The Shure Model VA300 Vocal Master Sound System consists of one Control Console (VA300-C) and two Speaker
Columns (VA300-S).
Designed specifically for the performing vocalist, the
VA300 Vocal Master Sound System provides the required
portability, flexibility, and dependability demanded by professional entertainers.
The VA300-C mixer/power amplifier Console permits the
user to mix up to six microphones with individual control over
volume, tone and reverberation. A solid-state 100 watt R.M.S.
power amplifier is incorporated in the Console. Unique circuitry design protects the solid-state components against damage as a possible result of open-circuit or short-circuit conditions of the amplifier outputs. The output transistors are also
protected against overheating by the use of automatic thermal
sensors. All components of the VA300 Vocal Master Sound
1594 mm height x 400 mm width x 222 mm
depth (62-3/4 in. x 15-3/4 in. x 8-3/4 in.)
31.78 kg (70 Ibs.) including cable
System are conservatively rated and are operated well within
their respective tolerances to assure long life and trouble-free
performance.
The VA300-C is Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. listed, and is
listed by the CSA Testing laboratories as certified.
The VA300-S Speaker Columns are highly directional, wide
range, line-radiators. A rear-ported enclosure is utilized which
contributes to the directional characteristics of the Speaker
Column and is crucial in reduction of feedback.
The VA300-S employs four special 8-inch loudspeakers and
two special 10-inch loudspeakers providing a total cone area of
2,310 cm² (358 in²).
Each Speaker Column is furnished with a 15m (50 ft) #18
gauge, 2-conductor rubber jacketed cable with locking phone
plugs attached.
17. “Reverb Switch” Remote Control Jack (Phone Type).
18. Echo-“To Input” Jack (Switching Phone Type).
19. Echo-“To Output” Jack (Switching Phone Type).
20. Echo “Gain” Control.
21. “Mic./lnst.” Input Attenuator Switches (Six).
22. “Input” Jacks (Six, Phone Type).
VA300 Vocal Master
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
General Operating Instructions:
1. Set all front panel controls in the following manner: All
switches (1), (4). (7). set to “Out” position; “Reverb
Intensity” Control (2). and all “Volume” Controls (5)
and (8), set at “0”; all “Treble” and “Bass” Controls
(3) and (6). set in the “flat response” position
(indicator ribs at 12:00 o’clock); “On-Off-On” Switch
(10) set in the “Off” position.
2. Unwrap the A.C. Line cord (12) from the storage
spindles (11); plug line cord into a 110 to 130 volt, 60
Hz. outlet. The line cord is a 2.75m (9 ft), 3-conductor
cord with a 3-pin grounding plug. If extension cords are
required, use a high quality, rubber-jacketed cable with
#18 gauge wire or larger.
3. Remove the speaker cables from the storage compartments in the VA300-S Speaker Columns. Insert and lock
the right angle phone plug on the cable into either of
the two parallel-wired phone jacks; one on each Speaker
Column. Connect the other end of each cable to the
jacks on the rear panel of the Console marked
“Speakers” (15). These plugs are provided with locking
rings to lock the plug to the jack. Each speaker cable is
15m (50 ft) in length and is made from heavy duty
2-conductor, #18 gauge unshielded cable. Since each
Speaker Column has a pair of parallel-wired input jacks,
an alternate speaker hook-up would be to connect a
speaker cable from the Console to one Speaker Column
and then connect a second cable from this Speaker
Column to the second Speaker Column. Either hook-up
will provide an 8 ohm load. If longer speaker cables are
required, see page 6.
4. Connect one or more high impedance microphones to
the Console at the connectors marked “Inputs” (22).
The VA300 is designed to operate with any high
quality dynamic or
microphone. For low impedance microphones see page
10.
5. Set all six Input Attenuator Switches (21) on the rear
panel of the Console to “Mic.” These switches should
generally be set in the “Mic.” position when using high
impedance dynamic or ribbon microphones. See page
6 for a description of the switch function.
6. Turn on the Power Switch (10) located on the front
panel of the Console. Set the “Master Volume” Control
(8) to “5.” While talking or singing into one of the
microphones connected to the console, turn up the
individual volume control for that microphone to a
normal level. If at this point a slight hum is heard in the
speakers, switch the Power Switch (IO) to whichever
ribbon-type high impedance
“On” position results in the least amount of hum
coming from the speakers.
Now turn up the other Individual Channel Volume
7.
Controls (5) which are being used. By use of the Individual Channel Volume Controls (5), the microphones
may be balanced for level so that the sound coming
from the speakers is in proper balance for each microphone. Increasing or decreasing the Volume on one
channel will have no effect on the other channels of the
Console.
Note the action of the Individual Treble and Bass Con-
8.
trols (6); these controls are of the dual concentric type,
the large knob being the Bass control and the smaller
knob being the Treble control. Each of these knobs
incorporates an indicating rib. Under average conditions, the controls should be set with indicating ribs
facing straight up (12:00 o’clock position) to provide a
normal “flat” frequency response. All Treble and Bass
Controls on the Console operate in the same manner;
turning the controls clockwise respectively increases
Bass or Treble, counterclockwise decreases Bass or
Treble. Note that changing the Bass or Treble Controls
on one channel has no effect on the other channels of
the unit.
Turn the Reverb Intensity control (2) to a setting of
9.
“4” Set the Master Reverb switch (4) to the “In”
position. Reverberation may now be selectively added
to any of the six channels by setting the Individual
Channel Reverb switches (7) to the “In” position. Note
that different settings of the Reverb Intensity Control
(2) will not effect the overall system gain. Generally a
setting of “1” to “4” of the Reverb Intensity Control
(2) is adequate for vocals. The Reverb Treble and Bass
Controls (3) operate in the same manner as those of the
individual channel Treble and Bass Controls but provide
independent tonal balance of the reverberant signal
only. These controls do not affect the tone of the
individual channels. For example, increasing Treble and
decreasing Bass will approximate the reverb sound of a
tape-type reverberation unit while decreasing Treble
and increasing Bass will approximate the sound of a
plate-type reverberation device.
Set all four Antifeedback switches (1) to the “Out”
10.
position. These switches can help eliminate feedback.
Each switch cuts out part of the critical
feedback-generating frequencies. See page 8 for a
detailed description on how to effectively use them,
The Master Volume Control (8) will raise or lower the
11.
volume of all channels simultaneously without affecting
the “balance,” or “mix.” NOTE: With the Console
driven at or near full power, pilot lamps will dim or vary
in brightness; this is a normal condition.
5
Input Connections:
Six individual input connectors are provided on the rear
panel of the Console. These connectors are standard 1/4 inch
phone jacks (22). The Console is designed to operate with any
high quality dynamic or ribbon-type high impedance microphone. High impedance microphone cables should be limited
to a maximum length of 6m (20 ft) to avoid high frequency’
signal loss and to reduce the possibility of hum and noise
pickup in the cables. Standard 1/4 inch phone plugs should be
attached to the “Console end” of the microphone cables; the
center conductor of the cable should be attached to the “tip”
terminal of the phone plug and the shield of the cable should
be connected to the “sleeve” terminal. For low impedance
microphones, see page 10.
For additional microphone inputs, see page 10. For connections from electrified musical instruments, see page 10. For
connections to play back a tape, see page 9. For connections
to a phonograph, see page 10.
Six individual input level adjustment switches (21) are located above the six input jacks. These screwdriver-slot slide
switches allow the microphone input signal to be attenuated
(reduced) before entering the preamplifier.
With the switch in the “Mic.” position, the signal from the
microphone is switched directly to the preamplifier of the
channel. With the switch in the “Inst.” position, the signal
from the microphone is attenuated by 11 db before entering
the preamplifier.
This feature may be useful when working the microphones
very close to the performer’s lips as with “hard rock” vocalists,
who may produce signals in excess of the clipping level of the
preamplifiers; in such an instance, the attenuator will generally
eliminate the distortion which would otherwise occur.
Output Connections:
Two parallel-wired “Speaker” output connectors are pro-
vided on the rear panel of the VA300. These connectors are
standard phone jacks (15).
Full rated output of the amplifier is obtained when the
speaker load is 8 ohms (two VA300-S Speakers). Speaker loads
of less than 5.3 ohms (more than three VA300-S Speakers)
should not be used with this amplifier. No damage to the
speakers or amplifier will occur, but thermal shutoff of the
amplifier may result.
It should be noted that various speaker loads will affect the
output power of the amplifier. See Figure 3, Page 7 to
determine amplifier output power for the given speaker load.
WARNING: Do not interconnect the speaker output jacks
or the speaker cables between two VA300 Amplifiers
or the VA300 and any other amplifier. This may result
in damage to one or both amplifiers, and is not covered
by the Guarantee.
The VA300 does not use speaker output matching transformers and thus avoids the distortion, power loss and added
weight inherent in such transformers. The speaker output voltage is 28.3 volts, to an 8-ohm load, for 100 watts. This allows
long speaker lines with wiring practices consistent with those
used for 25-volt speaker lines.
Up to 30m (100 ft) of #18 gauge two-conductor cable
(such as Belden #8452, 8478, 8460, or 8461) may be used to
connect from the VA300-C to each 16-ohm (VA300-S)
speaker. Greater cable lengths require heavier gauge wire to
avoid appreciable power loss in the speaker cable. For 30 to
51m (100 to 170 ft), use #16 gauge; 51 to 81m (170 to 270
ft), use #14 gauge; and 81 to 128m (270 to 425 ft), use #12
gauge wire. To maximize the power to each speaker, a separate
cable should be used to connect each speaker to the VA300.
Speakers:
Selection of speakers for use in a vocal music system is most
critical. The factors which most significantly contribute to an
outstanding vocal speaker system are correct frequency range,
distortion-free reproduction, and enough sound power to fully
penetrate the audience area.
The Shure VA300-S Speaker Column has been designed to
provide all of these features. It is recommended that VA300-S
Speaker Columns be used in pairs, each column having a
nominal impedance of 16 ohms, which provides an impedance
of 8 ohms when two are used. Each column utilizes two
special IO-inch speakers and four special 8-inch speakers, and
has a total speaker cone area of 2,310cm² (358 in²) per
column. The VA300-S Speaker Column delivers virtually
uniform penetrating power over a 140° angle in the horizontal
plane and a 65° angle in the vertical plane. The rear-ported
enclosure of the VA300-S contributes to its highly directional
pattern,
penetration and reduction of feedback.
for use as an “on-stage monitor.” While this speaker meets all
of the criteria for an excellent vocal system speaker, its area of
coverage is more localized than that of the VA300-S. The
nominal impedance of the VA301-S is 32 ohms, so that when
used in conjunction with two VA300-S Speaker Columns, the
total system impedance becomes 6.4 ohms. An integral volume
control on the VA301-S permits its use on-stage as a monitor
at the highest possible sound level without feedback.
the resultant impedance loads which are suitable for use with
the VA300 Vocal Master:
required, use a Shure PM300 Power Master Amplifier to drive
the extra speakers. See page 11 for instructions.
which is critical in achieving maximum audience
The Shure VA301-S Speaker Column is intended primarily
The following list shows various speaker combinations and
1 VA300-S and 1 VA301-S
1 VA300-S and 2 VA301-S
1 VA300-S and 3 VA301-S
1 VA300-S and 4 VA301-S
2 VA300-S and 1 VA301-S
2 VA300-S and 2 VA301-S
OHMS (NOMINAL)
16
8
5.3
32
16
10.6
8
6.4
5.3
10.6
8
6.4
5.3
6.4
5.3
If additional speakers (more than in the table above) are
6
Figure 3. Typical output power vs. speaker load impedance for the
VA300 Vocal Master
Column Speaker Placement:
It must always be kept in mind that every room or space is
acoustically unique and there are no set “rules” for speaker
placement. A number of generalizations however may be made
which will at least provide a good starting point under various
conditions.
Always consider speaker placement in
microphone placement. It is desirable for the loudspeakers and
microphones to be in close proximity in order to provide the
illusion of source-oriented sound. Source-oriented sound,
ideally should provide the listener with the illusion that all of
the sound is coming directly from the sound source, the stage
or performance area. It is also desirable to keep loudspeakers
and microphones separated in order to achieve a high
threshold of acoustic feedback. While these statements are
contradictory, a good solution to both can generally be
accomplished.
When the VA300-S Speaker Columns are used on stage, as
they most often are with a portable system, the speakers
should be placed at the sides of the stage and as far forward as
possible. With this setup, the entire stage area will be relatively
free from acoustic feedback; also the illusion of sound coming
from the center of the stage will be quite good except for the
first few forward rows of seats.
The Shure VA300-S Speaker Column has been designed
with rear ports to give the column a bidirectional horizontal
polar pattern below 200 Hz. This design feature was decided
upon in order to reduce low frequency acoustic feedback and
provide a relatively “dead” area at the sides of the column
with the result that microphones may be placed there with
minimal feedback problems at low frequencies.
Try to keep the speaker columns above the heads of the
audience. The easiest way to do this is put the speaker col-
umns on the stage. If the stage is only a foot or two high, raise
the speaker columns up by placing them on a solid platform or
box.
relation to
Keeping in mind that the speaker columns have a narrow
coverage angle in the vertical plane and a broad coverage angle
in the horizontal plane, here are a few generalizations on
speaker requirements for various room shapes.
A deep, narrow auditorium would generally require only
two speakers if the seating is all on one level. If balconies were
added to this same room, additional speaker columns would be
required to aim sound up into them.
A shallow, broad room might require four speakers to be
utilized in order to cover the extreme horizontal expanse.
Again if balconies were added, four more speakers might be
required to expand the vertical coverage.
The “Theatre-in-the-Round” will almost always necessitate
the use of at least four columns. More speakers might be required to provide adequate horizontal coverage if the theatre is
very deep.
To “aim” speakers up for effective coverage of a balcony,
use the Shure Model A3S-S Speaker Stand. This stand will
provide added stability and approximately 150 of tilt. In an
emergency, a spare microphone stand can be used to hold up a
tilted speaker column. Adjust the height of the microphone
stand to one or two inches less than the height of the top edge
of the upper rear port on the back of the speaker. Tilt the
speaker back until the top edge of the upper rear port rests on
the top of the microphone stand. Changing the height of the
microphone stand adjusts the amount of tilt on the speaker.
The VA300-S Speaker Column may be used on its side,
though this reduces the horizontal coverage and the penetrating power. In a low ceiling, small intimate room such as a
night club, horizontal mounting, at or near the ceiling level
may be very successful. An alternate solution for this type of
small room is to use VA301-S Monitor Speakers. It is not
recommended that the VA300-S Speaker Column be used on
its side in larger rooms.
It is not possible to adequately cover all phases of speaker
placement in all types of rooms in this manual. Just remember
that every room is acoustically different from any other and
therefore speaker placement will vary from room to room.
Good speaker placement will provide the audience with
even distribution of sound intensity, sound which is free from
excessive reverberation and ethos, and the illusion of sound
emanating from the real source.
Power Connections:
Connect the line cord (12) to an outlet which supplies 120
volts AC, 60 Hz. power. The three-position toggle switch on
the front panel of the VA300 controls power to the Console.
This three-position switch (10) is used to reverse line polarity,
for minimum hum.
If extension cords are required to supply power to the
VA300, a high quality #18 gauge or larger cord should be
used.
Do not connect more than one VA300, or other amplifier
to one extension cord. Use separate extension cords for each
amplifier. Use a maximum of two VA300’s or other amplifier
per 120 volt house circuit. Failure to adhere to the above will
result in loss of available output power and the risk of blowing
house fuses, but will in no way damage the VA300 amplifier.
7
Loading...
+ 14 hidden pages
You need points to download manuals.
1 point = 1 manual.
You can buy points or you can get point for every manual you upload.