Community R6-51 and R6-BASSHORN Installation / Operation Manual — Page 10
H I G H - PA S S F I LT E R
The R6-51 and the R-6 BASSHORN use fully horn-loaded low frequency drivers. The specified low frequency
response is 45 Hz. Any attempt to reproduce significant levels below this frequency can result in over-excursion
of the low frequency drivers. For this reason a 45 Hz electronic high-pass filter with a minimum slope of 12 dB
per octave must be employed. Its usage will protect the drivers from much of the extreme low frequency content
found on certain CDs and other program sources. The high-pass filter will also protect against unwanted low
frequency energy that can originate from microphone wind noise - an important consideration for outdoor
applications.
Many power amplifier manufacturers offer plug-in input modules that include high-pass filters. This is an
excellent way to provide the necessary high-pass filter and to make the system relatively tamperproof.
Alternately, an outboard loudspeaker controller will provide the necessary crossover functions while also
(typically) offering an adjustable high-pass filter that will fulfill this requirement.
IMPORTANT:
Operating the R6-51 or the R-6 BASSHORN loudspeakers without the recommended
high-pass filter will reduce its low frequency power handling, and may result in physical damage to the
low-frequency drivers.
E Q U A L I Z AT I O N
Small amounts of frequency
boost
can brighten-up the higher frequencies and round out the lower frequencies,
but they should be restricted to no more than approxi3 dB in order to avoid damage to the drivers.
Equalization
cuts
can be very effective for removing the effects of room resonance and other unwanted
acoustical artifacts, but here again should be kept to a minimum. Extreme EQ cuts (or attenuation) will not
cause driver damage, but should be used with discretion to avoid acoustic ‘holes’ in the audible spectrum.
External equalization can be used to "voice" the loudspeaker for particular applications and is especially
effective in attenuating feedback-prone frequencies.
CAUTION: Do not attempt to boost frequencies at, or below 40 Hz with an equalizer (either graphic or
parametric). This will counteract the effect of the high-pass filter discussed above, potentially causing
damage to the drivers.
P O W E R A M P L I F I C AT I O N
Power amplifiers for the R6-51 and the R-6 BASSHORN should be capable of providing enough power to
properly drive the loudspeaker without the amplifiers entering into a state of clipping.
Clipping occurs when an amplifier runs out of power. The peaks of the reproduced waveform begin to ‘clip’
and resemble a square wave instead of the typical sine waves and saw-tooth waves that form the basis of most
speech and music. Clipping leads to rapid driver failure because the driver is no longer moving as it’s designed
to. When power is flowing into a driver, but movement is limited because of amplifier clipping, much of the
energy is converted to heat which will soon cause the driver’s voice coil to burn out.
SIGNAL PROCESSING
