Fender 1226 MK III, 1225 MK III, 1211 MK III User Manual

Mk III SERIES

Mk III SERIES

PROFESSIONAL

PROFESSIONAL

LOUDSPEAKER

LOUDSPEAKER

ENCLOSURES

ENCLOSURES

Refer

Refer

for 1211 Mk III / 1225 Mk III

for 1211 Mk III / 1225 Mk III

/ 1226 Mk III

/ 1226 Mk III

P/N 053566 REV C

ence / Owner’’

ence / Owner

s Manual

s Manual

Fender Musical Instruments
7975 North Hayden Road, Scottsdale, Arizona 85258 U.S.A.

A Message from the Chairman

At Fender, we know the importance of sound reinforcement. From the simple
box-top powered mixer to today’s touring concert systems, the need to
communicate to make the connection between the performer and the
audience is foremost in our mind.

Perhaps no other piece of gear can make or break your message or your band’s
sound than your sound reinforcement gear. Your sound system is far more than
just a combination of dials, wires and speakers. It is an integral part of the audio
chain and should be treated with special care and attention to detail.

Fender knows what building quality musical instruments and sound
reinforcement equipment is all about. In fact, many of the world’s best
sounding electric musical instruments and sound reinforcement equipment
proudly wear the Fender name.

Whether you need a small powered mixer for your Saturday afternoon “jam” or
a professional full-size concert system, Fender has the sound reinforcement
gear to meet your needs. Likewise, your decision to purchase quality Fender
Professional Audio Equipment is one you will appreciate with each
performance for years to come.

Wishing you years of enjoyment and a heartfelt thank you,

Bill Schultz

Bill Schultz
Chairman of the Board
Fender Musical Instruments Corporation

INTRODUCTION

MK III

MK III

PROFESSIONAL LOUDSPEAKER

PROFESSIONAL LOUDSPEAKER

SYSTEMS

SYSTEMS

All Wood Construction with Sturdy
Dado Joints

High Current 1/4” Phone Jacks and
Neutrik Speakon™Connectors

Titanium Diaphragm Horn
Active / Passive Crossover

Operation
Metal Corners and Rubber Feet
Tough Indoor / Outdoor Synthetic

Carpet Covering

Thank you for purchasing a Mk III Series Loudspeaker
System from Fender®Pro Audio. We are sure you
will find it both a unique and effective sound
reinforcement product, providing years of trouble­free service day in and day out.

Mk III Series Loudspeaker Systems are professional, full­range, two-way, compact loudspeakers designed for
the most demanding permanent or portable sound
reinforcement requirements. Moreover, these speakers
are ideal for use as a two-way system or as the mid /
high pack in a three-way set-up incorporating a Fender
subwoofer loudspeaker system.

With a wide response, low distortion and controlled
directivity, Mk III Series Loudspeaker Systems are
designed to form the basis of everything from a small
public address system to the nightly rigors of a “working
band’s” sound system. After moisture sealing, the Mk
III Loudspeaker cabinets are covered in tough black
indoor/outdoor synthetic carpet covering. Likewise,
Mk I IILoudspeaker cabinets also feature metal corners
and rubber feet for a longer life and lasting looks.

Only the finest components are used to provide
maximum efficiency and response. In order to more
fully understand the operational characteristics of
your Mk III Series Loudspeaker enclosure, please
read through this operational user’s guide.

CAUTION: Almost all speakers produce strong
magnetic fields which may interfere with the
normal operation of nearby electronic devices,
including televisions and computer video monitors.
To reduce or eliminate interference, increase the
distance between this product and other nearby
electronic devices.

3

SPEAKER WIRING AND CONNECTIONS

Parallel

or

series

are the two basic ways which multiple
speakers can be connected to a single power amplifier.
When speakers are connected in parallel, their
combined impedance decreases. For speakers wired
in series the opposite is true, their combined
impedance increases. Thus, when speakers are wired
in series, higher impedance speakers in the series draw
more power from the amplifier than do speakers in the
series with lower impedances. When speakers are
wired in parallel, the opposite is true. Higher
impedance speakers will draw less power from the
amplifier than lower impedance speakers will draw.

At Fender®, we recommend connecting multiple
speakers in parallel for several reasons. First, if one
speaker fails, the others will continue to operate. Second,
because in a series connection one speaker affects the
output of the other speakers, unpredictable frequency
response is a concern. Third, most speaker cabinets
are already wired for parallel connections making parallel
connections the most common wiring method.

Below are two charts demonstrating how to calculate
both parallel and series impedance.

PARALLEL IMPEDANCE

Z

5.3* 8

16Ω*

4 5.3

8Ω

Cabinet B

Impedance

SERIES IMPEDANCE

8Ω*16Ω

Cabinet A

Impedance

*Example- Cabinet A is 8 ohms. Cabinet B is
16 ohms . The total impedance when connected
in parallel is:

Z

=

p

1

181

+

+ -

16

p

= 5.3 ohms.

=

1

+

Z

+

AB

-

1

1

1

...

Z

Z

2n1

+

-

Keep in mind, power and audio signal cables are the
most common sources of sound system failure. Well
made and carefully maintained cables are essential to
the reliability of the entire sound system. If long speaker
cables are required, it is important to ensure the cable‘s
gauge is sufficient to transfer all of the available
amplifier power to the speakers rather than absorbing
the power itself. As a rule of thumb, larger wires are
better as they conduct more power to the speakers
(larger wire has smaller gauge numbers).

Below are two charts listing speaker wire gauges and
recommendations for best results.

SPEAKER WIRE GAUGE

100'-UP

(30.5 m-UP)

50'-100'

(15.25-30.5 m)

*25'-50'

(7.60-15.25 m)

10'-25'

(3.05-7.60 m)

0'-10'

SPEAKER WIRE LENGTH

(0.00-3.05 m)

10

12
14
16
18

4Ω

12

14
16

14

*16 18

18

18

18

18

*8Ω

16Ω

SPEAKER IMPEDANCE [z]

*Example - If the speaker wire length
required is between 25-50 feet (7.60-

15.25 meters) and the speaker
impedance is 8Ω, the minimum
recommended speaker wire gauge is 16.

AWG

Cross-

Section

[mm ]

Resistance in Ω per foot

2

(30.5 cm) @ 77º F (25º C)

Z

18 20* 24 32

16Ω*

8Ω

10 12 16 24

4Ω

Cabinet B

6 8 12 20

Impedance

2Ω

4 6 10 18

2Ω 4Ω*8Ω16Ω

Cabinet A

Impedance

*Example- Cabinet A is 4 ohms. Cabinet B is
16 ohms. The total impedance when
connected in series is 4 + 16 = 20 ohms.

s

+ -

=

ZZZ

...

+

2n1

+

A

-

+

B

-

18
16

14
12
10

8

0.83

1.32

2.10

3.32

5.27

8.38

.00651
.00409

.00258
.00162
.00102
.00064

4

Mk III SERIES SPEAKER CONNECTIONS

SETUP SUGGESTIONS

In normal operation (using the passive internal
crossover), the 1/4" jacks and the Speakon
Connectors are wired in parallel allowing any one of
the connectors to be used as an input and any other
as an output. This allows "daisy chaining" of multiple
loudspeakers, eliminating the need for several long,
cumbersome runs of speaker cable. During normal
mode, the connections are as follows:

Polarity Phone Jack Speakon

™

Positive (+) Tip 1+ and/or 2+
Negative (-) Sleeve 1- and/or 2-

When the switch on the back of the speaker is in the
bi-amp mode, the internal crossover and high
frequency attenuator are disabled. Thus, an external
crossover must be used with the speaker and two
channels of power amplification will be required: one
for the low frequencies and another for the high
frequencies. In bi-amp mode, the connections are as
follows:

Phone Jacks

Frequency

Lows
Lows
Highs
Highs

Polarity

Positive (+)

Negative (-)

Positive (+)

Negative (-)

Left
N/A

N/A
Tip
Sleeve

Right
Tip

Sleeve
N/A
N/A

Speakon

1+

1-

2+

2-

IMPORTANT: If the crossover switch is set to
external, DO NOT plug a full range signal into the
High Frequency input. Doing so will destroy the
compression driver.

The placement of any speaker can dramatically affect

™

its sound. Thus, there are several considerations to
review when placing loudspeakers.

First, the range of the horizontal coverage should be
determined. The speaker may be used as a single unit,
as part of a pair, or as part of a group of widely spaced
enclosures. In any case, maximum horizontal
coverage will be desired. Examples of these types of
setups are shown. The horn in this configuration has
a horizontal coverage angle of 90º and a vertical
coverage of 40º.

Mk III

Cabinet

Two speakers arranged as a mono or stereo
pair requiring maximum horizontal coverage

Stage

Audience

Cabinet

30º

Mk III

Cabinet

Mk III

Cabinet

Two speakers in a "loose pack" array

requiring maximum horizontal

coverage

Mk III

NOTE: When setting up your Mk III Series enclosures,
be sure to place the cabinets in such a way as to
minimize overlapping radiating patterns.

A second consideration is for feedback and bass
performance. If the speaker is placed near a large, flat
wall, the bass output will increase by approximately 6
dB. Placing the speaker near a wall can cause
feedback. If this occurs, the speaker must be moved.

A third consideration is to what degree the speaker
should be "heard and not seen", especially in
permanent installations. Remember, where the
speaker cabinets are placed will effect both their tone
and radiating patterns.

5

BI-AMP OPERATION

For versatility and increased headroom, some users
may choose to use an active electronic crossover /
processor, such as the Fender PCN-2 or PCN-4, with
the system. The electronic crossover takes the place
of the internal crossover of the speaker system. The
"Normal / Bi-Amp" switch on the back of the cabinet
must be set to the "Bi-Amp" position. Always check

to ensure the internal/external crossover switch
which selects passive or biamp operation is in the
correct position prior to use. Failure to do so may
damage the speakers. A typical set-up of a bi-amp

configuration is shown at right.

UNPOWERED MIXER

OUT

MONITOR

IN

MAIN

PCN-2 ELECTRONIC CROSSOVER

OUT

HIGH

OUT

LOW

OUT

For those situations requiring a subwoofer, Mk III
loudspeakers can still be used if a three-way electronic
crossover is used. An example of this configuration is
shown on the next page.

It is strongly recommended that a fourth-order
"Linkwitz-Riley" or a digital FIR fourth-order active
crossover be used. The crossover frequency, for both
the 1225 Mk III / 1226 Mk III, should be set at
approximately 2200 Hz, the 1211 Mk III should be set
at approximately 1200 Hz. Since the output sensitivity
of the compression driver is higher than that of the
woofer, the high frequency output of the system must
be decreased at either the crossover (if such a control
is provided) or at the power amplifier(s) that are used
for the high frequencies.

CAUTION: Be sure to connect the high frequencies
and low frequencies to their correct inputs
indicated on the back of the speaker cabinets.

CARPET COVERING CARE

Mk III Series cabinets are covered in a
tough, black indoor/outdoor synthetic
carpet for long life and lasting good
looks. To clean the carpet covering, use
a sponge and a light soapy water

solution to wipe away any smudges or
dirt. For stubborn stains, a slightly more concentrated
soapy solution or carpet shampoo with a brush may
be used. Avoid spilling liquids on the input panel, grille
and speakers.

SPL-9000

Low

POWER AMP

Hi

Mk III

Cabinet

Speakers operated in a bi-amp configuration

SWITCHES

SET TO

EXTERNAL

CROSSOVER

A Out

A In

B In

B Out

Hi

Mk III

Cabinet

Low

6

USING A 3-WAY ELECTRONIC CROSSOVER WITH MK III ENCLOSURES

UNPOWERED MIXER

MONITOR

MAIN

OUT

OUT

INPUT

PCN-4 ELECTRONIC CROSSOVER

SPL-9000 POWER AMP

Hi Hi

Mk III

Cabinet

Low

SWITCHES SET

TO EXTERNAL

CROSSOVER

A In

HIGH

OUT
A In

A Out B Out

Mk III

Cabinet

Low

MID

OUT

B In

LOW

OUT

SPL-9000 POWER AMP

Bridge Mono Mode

Speakers operated in a bi-amp configuration with

Bridge Out

215s

a subwoofer (tri-amping)

7

SPECIFICATIONS

MODEL 1211 Mk III 1225 MK III 1226 MK III

PART NUMBER 071-1211-200 071-1225-200 071-1226-200

CABINET 5/8" (1.6 cm) 3/4" (1.9 cm) 3/4" (1.9 cm)

Particle Board Birch Plywood Birch Plywood

CONNECTIONS (2) 1/4" Phone Jacks (2) 1/4" Phone Jacks (2) 1/4" Phone Jacks

(2) Speakon™Jacks (2) Speakon™Jacks

DRIVER Low: 15" (38 cm) woofer 15" (38 cm) woofer 15" (38 cm) woofers

2.5" (6.4 cm) voice coil 3" (7.6 cm) voice coil 3" (7.6 cm) voice coil

High: 1" (2.5 cm) Exit Throat 1" (2.5 cm) Exit Throat 1" (2.5 cm) Exit Throat

Titanium Diaphragm Titanium Diaphragm Titanium Diaphragm

FREQUENCY On Axis
RESPONSE +/- 3 dB: 50 Hz to 15kHz 50 Hz to 15kHz 38 Hz to 15kHz

ON AXIS SPL @
SENSITIVITY 1W/1m: 95 dB 100 dB 100 dB

COVERAGE Horizontal 90º @ 5 kHz 90º @ 5 kHz 90º @ 5 kHz
PATTERN Vertical 40º @ 5 kHz 40º @ 5 kHz 40º @ 5 kHz

POWER RATING 300W program 400W program 800W program

150W EIA 200W EIA 400W EIA

NOMINAL IMPEDANCE 8Ω 8Ω 4Ω

CROSSOVER FREQUENCY 1200 Hz 2200 Hz 2200 Hz

DIMENSIONS Height 28.6" (72.6 cm) 28.6" (72.6 cm) 46.5" (118.1 cm)

Width 20.3" (51.6 cm) 19.8" (50.3 cm) 25" (63.5 cm)
Depth 14" (35.6 cm) 19.2" (48.8 cm) 20.2 (51.3 cm)

WEIGHT 68 lbs. (31 kg) 84 lbs. (38 kg) 126 lbs.(57 kg)

A PRODUCT OF:

FENDER MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS CORP.

CORONA, CA 91720 USA