BEHRINGER EUROLIVE PERFORMER E1520 (01) PDF Document

To ensure safe operation of your BEHRINGER EUROLIVE PERFORMER E1520, follow these guidelines:

1. Read and keep these instructions, and heed all warnings.

2. Do not use this device near water.

3. Clean only with a dry cloth.

4. Be sure to mount your speakers on a solid, stable and level base or stand. Vibrating floors do not provide reliable support for speaker enclosures or stacks.

5. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat.

6. Only use attachments and accessories specified by the manufacturer.

7. Use only with the cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table specified by the manufacturer, or sold with the device. When a cart is used, use caution when moving the cart and device combination to avoid injury from stumbling over it.

8. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when the unit has been damaged in any way, such as when liquid has been spilled, objects have fallen into the device, the unit has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.

9. Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

The BEHRINGER EUROLIVE PERFORMER E1520 speakers are connected to a power amplifier using the speaker connectors located in the back. Always make sure to mute your power amplifier before connecting the speakers.

The unit features professional speaker connectors compatible with Neutrik Speakon, which assure problem-free operation. This connector was developed for loudspeakers with high power ratings. If it is connected into the corresponding plug, it locks into place and cannot accidentally be disconnected. It protects against electric shock and assures correct polarity.

Please only use commercially available Speakon cables (type NL4FC) to connect your loudspeakers to the power amp. Verify the pin assignment of your loudspeakers and cables depending on the loudspeaker output you are using.

High frequencies (HF) are responsible for clarity and speech intelligibility. These frequencies are the easiest ones to locate but also the easiest ones to obstruct. Therefore, it is recommended to position your BEHRINGER EUROLIVE PERFORMER E1520 speakers so that the HF drivers are located slightly above the height of the audience. This guarantees the best possible dispersion of high frequencies and considerably higher intelligibility.

To prevent feedback, always place the front of house speakers ahead of the microphones (from the audience’s perspective) and never behind them. Use professional floor monitors (such as the BEHRINGER EUROLIVE PERFORMER E1520) or an in-ear monitoring system to hear the stage performers.

When working with record players (DJ applications), bass feedback occurs when low frequencies get back to the pickup and are re-produced on the speakers. The most common causes are speakers located too closely to the record player, a room with a wooden floor, or presence of a podium or a platform. In such cases, it is best to move the speakers away from the record player and banish them from the stage so that they are located on firm ground. Another option is to use raised stands, which prevent the speakers from having a direct contact with the ground.

A low-cut filter helps prevent damage to your speakers caused by extreme oscillation of the bass membrane due to subsonic noise and extremely low frequencies. Use an equalizer to cut off those frequencies that fall below your speakers’ frequency range, or use a low-cut/high-pass filter.

Using a low-cut filter in your signal path is particularly recommended if you use record players or CD players as your signal source. CD players often produce extremely deep frequencies, which can lead to extreme excursions of the bass membrane on the BEHRINGER EUROLIVE PERFORMER E1520.

Loudspeaker cables whose diameter is too small can considerably limit power amp performance. The longer the cable, the more pronounced the problem. Musicians often turn up the amp, which can lead to loudspeaker damage. Therefore, do not use cables longer than 15 meters (45 feet). For most applications, this will not be necessary. Cable diameter should be at least 2.5 – 4.0 mm squared.

As a rule of thumb, the power rating of your amplifier should be roughly twice the speaker load capacity. A speaker rated at 200 Watts continuous performance can easily be powered by an amp rated at 400 Watts output power. An optimal addition to your speaker system would be the BEHRINGER EUROPOWER EP1500 power amp.

Always try to find the optimal signal level. Try to avoid overdriving your amp and keep in mind the physical limitations of your PA system.

Use a limiter to restrict the output signal level. Place the limiter between the mixing console and the power amp. Limiters can be used to ensure the audio signal does not overdrive anymore, effectively avoiding unpleasant peaks.

Note that while the unit may include internal protection, fuses can only offer protection from high peak signals and high output power. Fuses are sometimes nonlinear, leading to distortion and unpredictable overdriving.

If no signal is produced when the speaker is connected, check the following:

1. Make sure that your mixing console is indeed carrying a signal (is the master fader raised? are channels active?) and that the gain control on your amp is turned up.

2. When using a crossover, make sure that the relevant channels are active.

3. Check if the cable connection is interrupted or damaged somewhere in your setup.

4. To test your configuration, connect another amp. If you now get a signal, the power amp is the culprit.

5. To test your configuration, connect another speaker. If you now get a signal, the fault lies within the speaker.

If the sound is distorted, try these checks:

1. Make sure that all signals on the mixing console have been set to optimal levels in order to avoid distortion.

2. If using a crossover, check if all signals have been set to correct levels.

3. Make sure that the power amp channels are not overdriving. If so, turn the gain control down a little. However, it could also be the case that your power amp doesn’t have enough power headroom, so that the required volume can not be generated without starting to distort.

4. Make sure that the level of the signal getting into the speakers is not too high, causing distortion.

5. Check your EQ settings. Excessively increasing the frequencies can result in distortion.

6. As a test, connect another speaker. If you no longer hear distortion, its cause was with the loudspeaker.

7. Check if the cable connection is interrupted or defective somewhere along the path.

The technical specifications for the BEHRINGER EUROLIVE PERFORMER E1520 are as follows: