Old CS-800 outputing hardly any volume??

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Cannibaliam
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Old CS-800 outputing hardly any volume??

Post by Cannibaliam » Sun May 14, 2017 10:48 am

I recently had a friend sell me an old Peavey CS800.
Im just starting out and dont know much about electronics. I want to learn!! Im a Protools guy but im getting into the world of PA's. Anyways Ive got two 2x10 floor wedges with horns that my friend used with the cs800 for years each speaker has two 1/4 inputs. When I go to use the Amp I put it on bridge mode, and hook the speakers up to the black and red turn nobs on the amp and 1/4 inch into one of the two plugs on the speakers, I find only one works??. Why there are two plugs on speakers im not sure. Anyways its my understanding that you wire a speaker into channel A and one into Channel B and then on bridge mode input into channel A and both should work at 400w 4ohm load. However I get an extremely quite response from the system deffinitly nit load enough to hear over any amplified instruments, DDT light doesnt come on power light does come on fan spins everything apears to work, but I can turn the volume all the way up and can hardly hear anything from my speakers...im at my witts end? Are the speakers the wrong ohms? Could this be the problem? How do I test this? The speakers I beleive are custom made so I dont know specs on them they have a K on the fromt mesh, but I do know they were used with this cs800 before for years. Can someone help me with diagnosing the problem? I have a multimeter but unsure how to procede. If im assuming correctly I should be able to blow my face off with this thing and at least get loud enough to play with a live drum set??

Upon further reading of signal levels, im thinking perhaps I need a preamp before sending my mic into the power amp? I have an old Mackie VLZ SR 24.4 which is another project I need to learn to fix. Perhaps i need to run through the preamp in the mixer before going to the PA?
Last edited by Cannibaliam on Sun May 14, 2017 11:40 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Enzo
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Re: Old CS-800 outputing hardly any volume??

Post by Enzo » Sun May 14, 2017 11:34 am

First look up how to connect bridged amps, if there is not a picture on the lid of the thing, it is surely covered in the owner manual.

The bridge output is connected between the red posts of the two channels, not one speaker to each channel out.

Turn off the bridge and run the thing in stereo, each speaker gets one channel. Feed a signal into each channel. One at a time is OK for testing. DO both now work?

Cannibaliam
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Re: Old CS-800 outputing hardly any volume??

Post by Cannibaliam » Sun May 14, 2017 11:42 am

The PA is in a rack case. Ill pull it out and check the top for a diagram and try running in stereo to test, like youve suggested, and get back to you. I dont have a manuel but I will check for one online and see if I can find one! Thank you so much ill let you know what happens!!

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Enzo
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Re: Old CS-800 outputing hardly any volume??

Post by Enzo » Sun May 14, 2017 2:42 pm

Oh don't pull it from the rack, that's a pain. Go to the main Peavey.com web site, upper right click on support. On support page on the right is owner manuals, click that.

In the search box see "search archived owners manuals" and click it. Now along the top click C for CS series. Scroll down to CS800.

If yours is real old, look below CS900 for CS-800, that should be it. If yours is newer enough to have the large square screened vent hole in the front panel, then click plain CS 800 further up the page.

And you can always get any schematics or operating guides from Peavey customer service.

Cannibaliam
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Re: Old CS-800 outputing hardly any volume??

Post by Cannibaliam » Mon May 15, 2017 12:51 pm

Oh wow thank you!! Tonight around 7pm ill be off work and able to test the stereo like the previous comment and Ill deffinitly check peavey's websight for the user manual!! Thank you guys!! Ill report back asap! Also I will upload a pic of the PA itself tonight as well. I beleive it is an older one

Cannibaliam
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Re: Old CS-800 outputing hardly any volume??

Post by Cannibaliam » Sun Jun 04, 2017 11:49 am

Sorry I havnt had the chance to get back to everyone I will as soon as I can! In the middle of moving

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