Behringer Super-X Pro CX2310 User Manual

SUPER-X PRO CX2310 User Manual

You will need some tools to help set up the SUPER-X PRO to its optimal 

configuration. To set up the crossover frequency you need to know which 

frequency range a loudspeaker stack covers, over which range the sound 

energy is linearly transmitted, and where reductions or increases in the 

frequency response occur. In addition, every room has different size and quality 

characteristics. These strongly influence the sound response, since resonances 

and reflections in the different frequency ranges can also lead to reductions 

or increases in the sound picture. You will need suitable equipment in order 

to be able to recognize and compensate for these features.   

You will need a high-grade microphone for making measurements. 

This should have a frequency response that should be as linear as possible 

(e.g. the BEHRINGER measurement microphone ECM8000) and at least linear 

over the range from 90 Hz and 15 kHz. Place the microphone about 5 m. in front 

of the speaker system and between the diaphragms of the two frequency bands 

you wish to measure. When using a measuring microphone to set the levels for 

the individual frequency bands and the crossover frequencies, you should only 

operate one loudspeaker stack. For optimal settings you will usually need 

to reposition the microphone between two successive measurements. 

When used in combination with a measuring microphone and a generator 

producing pink noise via an input into the P.A. mixing console, an analyzer 

will show the sound energy distribution over the individual frequency bands 

(usually in 1/3 of an octave). The BEHRINGER ULTRA-CURVE PRO DSP8024 

equalizer/analyzer is the ideal tool for this application.
When listening to the overall sound of your system, you should walk around 

in the audience area and try to detect resonance frequencies or cancellations. 

The sound should be optimized for the position where most of the audience 

will be gathered, without however neglecting other areas. This often means 

that the system must be operated in mono. Whenever you use technical aids 

such as analyzers, measuring microphones, etc., you should check the desired 

results with your own ears.

Both inputs offer a gain or loss of up to 12 dB. Normally, the output level on the 

mixing console and the input sensitivity of the amplifiers are identical, i.e. 0 dB 

at the mixing console corresponds with 0 dB at the amplifiers. This means that 

there is full control over the amplifiers. In this case the SUPER-X PRO should 

have no effect on the system level and all input and output level settings should 

be set at 0 dB. Where e.g. a home recording or disco console is being used with 

an operating level of -10 dBV but the amplifiers need +4 dBu for complete 

control, then an additional gain of 12 dB must be provided between them. 

In this case the INPUT control of the SUPER-X PRO should be set to the maximum. 
The output levels of the single bands can be raised/lowered by as much as 6 dB. 

To achieve a linear frequency response in the system, all output levels should 

be adjusted with the help of an analyzer. To check the crossover frequencies and 

levels, mute all outputs except for one, and play back pink noise over the system 

at an appropriate volume level. When you now switch on the adjacent band, 

the level measured around the crossover frequency should go up by 3 dB. 

Repeat this process for all crossover frequencies.

Check the entire frequency response of the system. Rooms have quite 

an impact on the frequency response of speaker systems, due to resonance and 

various reflections, so you cannot expect to achieve a linear frequency response 

right from the start. To achieve this, you need an equalizer such as the 

ULTRA-CURVE PRO DSP8024 or the ULTRA-GRAPH GEQ3102. Look for drop-outs 

around the crossover frequencies! If the frequency response is very irregular, 

then it can make sense to grade adjust it using the frequency crossover, 

before using an equalizer (EQ). The errors in the crossover frequency must then 

be as far as possible corrected using the EQ.
If the loudspeaker diaphragms in a multi-way system are not exactly aligned 

along a vertical axis, the varying distances between the sound source and 

the listener result in phase errors and cancellations (also known as the 

“comb filter effect”). Particularly in the higher frequencies it is important, 

due to the shorter wavelengths, to position the diaphragms above each other 

and not next to each other. The various types of construction used in individual 

systems (horns, bass reflex cabinets etc.) still give rise to run time differences, 

even where the front sides of all systems are aligned vertically above each other. 

In this case a run time correction must be made by electronic means. This can 

be done by using a delay function. Run time differences can be compensated 

by delaying the frequency bands over a range of milliseconds. This helps avoid 

loss of sound quality, particularly in the high tone ranges.

The frequency range from which the crossover frequencies can be selected, 

can be one of two ranges—from 44 to 930 Hz and from 440 Hz to 9.3 kHz. 

To set the crossover frequencies, please first read the manufacturers’ 

specifications for the individual loudspeaker components. To use the capacity 

of your system at its best you should set up the crossover frequencies in 

accordance with the frequency diagrams on the individual loudspeaker boxes. 

Further, the crossovers should not lie on peaks or drop-outs. Look for a range 

with the flattest possible curve. If folded bass horns are being used, then the 

length of the horn path must also be taken into account, since the run time 

displacements arising from differing long paths can also have a negative effect 

on the frequency development (see chapter 3.3).

To achieve a very loud and deep bass playback the SUPER-X PRO has an additional 

mono subwoofer output for 2-way and 3-way operation. In this sense the 

CX2310 is a stereo 2-way + mono 1-way or mono 4-way frequency crossover. 

The subwoofer signal is mono, since people cannot sense the location of lower 

frequencies. Another reason is that combining all bass signals into a single signal 

produces an excellent effect. This is because two bass speaker boxes combined 

together produce 3 dB more sound pressure than if they were separated from 

each other by a small distance. The increased pressure is due to the speakers 

producing a single wave front. With four loudspeaker boxes the increase is 6 dB. 

The reason here is the spherical shape of the expanding low-frequency sound 

waves. Bass boxes which are separate from each other can mutually disrupt each 

other where their sound waves meet (what happens here can be easily imagined 

if you throw two stones into water—first separately and then stuck together).