and or building manager must always be the local rules of the venue The house rigger and or building manager must ...

Page 15: ...H 760H Usage Usage Usage Usage 0 20º 22º 4 3 17º 19º 5 6 14º 14º 28º More 6 9 10º 10º 20º Vertical 7 12 6º 6º 12º Coverage 8 15 4º 2º 6º 12 1 5 13 5 Higher Q 14 8 More 15 10 5 Coupling 16 15 17 17 fit biscuit before chains greater than maximum length The top chain from the flybar to the first cabinet can be adjusted to gain more height on the system and also improve the looks Alternatively if you ...

Page 16: ...phere will be of lower directivity producing less SPL at a distance but having a wider angle of coverage This approach leads to the creation of a virtual point source of sound somewhere behind the array There are some simple rules to follow to help achieve this goal Never point two high packs in exactly the same direction Try to obtain a smooth even curve in the horizontal plane Use a similar amou...

Page 17: ...th index hole giving a horizontal splay angle of 15 degrees between each vertical column 2 Move the flybars into the approximate position on the stage wing where the PA is to be flown and check that the curve of the array is going give you the expected horizontal coverage Position the bars such that the break between the first and second on stage columns is pointing directly at the mix position th...

Page 18: ...reliefs It is a good idea to have the bulk of the cables tied directly to the bar as opposed to hanging below it in this way their weight is less likely interfere with the column s centre of gravity Raise the flybar to about shoulder height ensure that it is is level and once more check the horizontal coverage Make any final adjustments to the flypoints now if required as the weight of the flybars...

Page 19: ...rtening clutch to save time 7 Position the first row of Flashlights with the long throw boxes stacked on top directly under the flybar assembly Open the access door of the long throw box fit the biscuit in to the kelping brackets and connect the cable Stow any excess cable inside the cabinet Allow the flying chains to hang freely down the sides of the boxes If the D ring does not naturally face th...

Page 20: ...s 11 Raise the PA another metre or so and position downfill boxes face down on the ground or face down on a Flashlight wheel board and roll into place immediately below each column There are two types of downfill a low mid identified by the EP6 connector and a high mid identified by the XLR connector It is common to chequer board the downfills so that you end up with a high mid low mid high mid lo...

Page 21: ...s procedure be carried by two people with one person standing on a speaker box or similar to be able to locate the highest biscuit When all the biscuits in the column have positively located in the kelping brackets give the tilt strap one more pull before beginning to ratchet the column If you leave too much slack at the free end of the strap the ratchet will not be able to accommodate more than 2...

Page 22: ...ght PA clusters are level 16 When the flown arrays are in position wheel in the Flashlight bass enclosures and stack them on the stage wings in three columns each of six cabinets All the boxes are placed on their sides and mutual coupling is acheived by placing them door to door so forming a larger horn mouth The two off stage columns are stacked with sides touching and facing perpendicular to the...

Page 23: ...al plane and likewise a wide stack will narrow in the horizontal plane There is usually an optimum compromise between the two so that a smooth transition can be obtained between the effect of the coupling of the two stacks down the centre line of the room and the effect of the individual stacks beaming on their axis Also adding some curvature to the stack will help to increase the directivity of t...

Page 24: ...apart from the stage with the inside column pointing directly at the mix position The remaining columns are splayed evenly with a 6 to 8 gap between each column This arrangement works well for house and dance music A TFL 760HM placed on the stage edge gives excellent front fill coverage Tall thin bass stacks work best preferably in blocks of eight bins high by two wide When space permits use two o...

Page 25: ...ispersion is ideal for long throw applications Flashlight should not be stacked directly on top of Floodlight as this arrangement is potentially unstable due to the difference in cabinet sizes and centres of gravity Vertical Dispersion Considerations Tightly coupling a pair of cabinets with the upper one inverted to place the HF drivers close together will result in reduced vertical dispersion and...

Page 26: ... in the vertical coverage are not normally perceptible to the audience smaller vertical cabinet angles may be safely selected to suit the projection or throw required Angles greater than 15 will however result in a loss of coverage on axis and should be avoided In most applications the upper rows of a cluster of cabinets will cover the more distant sections of the audience and the vertical interca...

Page 27: ...t once You the consignee must instigate any claim Please retain all packaging in case of future re shipment There will be a small packet of spare fuses with the unit Please keep them in a safe place If any damage has occurred please notify your dealer immediately so that a written claim for damages can be initiated See the Warranty section at the end of this manual Mechanical Installation A vertic...

Page 28: ... Bypass Key Bypass Key Bypass Key Bypass Key Allows the currently displayed parametric section to be bypassed Note The Highpass Lowpass filters and limiters can not be bypassed 9 Parameter Controls Parameter Controls Parameter Controls Parameter Controls The three velocity sensitive rotary encoders allow the relevant parameter on the LCD screen to be adjusted 10 Input Meters Input Meters Input Met...

Page 29: ...d for each audio input and output All terminations are fully balanced pin 2 Hot pin 3 Cold and pin 1 not connected Mains Power The LMS D6 must always be connected to a 3 wire grounded AC supply It is supplied with a standard IEC power cord with conductors as follows BROWN Power line Live Phase BLUE Power line Neutral GREEN YELLOW Safety Earth and ground connection Units supplied to the North Ameri...

Page 30: ...zes careful attention to the signal cable grounding will effect a cure AC Power Fusing The incoming mains power fuseholder is mounted on the rear panel If the fuse needs to be replaced it must be properly rated as follows 20mm 1A 250 V type T It is important for continued safety that this specification is adhered to It is very unlikely that this fuse will fail during normal use and such a situatio...

Page 31: ...n is screen goes forward with the signal Input cable screening therefore needs to be connected at and derived from the signal source end as pin 1 on the input XLR is not connected to the LMS D6 chassis nor signal ground Time correction for loudspeaker driver placement When a loudspeaker sound system is constructed which utilises different loudspeaker drivers for separate frequency bands it is inev...

Page 32: ...ier rack is supplied with the facility to monitor and control certain amplifier functions remotely via a simple 2 wire connection using the loop in and loop out XLR connectors provided on the rear panel to a laptop or desktop computer The rack itself is a space frame fabricated from rectangular steel sections with all necessary mounting points welded in The top and side apertures are fitted with p...

Page 33: ...nd right sides of the rack is possible on all frequency bands Furthermore the rack may be operated in two channel or stereo mode by removal of the link plug dongle located under the top panel Input Connections As will be seen from the wiring schedule below the incoming 11 pin Lemo socket is connected via the mono stereo linking connector to the adjacent link out Lemo and to the XLR male cable plug...

Page 34: ... the 19 way cable outputs to the speakers The Low fanout is fitted with six female XLR connectors and the High fanout with four EP6 connectors The cables are labelled to indicate which amplifier channels they relate to Remote Control Connections Two 3 pin XLR connectors are provided on the rear to enable the external remote control and monitoring of certain amplifier functions such as power on off...

Page 35: ... available to order in 25 50 and 100 metre lengths EX 780 for flying and or remote positioning of amplifier racks These cables utilise 2 5 mm2 conductors for low line resistance and are black in colour to minimise visibility to the audience Figure 2 Multiway Outputs Figure 3 Auxiliary Outputs ...

Page 36: ...ered Typical supply configurations are as follows 110 V star wired 3 phase 110 V parallel 1 phase 220 240 V 3 phase 220 240 V 1 phase The mains power wiring utilises Wago distribution blocks with spring loaded screwless connectors The power wiring may therefore be quickly and easily reconfigured should the need arise for example if conversion from single to three phase operation is required We rec...

Page 37: ...into 4 ohms TMC 750 and 1250 watts per channel into 4 ohms TMC 1250 A 10kΩ actively balanced fully floating input is fitted as standard Bargraph meter display of output headroom LED display of output device temperature High damping factor 400 below 1kHz Complementary class AB bipolar outputs with unique floating drive stage for optimum audio performance Sophisticated monitoring of load and tempera...

Page 38: ...in rotary encoder which allows the gain of the channel to be adjusted 7 LED ladder LED ladder LED ladder LED ladder displays that channel s output drive level The bottom green LED is set at 25dB and the top red LED is set at 0 25dB below true clip level 8 Limit LED Limit LED Limit LED Limit LED illuminates when the channel is clipping 9 Fault LED Fault LED Fault LED Fault LED indicates when the DC...

Page 39: ... rotary encoder which allows the gain of the channel to be adjusted 7 LED ladder LED ladder LED ladder LED ladder displays that channel s output drive level The bottom green LED is set at 25dB and the top red LED is set at 0 25dB below true clip level 8 Limit LED Limit LED Limit LED Limit LED illuminates when the channel is clipping 9 Fault LED Fault LED Fault LED Fault LED indicates when the DC a...

Page 40: ...tereo O A D L A Remote OUTPUT Rear Panel Functions 1 Loudspeaker terminals Loudspeaker terminals Loudspeaker terminals Loudspeaker terminals 4mm banana terminals for connection to the loudspeaker 2 XLR inputs XLR inputs XLR inputs XLR inputs 3 pin XLR connectors are provided for input and link connections 3 Stereo bridged mono switch Stereo bridged mono switch Stereo bridged mono switch Stereo bri...

Page 41: ... prevent personal injury or fire please ensure that people and combustible or flammable materials e g plastic waterproofing newspaper clothing costumes solvents are kept at least 2 0 6m from the amplifier s exhaust outlets If venting is inadequate the hot air can adversely affect other equipment and may soften some thermoplastic enclosures If using plastic coated cables take care to dress the lead...

Page 42: ...ry for correct operation on your local voltage supply No further adjustment is necessary Voltage Range The minimum supply voltage over which the amplifier will operate is 180V for the 220 240V range and 90V for the 110 120V range Naturally maximum power output will be reduced accordingly from the published ratings The maximum supply voltage which exceeds safe limits and causes the amplifiers to sw...

Page 43: ...exity The incoming XLR plug should be connected as follows Pin 1 connect to shield Pin 2 hot Pin 3 cold The shield connection to pin 1 at each amplifier input must be maintained under all circumstances as TURBOSOUND will not be responsible for consequential damage arising to loudspeakers etc should this connection not be made Polarity In accordance with international standards TMC amplifiers are s...

Page 44: ...changing the point at which maximum power is developed To overcome the uncertainty caused by these variations the amplifiers signal metering is referred to the output giving a true indication of output headroom Attenuation Gain Setting The front panel rotary encoders may be used to adjust the relative levels of sections of a large system for example downfills or side seating cover in an arena The ...

Page 45: ...idrange frequencies i e 10 to 600Hz providing a subjectively tighter sound as a result of the improved reproduction of transients Amplifier damping factor is degraded by high resistance in the loudspeaker circuits i e thin conductors long output cable runs and tarnished corroded or loose connections Damping factor is maximised by installing cables containing conductors of large cross sectional are...

Page 46: ...anging the filter switch the amplifier off If this can not be done please remove jewellery and never poke metal objects into the air inlet aperture Keep the filter clean and do not operate the amplifier without the filter in place except in an emergency Heat dissipation can be seriously impaired by a covering of dust or dirt If the dust build up inside is substantial it may prove impossible to rem...

Page 47: ...sed channel can help cooling by augmenting the airflow Fan Speed Setting The cooling system uses continuously variable speed fans the speed of which is dependent on heatsink temperature The fan idles at switch on and if the heatsink s temperature rises enough and this may take some time it will speed up to provide the required extra cooling Fault Modes The TMC 750 and TMC 1250 have been designed t...

Page 48: ...owering down Spontaneous Powering down Spontaneous Powering down Symptom 1 Amplifier powers up normally Later on it latches off FAULT LED flashes Check the mains voltage If the voltage was low at the time of switching on and has subsequently risen or it has been increased with a variac an over voltage has possibly been detected Assuming the supply voltage is now back to normal simply switch the ch...

Page 49: ...m at least without more serious effects So a weird frequency response must be traced to either blown or mis connected drive units or misuse of preceding active crossovers and or equalisers Noise hum and buzzes Noise hum and buzzes Noise hum and buzzes Noise hum and buzzes If there is excess hiss consider the output of the programme source When set up to real world requirements some ancillary equip...

Page 50: ... M3 nut which clamps the retaining bracket Lift the module and move it forwards The module can then be lifted out Remove the connectors from the module Cleaning The amplifier s faceplate can be cleaned with a soft cloth and any non abrasive cleaning solution We recommend you unplug the unit before cleaning Routine Checks Apart from ensuring the filter is not clogged there are no periodic tune up a...

Page 51: ...ns TMC 750 TMC 1250 Continuous power output per channel 8Ω load 425W 4Ω load 750W 2Ω load 750W 8Ω load 1250W 3Ω load 1600W 2Ω load 1800W Input Impedance 10kΩ electronically balanced 10kΩ electronically balanced CMRR 90dB 20Hz to 20kHz 80dB 20Hz to 20kHz Input Sensitivity 7dBm signal drives full output into 4 ohms 6dBm signal drives full output into 4 ohms Hum and Noise 105dB 105dB Damping Factor 4...

Page 52: ...does not affect any statutory rights of the purchaser Should any fault develop with a component of your Turbosound system the faulty unit should be sent in its original packaging to the supplier or your local authorised Turbosound dealer with the shipping prepaid You should include a written statement listing the faults found and the product serial number must be quoted ion all correspondence rela...

Page 53: ...user manual TFS 780 TFS 780 user manual Page 53 Turbosound Limited Star Road Partridge Green West Sussex RH13 8RY United Kingdom ...

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