QSC Audio ISA 300T manual

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- safety signs and mark certificates which confirm compatibility with appropriate standards

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Table of contents for the manual

  • Page 1

    User Manual ISA Audio Power Amplifiers ISA Series Installed Sound Amplifiers TD-000093-00 rev .C *TD-000093-00* n ISA 300T n ISA 500T n ISA 800T n ISA 280 n ISA 450 n ISA 750[...]

  • Page 2

    CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE THE COVER. NO USER- SERVICEABLE P ARTS INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL. FCC INTERFERENCE ST A TEMENT NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a class B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed to pro[...]

  • Page 3

    INTRODUCTION: ISA Series Overview .......................................................................................4 Front Panel Illustration .........................................................................................4 Rear Panel Illustrations ......................................................................................[...]

  • Page 4

    FRONT PANEL (all models) Thank you for the purchase of your new ISA amplifier . T o get the most out of your amplifier , review this manual carefully . The installation, connection and operation sections provide useful guidelines to get you up and running quickly and correctly . The QSC shipping box should contain: 1- The amplifier 2- This user man[...]

  • Page 5

    1. Gain Controls 2. T erminal Block Inputs 3. DataPort V2 Connector 4 . XLR Inputs[...]

  • Page 6

    The front panel of ISA series amplifiers is tailored for installed sound. The power switch is the only front panel control; gain controls are located on the rear panel to minimize control tampering. LED indicators are provided for power , input signal and to warn of clipping. If the POWER LED fails to illuminate when the switch is in the ON positio[...]

  • Page 7

    FEA TURES & SETUP- LED INDICA TORS CLIP : red LED that illuminates when the amplifier clips. Normal indication: illumination briefly at extreme output power peaks. Occasional clipping (once briefly every few seconds) when operation at high power levels is normal. At power -on, the clip LEDs may briefly flash; this is normal. Continuous operatio[...]

  • Page 8

    FEA TURES & SETUP- GAIN CONTROLS & INPUT JACKS GAIN CONTROLS- The Gain controls are located on the rear panel to minimize control tampering after installation. When viewing the amplifier from the rear , they are on the left end, top and bottom, as shown in the illustration to the right. The Gain controls are detented (11 steps) for repeatab[...]

  • Page 9

    DA T APORT V2- What It Is- The DataPort V2 is used for connection to optional QSC DataPort accessories. DataPort accessory devices can provide remote cinema monitoring, DSP , filter and crossover functions. The “ V2 ” DataPort connection is a “ version-2 ” of QSC ’ s original DataPort. It has a reduced feature set from the original, while[...]

  • Page 10

    FEA TURES & SETUP- STEREO & P ARALLEL OPERA TING MODES P ARALLEL: The channel 1 and channel 2 inputs are connected together , applying a single input signal to both channels of the amplifier . A signal into any input jack will drive both channels. Each channel's low frequency filtering, clip limiting, and gain control still function in[...]

  • Page 11

    FEA TURES & SETUP- STEREO & P ARALLEL MODE DIP SWITCH SETTINGS ISA 280, ISA 450, ISA 750: Refer to the switch setting keys for each mode, to the right. These keys are printed on the amplifier ’ s rear panel for easy reference when you are behind the equipment rack. SETTING THE DIP SWITCHES FOR STEREO OR P ARALLEL MODE- “T” models ISA [...]

  • Page 12

    FEA TURES & SETUP- BRIDGE OPERA TING MODE & DIP SWITCH SETTINGS BRIDGE MODE OPERA TION- Note that speaker connection for bridge mono mode is different than other modes. See section on Connections: Outputs for proper bridge mode output connections.[...]

  • Page 13

    FEA TURES & SETUP- LOW FREQUENCY FIL TER & DIP SWITCH SETTINGS SETTING THE FIL TER DIP SWITCHES- 1- Set switch #3 and #8 to the on or off position as desired. 2- Select the desired roll-off frequency at switch #2 and #9. 3- If filter off is selected, the frequency selection has no effect. If operating in BRIDGE MODE- 1- When in bridge mode,[...]

  • Page 14

    [...]

  • Page 15

    FEA TURES & SETUP- CLIP LIMITER & DIP SWITCH SETTINGS CAUTION: Clip limiting reduces extreme overdrive peaks, allowing a higher average signal level without audible distortion. However , increasing the gain with the clip limiter engaged, until clipping is again audible, can double the average output power . Be careful not to exceed the powe[...]

  • Page 16

    INST ALLA TION: RACK MOUNTING AND MOUNTING DIMENSIONS Securing the Front Ears to the Rack Rails Use four screws and washers when mounting the ISA amplifier to the front rails. Support the weight of the amplifier while securing it to the rails to avoid bending or distorting the front rack mount ears. ISA Rack Mounting Method 2- The amplifier is firs[...]

  • Page 17

    INST ALLA TION: COOLING REQUIREMENTS & AC MAINS FAN COOLING- Keep the front and rear vents clear to allow full air flow . Make sure that plenty of cool air can enter the rack, especially if there are other units which exhaust hot air into it. Connecting to the wrong line voltage is dangerous and may damage the amplifier or constitute the risk o[...]

  • Page 18

    Unbalanced inputs : Connect the conductors to the connector as shown. Make sure that the unused side of the balanced input is connected to ground, as shown. XLR: unbalanced connection T erminal block: unbal anced connections XLR : balanced connection T erminal block: bal anced connections CONNECTIONS: INPUTS- XLR & TERMINAL BLOCK jumper shield [...]

  • Page 19

    CONNECTIONS: INPUTS- DA T APORT V2 The ISA series of amplifiers come with a DataPort V2 connector that may be used for connecting to accessory QSC DataPort devices. The V2 (or version 2) DataPort does not have the full capability of the standard DataPort. The DataPort V2 must be connected to a QSC DataPort product with a QSC DataPort cable; similar[...]

  • Page 20

    CONNECTIONS: OUTPUTS- USING THE SCREW TERMINAL CONNECTIONS GENERAL- The screw terminal output connections are protected by a hinged plastic cover . T o make connections to the screw terminals, you will need to swing the cover door open. Gently pry the cover with your finger tips on the side that has the wire openings. After the door is open, loosen[...]

  • Page 21

    CONNECTIONS: OUTPUTS- DIRECT LOW IMPEDANCE (LO-Z) BRIDGE MODE PRECAUTIONS: Do Not Use 2 ohm Loads in Bridge Mono Mode! 4 ohms is the minimum impedance for bridge mono operation! This mode puts a high demand on the amplifier and speaker . Excessive clipping may cause protective muting or speaker damage. Ensure the speaker has a sufficient power rati[...]

  • Page 22

    CONNECTIONS: OUTPUTS- DISTRIBUTED HIGH IMPEDANCE (HI-Z) , STEREO & P ARALLEL[...]

  • Page 23

    CONNECTIONS: OUTPUTS- DISTRIBUTED HIGH IMPEDANCE (HI-Z) , BRIDGE MODE OUTPUT TERMINAL SAFETY WARNING! Do not touch output terminals while amplifier power is on. Make all connections with amplifier turned off. Risk of hazardous energy![...]

  • Page 24

    CONNECTIONS: POWER SHARING BETWEEN HIGH & LOW IMPEDANCE OUTPUTS The ISA 300T , ISA 500T and ISA 800T models are equipped with autotransformer-coupled, high impedance (High-Z) outputs. They are also equipped with low impedance (Low- Z) “ direct ” outputs. The high impedance outputs are not isolated. The unique feature of the “ T ” model [...]

  • Page 25

    CONNECTIONS: SECURING OUTPUT WIRING TO CHASSIS[...]

  • Page 26

    OPERA TION: AC POWER SWITCH, LED INDICA TORS, GAIN CONTROLS NORMAL OPERA TING LEVELS The amplifier ’ s protective muting system guards against excessive internal temperatures. With normal ventilation and 4 to 8 ohm loads, the amplifier will handle any signal level, including overdrive. Lower load impedances and higher signal levels produce more i[...]

  • Page 27

    APPLICA TIONS: GENERAL APPLICA TION INFORMA TION The ISA 280, ISA 450 and ISA 750 amplifiers are optimized for directly driving low impedance loads. Low impedance (Lo-Z) loads are those loads between 2 and 16 ohms. These models are not suitable for driving “ constant voltage ” 70V lines. These low impedance models are referred to collectively a[...]

  • Page 28

    APPLICA TIONS: LOW FREQUENCY FIL TERING & DISTRIBUTED OUTPUTS The low frequency filtering is another difference in the characteristics of the “ non-T ” and the “ T ” amplifiers. Because transformers and other magnetic devices are prone to low frequency “ misbehavior ” (called saturation) , the autotransformer equipped “ T ” mode[...]

  • Page 29

    100 V olt, two-zone example: The illustration to the right shows a typical two-zone 100 volt system. When using 100 volt speaker loads, make sure that connec- tions to the amplifier are made to the 100 volt output terminals. If using the ISA 300T , 300 watts per channel (zone) can be delivered. Make sure that the total speaker power load on each ch[...]

  • Page 30

    APPLICA TIONS: MUL TIPLE LOW IMPEDANCE LOADS IN SERIES (all models)[...]

  • Page 31

    APPLICA TIONS: MUL TIPLE LOW IMPEDANCE LOADS IN P ARALLEL (all models)[...]

  • Page 32

    32 The DSP-3 Digital Signal Processing Module provides compressor -limiter , multiple parametric filters, high- and low-pass filters, shelf filters, multiple delays, polarity reversal, muting and attenuation. These features and more come packed into a small module that interfaces with the DataPort V2 connector on the rear of your ISA amplifier . No[...]

  • Page 33

    • INDICA TION: CLIP LED FLASHING • If the red clip indicator flashes when signal is applied, the amplifier output may be shorted. Check that the speaker cable connec- tions are tight and reliable at both ends. Check the speaker cables for stray strands or breaks in the insulation. T rim off all loose strands of wire and insulate any exposed wir[...]

  • Page 34

    PROBLEM: DISTORTED SOUND Magnetic field from power supplies in equipment can induce hum into cabling that is located in the field. If hum is a problem, try relocating cabling so that is away from power supplies, transformers and other magnetic field producing devices. TROUBLESHOOTING: DISTORTION, NO CHANNEL SEP ARA TION, HUM, HISS, FEEDBACK[...]

  • Page 35

    SPECIFICA TIONS ISA 280 ISA 450 ISA 750 OUTPUT POWER in watts FTC: 8 ohms per channel (20-20k Hz., 0.1% THD) 185 260 450 4 ohms per channel (20-20k Hz., 0.1% THD) 280 425 650 EIA: 16 ohms (1 kHz., 0.1% THD, 1 channel driven) 100 140 250 8 ohms (1 kHz, 0.1% THD, 1 channel driven) 200 280 475 4 ohms (1 kHz, 0.1% THD, 1 channel driven) 300 500 750 2 o[...]

  • Page 36

    SPECIFICA TIONS ISA 280 ISA 450 ISA 750 AMPLIFIER PROTECTION Full short circuit, open circuit, thermal, ultrasonic and RF protection. Stable into reactive or mismatched loads. COOLING Continuously variable speed fan; back-to-front air flow. INDICATORS Front Panel: POWER LED (green), 2 each SIGNAL (green) and CLIP (red) LEDs CONNECTORS Input: (2)XLR[...]

  • Page 37

    SPECIFICA TIONS ISA 300T ISA 500T ISA 800T OUTPUT POWER in watts Low Impedance FTC: 8 ohms per channel (20-20k Hz., 0.1% THD) 185 260 450 4 ohms per channel (20-20k Hz., 0.1% THD) 280 425 650 Low Impedance EIA: 16 ohms (1 kHz., 0.1% THD, 1 channel driven) 100 140 250 8 ohms (1 kHz, 0.1% THD, 1 channel driven) 200 280 475 4 ohms (1 kHz, 0.1% THD, 1 [...]

  • Page 38

    SPECIFICA TIONS ISA 300T ISA 500T ISA 800T AMPLIFIER PROTECTION Full short circuit, open circuit, thermal, ultrasonic and RF protection. Stable into reactive or mismatched loads. COOLING Continuously variable speed fan; back-to-front air flow. INDICATORS Front Panel: POWER LED (green), 2 each SIGNAL (green) and CLIP (red) LEDs CONNECTORS Input: (2)[...]

  • Page 39

    Disclaimer QSC Audio Products, Inc. is not liable for any damage to speakers, amplifiers, or any other equipment that is caused by negligence or improper installation and/or use of the ISA amplifier . Product Warranty QSC guarantees the ISA amplifier to be free from defective material and/or workmanship for a period of three years from the date of [...]

  • Page 40

    QSC Audio Products, Inc. 1675 MacArthur Boulevard Costa Mesa, California 92626 USA “ QSC ” and the QSC logo are registered with the U.S. Patent and T rademark Office. ©2000 QSC Audio Products, Inc.[...]