dBTechnologies FLEXSYS F8, FLEXSYS F12, FLEXSYS F15, FLEXSYS F212, FLEXSYS F315 User Manual

MANUALE D’USO

USER MANUAL
BEDIENUNGSANLEITUNG
CARACTERISTIQUES TECHNIQUES

Made in Italy

COD. 420120139 Rev.2

F315F315

F212F212

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVE SPEAKERS

digital power

RR

F8F8

F10F10

F12F12

F15F15

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DESCRIPION

The speakers F8. F10, F12 and F15 of FLEXSYS series use cutting edge digital

®

amplifiers of the DIGIPRO series, providing with powers 200W and 400W to meet the
requirements of any kind of application.

These highly efficient amplifiers provide high power with limited weight and dimension.
Thanks to the low power dissipated, the cooling of the amplifier module does not require a
fan.

The digital preamplifier with DSP (Digital Signal Processing) controls the audio crossover
between the acoustic components, the frequency response, the limiter, and the acoustic
alignment. A selector enables to select one of two different equalizations - “FLAT” or
“PROCESSED“ - to provide high versatility for the different applications.

®

The amplifiers DIGIPRO 400W use power supplies featuring SMPS (Switched-Mode
Power Supplies) technology.

This technology increases power supply efficiency and minimizes its weight.

FLEXSYS F8

housing and

FLEXSYS F10

The F8 bi-amped active speaker is equipped with a

®

DIGIPRO amplifier delivering 150W RMS for the bass
section and 50W RMS for the high frequency section.

F8 active two-way speaker features woofer 8” (voice
coil 1,5”) and a neodymium compression driver 1”
(voice coil 1”) on a 90°/40°x 60° asymmetrical horn.

The speaker is made of 12mm ply wood, the one top
handle the 10 M8 threads located on the
sides and the back of the speaker are enabling easy
transport and installation.

The speaker has been designed to be used also as
stage monitor (40° angle), by rotating the horn you can
maintain the same audio coverage angle of high
frequencies also when the speaker is used as monitor.

In the bottom of the box there is a standard pole mount
cup (D36mm).

F10 bi-amped active speaker is equipped with a

®

DIGIPRO amplifier delivering 150W RMS for the bass
section and 50W RMS for the high frequency section.

F10 active two-way speaker features a woofer 10”
(voice coil 2”) and a neodymium compression driver 1”
(voice coil 1”) on a 90°/40°x 60° asymmetrical horn.

The speaker is made of 12mm plywood, the one top
plastic handle and the 12 M8 threads located on the
sides and the back of the speaker are enabling easy
transport and installation.

The speaker has been designed to be used also as
stage monitor (40° angle), by rotating the horn you can
maintain the same audio coverage angle of high
frequencies also when the speaker is used as monitor.

In the bottom of the box there is a standard pole mount
cup (D36mm).

FLEXSYS F8 - F10 - F12 - F15FLEXSYS F8 - F10 - F12 - F15

M8

M8

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The F12 bi-amped active speaker is equipped with a

®

DIGIPRO amplifier delivering 300W RMS for the bass
section and 100W RMS for the high frequency
section.

F12 active two-way speaker features woofer 12”
(voice coil 1”) and compression driver 1” (voice coil
1,5”) on a 90°x40° CD- horn.

The speakers’ horizontal directivity is 90° by default
factory setting.

The speaker is made of 15mm birch plywood, the
three plastic handles the 12 M10 threads located
on the sides and the back of the speaker are enabling
easy transport and installation.

The speaker has been designed to be used also as
stage monitor (45° angle), by rotating the horn you can
maintain the same audio coverage angle of high
frequencies also when the speaker is used as
monitor.

In the bottom of the box there is a standard pole mount
cup (D36mm).

F15 bi-amped active speaker is equipped with a

®

DIGIPRO amplifier delivering 300W RMS for the bass
section and 100W RMS for the high frequency
section.

F15 active two-way speaker features a woofer 15”
(voice coil 2”) and a neodymium compression driver 1”
(voice coil 1,5”) on a 90°x40° CD- horn.

The speakers’ horizontal directivity is 90° by default
factory setting.

The speaker is made of 15mm birch plywood, the
three plastic handles and the 12 M10 threads located
on the sides and the back of the speaker are enabling
easy transport and installation.

The speaker has been designed to be used also as
stage monitor (45° angle), by rotating the horn you can
maintain the same audio coverage angle of high
frequencies also when the speaker is used as monitor.

In the bottom of the box there is a standard pole mount
cup (D36mm).

FLEXSYS F12

and

FLEXSYS F15

Handle

M8

M8

M8

M8

M8

Handle

M8

M8

M8

M8

M8

M8

Handle

Handle

Handle

M10

M10

M10

M10

M10

M10

F8

F10

F12-F15

FLEXSYS F8 - F10 - F12 - F15FLEXSYS F8 - F10 - F12 - F15

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COMMANDS AND FUNCTIONS

AMPLIFIER PANEL

1) “Balenced Input” - “Link” - “Input Link” CONNECTORS

These balanced inputs can be used to connect balanced or unbalanced
microphones or audio sources at line level (0dB) (eg. preamplifier, mixer,
recorder, CD player, musical instrument, ...).
The balanced connector is connected in parallel and can be used to send the
audio signal to other amplified speakers, recorders or supplementary amplifiers.

2) “Ready” INDICATOR LIGHT

This indicator shows green to indicate that the main power voltage is correct.
The LED shows green normal operating conditions.

3) “Signal” INDICATOR LIGHT

This indicator shows green to indicate the presence of the audio signal (at a level of

-20dB).

4) “Limiter” INDICATOR LIGHT

This indicator shows red to indicate that the internal limiter circuit has tripped.
This prevents amplifier distortion and protects the speakers against overloads.

5) “Sensitivity” INPUT SENSITIVITY CONTROL

This control adjusts the sensitivity of the signal amplifier input.
This control does not affect the “Link” - “Input - Link” output level

6) MODE SWITCH

This two-way switch allows to choose between two different system presets.
The “Flat” position allows linear response of the speaker, which is mainly suitable
for the “live” application.
The “Processed” position emphasizes the low frequency and regulates the mid
frequency. It is suitable for music play back

7) “Input Sens” SWITCH

Position the switch in LINE to use a line level source (0 dB) or MIC to use a
microphone.

8) POWER CABLE SOCKET “MAINS”

Used for connecting the power cable supplied.

9) FUSE CARRIER “FUSE”

Mains fuse housing.

10) POWER SWITCH “POWER”

This switch can be used to switch the diffuser on and off.

REFERENCE DRAWINGS AT PAGES 49 and 50

CHARACTERISTICS AND PROTECTION

FLEXSYS F8 - F10 - F12 - F15FLEXSYS F8 - F10 - F12 - F15

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CHARACTERISTICS AND PROTECTION

The speakers’s components in the box are protected by 1.2mm metal steel grille covered
by foam on backside.

Perform the checks listed below:

- Check if the speaker is properly connected to the power supply.

- Make sure that the power supply is of correct voltage.

- Check that the amplifier is not overheated.

- Disconnect the speaker from the mains power supply, wait for a few minutes and
connect it again.

If after these tests the red “LIMITER” LED is still on, please contact an authorised service
centre.

Front Grille

Cooling

Thermal control is provided by the internal microprocessor which, by means of two
sensors, controls the temperature of the amplifier and of the power supply, avoiding
overheating by limiting the overall volume.

In case of overheating (> 80 degrees) the volume decreases proportionally to the
temperature increase, making the change unnoticeable.

The correct volume and all the functions are automatically restored when standard
operating temperatures are reached.

Switch on

The amplifiers are equipped with a microprocessor to control the DSP and the amplifier.
The correct switch on of the amplifier is ensured by an initialization procedure; during this

test stage, the blue front LED flashes twice and the LEDs ( Limiter , Signal and Ready ),
located on the amplifier module, remain off for approx. 2 sec.
At the end of the switch on procedure, the front LED lights up (if enabled) and on the
amplifier module the Ready green LED only remains steadily on.

In case of severe failure of the speaker, the LED on the front panel flashes several times
and on the amplifier module, the Limiter red LED flashes and the speaker switches to
“mute”.

Failure indications and safeties

The microprocessor is able to signal three different kinds of failure by flashing the “Limter”
red LED on the amplifier panel before the lighting up of the “Ready” green LED. The three
types of failure are:

1) WARNING: a non severe error or auto-ripristinate malfunction is detected and the
performance of the speaker is not limited

2) LIMITATION: an error is detected and the performance of the speaker is limited (the
sound level is reduced by 3dB).

This does not affect the operation of the speaker since it continues to operate.

However, it is necessary to call the service centre to solve the issue.

3) FAILURE: a severe malfunction is detected. The speaker switches to “mute”.

Flashing Indication

1 or 2 Warning
3 or 4 Limitation
from 5 to 8 Failure

In case of failure, the “Ready” green LED remains off.

“”“” “”

“”

“”

FLEXSYS F8 - F10 - F12 - F15FLEXSYS F8 - F10 - F12 - F15

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DESCRIPTION

The FLEXSYS series bi-amped speakers are equipped with

®

DIGIPRO series class D amplifier. This high-efficiency
amplifier delivers high output power in a compact size at low
weight. Thanks to its high efficiency the cooling of the
amplifier module is obtained statically, thus avoiding the use
of a fan.

®

The power supply circuits of the DIGIPRO amplifier has
been conceived to work in full-range mode; thanks to the
SMPS (Switched-Mode Power Supply) technology with PFC
(Power Factor Correction) the operation with supply voltages
between 100 Vac and 240Vac is guaranteed by ensuring the
same sound performances even with floating and non­stabilized power supply systems.

FLEXSYS F212 (2 ways)

The F212 bi-amped active speaker is equipped with a

®

DIGIPRO amplifier which delivers 500W RMS for the bass
section and 250W RMS for the high frequency section.

The F212 active two-way speaker features two 12” (voice coil

2.5”) woofers and a neodymium 1”(voice coil 1.75”)
compression driver. The phase plug attached to the front of
the upper 12” woofer avoids the vertical phase modulation
which usually take place in this type of configuration and
ensures a precise horizontal coverage of the medium
frequencies.

The speaker is made of 15mm birch ply wood, the 4 handles,
the 12 M10 threads located on the sides and the back of the
speaker are enabling easy transport and installation.

The trapezoidal-shaped housing (20° angle) allows the side­by-side setup of several speakers in cluster configuration. For
side-by-side installation, the horn must be turned (40° x 60°)!

The bottom features a adjustable foot (in height) to inclinate
the tilt angle up to a max. of 5°. This allows to direct the sound
radiation without using additional supports.

In the bottom of the box there is a standard pole mount cup
(D36mm) made of aluminium

FLEXSYS F315 (3 ways)

®

The F315 active speaker is equipped with a DIGIPRO
amplifier delivering 500W RMS for the bass section featuring
a 15” woofer (voice coil 3”) and 500W RMS for the mid-high
section featuring a passive filter driving a 6” midrange (voice
coil 2”) and a 1” compression driver (voice coil 1.5”).

The speaker is made of 15mm birch ply wood, the 4 handles,
the 12 M10 threads located on the sides and the back of the
speaker are enabling easy transport and installation

The 15” woofer and the midh-high section with horizontal 90°
coverage is the ideal solution for all demanding full-range
applications .

In the bottom of the box there is a standard pole mount cup
(D36mm) made of aluminium

FLEXSYS F212 - F315FLEXSYS F212 - F315

CONTROLS AND FUNCTIONS

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CONTROLS AND FUNCTIONS

1) " BALANCED INPUT” INPUT CONNECTOR

Balanced input at line level. Accepts “XLR” sockets.

2) "BALANCED LINK/OUT ” OUTPUT CONNECTOR

The “XLR” connector connected in parallel with input (1) can be used to send the
input audio signal to another active speaker.

3) “LIMITER” INDICATOR LIGHT

This indicator shows red to indicate that the internal limiter circuit has tripped.
This prevents amplifier distortion and protects the speakers against overloads.

4) “SIGNAL” INDICATOR LIGHT

This indicator showscomes on green to indicate the presence of the audio signal (at
a level of -20dB).

5) “MUTE” INDICATOR LIGHT

This yellow indicator indicates amplifier status.
The LED is off in normal operating conditions.

6) “READY” INDICATOR LIGHT

This indicator shows green to indicate that the main power voltage is correct.
The LED shows green in normal operating conditions

7) “INPUT SENS” INPUT SENSITIVITY CONTROL

This control adjusts the sensitivity of the signal amplifier input.
This control does not affect the “BALANCED LINK/OUT” output level

FLEXSYS F212

8) "MODE" SWITCH

This two-way switch allow to choose between two different system presets.
The “SINGLE SPEAKER” position allows linear response when one single speaker
is used.
The “CLUSTERED SPEAKER” position reduces the medium-bass frequencies
which are coupling by the side-by-side attachment of several speakers.

9) "MAINS INPUT" POWER SOCKET

For connecting the power cable provided.
The connector used for mains connection is a POWER CON® (blue) socket

10) “MAINS OUTPUT LINK” POWER SOCKET

For linking the mains power. The output is connected in parallel with input (9) and
can be used to power another active speaker.
The connector is a POWER CON® (grey) socket

11) "MAINS FUSE" FUSE CARRIER

Mains fuse housing.

FLEXSYS F315

8) "MODE" SWITCH

This two-way switch allows to choose between two different system presets.
The “FLAT” position allows linear response of the speaker, which is mainly suitable
for the “live” application in closed rooms.
The “PROCESSED” position increases the low frequencies and it is suitable for
music play back or for the use in open air applications.

9) POWER CABLE SOCKET “MAINS INPUT”

Used for connecting the power cable supplied.

10) FUSE CARRIER “MAINS FUSE”

Mains fuse housing.

11) POWER SWITCH “POWER”

Switches the active speaker on and off.

REFERENCE DRAWINGS AT PAGES 51 and 52

FLEXSYS F212 - F315FLEXSYS F212 - F315

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CHARACTERISTICS

Front Grille

The speakers’s components in the buffle are protected by 1.5mm metal steel grille
covered by foam on backside.

Cooling

The amplifier is cooled by means of the aluminium panel placed on the back of the
speaker.

The thermal protection is ensured by an internal circuit which controls the temperature of
the amplifier and protects this against any risk of overheating thus limiting the general
volume ( temperature >80°C).

If the temperature reaches the maximum operating temperature (>80°C), the audio signal
is set to the “MUTE” position and it will be indicated by the switching on of the yellow
“MUTE” LED.

The requiriered volume and all functions will be restored automatically when the normal
operating temperatures are reached.

Protection
When the yellow “MUTE” LED turns on, it means that a malfunction has been detected on
the speaker, thus setting this to the mute position.

Perform the checks listed below:

- Check if the speaker is properly connected to the power supply.

- Make sure that the power supply is of correct voltage.

- Check that the amplifier is not overheated.

- Disconnect the speaker from the mains power supply, wait for a few minutes and
connect it again.

If after these tests the yellow “MUTE” LED is still on, please contact an authorised service
centre.

CONNECTIONS (Only for FLEXSYS F212)

Connecting to the mains supply

Each active speaker features its own power cable. Connection is done by a Neutrik
POWER CON® (blue) model which permits easy and fast connection to the speaker as
well as being an excellent locking system.

The same connector serves as a switch to turn ON and OFF the active loudspeaker by
turning the connector to the left (OFF) or right (ON).

The active speaker must be connected to a power supply able to deliver the maximum
required power.

Main power supply linking

On the rear of the speaker, a Neutrik POWER CON® connector (grey) offers linking the
mains power supply.

This socket links the power supply to another speaker, thereby reducing the direct
connections to the mains. Maximum amplifier input power is shown on the amplifier
panel.
The maximum number of speakers connected together varies of max input power and
of the maximum allowed current of the first power socket.

ROTATING HORN (Except FLEXSYS F315)

LOUDSPEAKER INSTALLATION

FLEXSYS F212 - F315FLEXSYS F212 - F315

EMI CLASSIFICATION

According to the standards EN 55103 this equipment is designed and suitable to operate in
E3 (or lower E2, E1) Electromagnetic environments.

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WARNING

Never use the handles to hang the speaker!

EXACT!

WRONG! EXACT!

ROTATING HORN (Except FLEXSYS F315)

Loudspeaker allows to maintain the same coverage angle by featuring a rotating horn.
The speakers are always supplied by the manufacturer with the horn positioned horizontal

by default at 90° for Flexsys F8, F10, F12 and F15 and 60° by default for F212.
Only Flexsys F212 can be used placing more speakers side by side (cluster), in this case is

necessary rotate the horn.
If you wish to change the coverage angle (Fig. 5):

- unscrew the fixing screws of the grille

- remove the front protective grille by slightly pressing on one side and taking the grille
off the recessed slots

- unscrew the fixing screws of the horn

- rotate the horn in the desired position (the horn should never be removed from the
driver!)

- tighten the fixing screws of the horn

- put the grille back in the recessed slots and tighten the screws of the grille.

LOUDSPEAKER INSTALLATION

WARNING

Make sure that the loudspeaker is securely installed in a stable position to avoid any
injuries or damages to persons or property.

For safety reasons do not place one loudspeaker on top of another without proper fastening
systems. Before hanging the loudspeaker check all the components for damages,
deformations, missing or damaged parts that may compromise safety during installation.
If you use the loudspeakers outdoors avoid places that are exposed to bad weather.

The loudspeaker has the following mounting options:

- bookshelf (Fig. 1)

- floor (monitor) (Fig.2)

- on speaker stands (Fig.3)

- suspended with support rails or brackets supplied by the manufacturer (Fig.4)

WARNING

To hang the loudspeaker use only one eyebolt for each hanging point
The hanging points are of M8 threads for Flexsys F8,F10 and M10 threads for
Flexsys F12, F15, F212 and F315.
Do not unscrew both bolts recessed in the housing!

FLEXSYS F8 - F10 - F12 - F15 - F212 - F315FLEXSYS F8 - F10 - F12 - F15 - F212 - F315