Tapco S8 User Manual

There are several protection mechanisms designed 

into the S•8 to safeguard the loudspeakers and 

amplifi ers from inadvertent damage.

CAUTION: The protection 

circuits are designed to protect the 

loudspeakers under reasonable 

and sensible conditions. Should you 

choose to ignore the warning signs 

(i.e., frequent Clip LED indications, 

excessive distortion), you can still damage the 

speakers in the S•8 by overdriving them past the point 

of amplifi er clipping. Such damage is beyond the 

scope of the warranty.

A 12 dB/octave high-pass fi lter at 40 Hz just prior 

to the low-frequency amplifi er prevents very low 

frequencies from being amplifi ed. Excessive low-

frequency energy below 40 Hz can damage the 

woofer by causing it to “bottom out,” also known as 

overexcursion, which is equivalent to a mechanical 

form of clipping.

All amplifi ers produce heat. The S•8 is designed to 

be effi cient both electrically and thermally.

•   If for some reason the heatsink gets too hot, a 

thermal switch activates and turns off the amplifi er. 

This protection operates independently for the 

low-frequency and high-frequency amplifi ers. 

Therefore, it is possible for only the low frequency 

or high frequency amplifi er to shut down while the 

other remains on.

•   When the heatsink cools down to a safe 

temperature, the thermal switch resets and normal 

operation resumes.

•   If the heatsink temperature again gets too hot, the 

shutdown process repeats. Should this happen, 

make sure that airfl ow to the rear of the cabinet 

is not restricted. If the ambient air temperature 

is very warm, try pointing a small fan toward the 

heatsink to increase the airfl ow through the fi ns.

The S•8 contains drivers with large magnetic 

structures. The drivers’ magnets are shielded to help 

prevent the magnetic fi eld from radiating out into 

the environment and playing havoc with computer 

monitors or TV screens. Unshielded speakers can 

cause distortion in both the shape and color of the 

picture if placed too close to a CRT (cathode ray 

tube). If you have a particularly sensitive computer 

monitor or TV screen, it may be necessary to move 

the speakers a few inches away.

You should use high-quality, shielded cable to 

connect the signal source to the INPUT jack on the S•8.

•  Foil shielded cables, such as Belden 8451, 8761, or 

9501 are commonly used for studio wiring.

•  Microphone cables work well.

•  The better the shield, the better the immunity from 

externally induced noise (like EMI and RFI). Route 

the cable away from AC power cords and outlets. 

These are common sources for hum in an audio 

signal. You can purchase quality cables from your 

Mackie dealer.

•  In certain home theater applications, it may be 

necessary to connect the speaker outputs from 

a stereo receiver to the inputs of the S•8s, if the 

receiver doesn’t have preamp outputs or other 

line-level output connections.

CAUTION: Do not attempt to 
connect a speaker output directly 

to the input of the S•8! Speaker 

levels are much higher than line 

levels and can damage the input 

circuitry in the S•8.

You can, however, insert a speaker-level-to-

line-level signal attenuator between the receiver’s 

speaker output and the S•8’s input. Your Mackie 

dealer may be able to help you fi nd one, or if you 

enjoy do-it-yourself projects, you can build your own. 

Contact our tech support department for more 

information.