Tapco J-800 User Manual

SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

1. Read these instructions.

2. Keep these instructions.

3. Heed all warnings.

4. Follow all instructions.

5. Do not use this apparatus near water.

6. Clean only with a dry cloth.

7. Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance

with the manufacturer’s instructions.

8. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including ampliﬁers) that produce heat.

9. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other. A grounding-type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong. The wide blade or the thrid prong are provided for your safety. If the provided plug does not ﬁt into your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet.

10. Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the apparatus.

11. Only use attachments/accessories speciﬁed by the manufacturer.

12. Use only with a cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table speciﬁed by the manufacturer, or sold with the apparatus. When a cart is used, use caution when moving the cart/apparatus combination to avoid injury from tip-over.

13. Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time.

14. Refer all servicing to qualiﬁed service personnel. Servicing is required when the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as when the power-supply cord or plug has been damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.

15. This apparatus shall not be exposed to dripping or splashing, and no object ﬁlled with liquids, such as vases, shall be placed on the apparatus.

16. This apparatus has been designed with Class-I construction and must be connected to a mains socket outlet with a protective earthing connection (the third grounding prong).

17. This apparatus has been equipped with a single-pole rockerstyle AC mains power switch. This switch is located on the front panel and should remain readily accessible to the user.

18. This apparatus does not exceed the Class A/Class B (whichever is applicable) limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus as set out in the radio interference regulations of the Canadian Department of Communications.

ATTENTION —Le présent appareil numérique n’émet pas de bruits radioélectriques dépassant las limites applicables aux appareils numériques de class A/de class B (selon le cas) prescrites dans le règlement sur le brouillage radioélectrique édicté par les ministere des communications du Canada.

WARNING — To reduce

the risk of ﬁre or electric

shock, do not expose

this appliance to rain or

moisture.

PORTABLE CART WARNING

Carts and stands - The Component should be used only with a cart or stand that is recommended by the manufacturer. A Component and cart combination should be moved with care. Quick stops, excessive force, and uneven surfaces may cause the Component and cart combination to overturn.

CAUTION AVIS

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

RISQUE DE

CHOC

ELECTRIQUE

NE PAS OUVRIR

CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT REMOVE COVER (OR BACK) NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE

REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED PERSONNE

ATTENTION: POUR EVITER LES RISQUES DE CHOC

ELECTRIQUE, NE PAS ENLEVER LE COUVERCLE. AUCUN

ENTRETIEN DE PIECES INTERIEURES PAR L'USAGER. CONFIER

L'ENTRETIEN AU PERSONNEL QUALIFIE.

AVIS: POUR EVITER LES RISQUES D'INCENDIE OU

D'ELECTROCUTION, N'EXPOSEZ PAS CET ARTICLE

A LA PLUIE OU A L'HUMIDITE

The lightning flash with arrowhead symbol within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated “dangerous voltage” within the product’s enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.

Le symbole éclair avec point de flèche à l'intérieur d'un triangle équilatéral est utilisé pour alerter l'utilisateur de la présence à l'intérieur du coffret de “voltage dangereux” non isolé d'ampleur suffisante pour constituer un risque d'éléctrocution.

The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user of the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the appliance.

Le point d'exclamation à l'intérieur d'un triangle équilatéral est employé pour alerter les utilisateurs de la présence d'instructions importantes pour le fonctionnement et l'entretien (service) dans le livret d'instruction accompagnant l'appareil.

What me, read a manual?

Before you begin, please make sure you read the Safety Instructions on page 2 and Getting Started on

page 4.

Your new TAPCO® ampliﬁer is designed to set up quickly and operate easily. We know it’s often seen as a sign of weakness to read a manual, along with asking for directions when lost, but maybe you can read the rest when nobody is looking.

It is important to keep your receipt in a safe place, and not a bad idea to write your product information here for future reference (i.e., insurance claims, tech support, return authorization, etc.).

Duration Per Day Sound Level dBA, Typical In Hours Slow Response Example

8 90 Packed garage concert

6 92

4 95 VW Bus Peace Train

3 97

2 100 Cranked psychedelic tunes

1.5 102

1 105 High speed chase on C.H.I.P.s

0.5 110

0.25 or less 115 Loudest parts at a Heavy Metal concert

Product Serial #:

Purchased at:

Date of purchase:

19. Exposure to extremely high noise levels may cause

permanent hearing loss. Individuals vary considerably in susceptibility to noise-induced hearing loss, but nearly everyone will lose some hearing if exposed to suﬃciently intense noise for a period of time. The U.S. Government’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has speciﬁed the permissible noise level exposures shown in the following chart.

According to OSHA, any exposure in excess of these permissible limits could result in some hearing loss. To ensure against potentially dangerous exposure to high sound pressure levels, it is recommended that all persons exposed to equipment capable of producing high sound pressure levels use hearing protectors while the equipment is in operation. Ear plugs or protectors in the ear canals or over the ears must be worn when operating the equipment in order to prevent permanent hearing loss if exposure is in excess of the limits set forth here.

Getting Started

The following steps will help you set up your ampliﬁer, and get the levels just right.

SETTINGS:

1. Be sure the ampliﬁer’s POWER switch is oﬀ.

2. Turn down both Level controls.

3. On the rear panel, set the SUBSONIC FILTER

switch OFF and the CLIP LIMIT switch ON.

4. Determine which AMP MODE is best for your

application:

STEREO mode is the typical setup for amplifying

stereo signals. INPUT 1 is routed to CHANNEL 1 output, and INPUT 2 is routed to CHANNEL 2 output.

MONO mode is used for sending a mono signal

to both outputs, with separately adjustable level controls. INPUT 1 is used in MONO mode (leave INPUT 2 disconnected).

BRIDGE mode uses both outputs to double the power to one speaker (or set of speakers). INPUT 1 is used in BRIDGE mode (leave INPUT 2 disconnected and the B Level control turned down).

NOTE:

4 ohms is the minimum speaker impedance you should connect to the ampliﬁer in BRIDGE mode. See “Do the Math” in Appendix B for information on calculating speaker impedances.

5. Set the AMP MODE switch according to your application.

CONNECTIONS:

1. Using balanced cables, make connections from

your mixer (or other signal source) MAIN OUT to your ampliﬁer’s INPUTs.

2. In STEREO mode, connect the cables from your signal source to the ampliﬁer’s INPUT jacks, either XLR or 1/4” TRS.

• The XLR and TRS inputs for each channel are wired in parallel.

• The balanced XLR inputs are wired as follows:

Pin 1 = shield (ground)

Pin 2 = hot (+) Pin 3 = cold (–)

• The 1/4” TRS inputs are wired as follows:

Tip = hot (+)

Ring = cold (–) Sleeve = shield (ground)

3. In MONO mode and BRIDGE mode, connect one cable from the input source to INPUT 1, and connect nothing to INPUT 2.

4. In STEREO and MONO modes, connect speaker cables to the SPEAKER OUTPUTS, either the binding posts or the Speakon® connectors.

• The binding post connectors are wired as follows: red = hot (+ speaker terminal) black = cold (– speaker terminal)

• The Speakon connectors are wired as follows: 1+ = hot (+ speaker terminal) 1– = cold (– speaker terminal).

5. In BRIDGE mode, if using the binding post outputs:

• CHANNEL 1 SPEAKER OUTPUT red post = hot (+ speaker terminal)

• CHANNEL 2 SPEAKER OUTPUT red post = cold (– speaker terminal) Do not use the black terminals.

If using a Speakon connector, connect the

Speakon to the center BRIDGED connector.

• The BRIDGED Speakon connector is wired as follows: 1+ = hot (+ speaker terminal) 2+ = cold (– speaker terminal).

6. Plug all the sound system components into suitable AC outlets, properly grounded and capable of delivering adequate current.

7. Make sure your signal source is powered up and delivering signal to the amp.

8. Turn the power ampliﬁer’s switch on. Verify that the POWER LED lights.

9. Slowly turn up both Level controls on the ampliﬁer. You should hear music and see the SIG LEDs ﬂashing. If the OL (Overload) LEDs are ﬂashing, turn down either the Level controls on the amp or the source signal’s output level controls (i.e., master faders), until the OL LEDs either blink occasionally or not at all.

10.

For quieter listening, it is preferable to adjust

the amp’s Level controls rather than the source signal’s output level (unless you have the source’s control all the way up!).

Things To Remember:

• Never plug ampliﬁer outputs into anything except speakers (unless you have an outboard box speciﬁcally designed to handle speaker-level signals).

• Before making connections to an amp or

reconﬁguring an amp’s routing, turn the amp’s level controls down, turn the power oﬀ, make the changes, turn the power back on, and then turn the level controls back up.

Contents

Safety Instructions ..............................................................................2

Getting Started ...................................................................................4

Introduction .........................................................................6

Hookup Diagrams ...............................................................................7

TAPCO Juice Features .....................................................................8

Front Panel Features .................................................................8

LEVEL .......................................................................................8

SIG ..............................................................................................8

OL ...............................................................................................8

POWER ....................................................................................8

Rear Panel Features ...................................................................8

POWER CORD SOCKET .................................................8

BREAKER ................................................................................9

SPEAKER OUTPUTS ..........................................................9

INPUTS .....................................................................................9

SUBSONIC FILTER .............................................................9

CLIP LIMIT ..............................................................................9

AMP MODE ............................................................................9

General Precautions .........................................................................9

Rack Mounting ..............................................................................9

Thermal Considerations ........................................................10

AC Power Considerations ....................................................10

Input Wiring ................................................................................10

Output Wiring ............................................................................10

Appendix A: Service Information ..............................................14

Warranty Service ......................................................................14

Troubleshooting ........................................................................14

Repair ............................................................................................15

Appendix B: Technical Info ...........................................................16

Do The Math: Ohms, Loads, and Such .............................16

Juice Series Speciﬁcations ...................................................17

Juice Series Block Diagram ..................................................18

TAPCO Limited Warranty ............................................................19

• If you shut down your equipment, turn oﬀ the ampliﬁers ﬁrst. When powering up, turn on the ampliﬁers last.

• Save the shipping box and packing material! You may need it someday. If not, it makes a great end table or hiding place for your cat.

Don’t forget to visit our website at www.tapcogear.com

for more information about this and other TAPCO products.

Introduction

Thank you for choosing a TAPCO® Juice™ power ampliﬁer. The TAPCO product line hails back to the days of TAPCO Corporation, Greg Mackie’s ﬁrst company. TAPCO revolutionized the audio industry in 1969 with the very ﬁrst 6-channel mixer speciﬁcally designed for keyboards and rock ‘N’ roll PA.

In essence, TAPCO re-deﬁned the price performance ratio and made high-quality professional audio mixers accessible to virtually anyone. Today, TAPCO is reborn with the same ideals and is backed by the world-class engineering and manufacturing horsepower of Mackie. The TAPCO J•800, J•1400, and J•2500 are the ﬁrst power ampliﬁers in the TAPCO family.

The Juice Series™ of ampliﬁers are powerful and tough. They are designed to withstand the punishing rigors of the road and continue to crank out ampliﬁed sound day after day, year after year.

Here’s a quick glance at the features packed into these juicy ampliﬁers:

• J•800: 800 watts continuous @ 4 ohms bridged

J•1400: 1400 watts continuous @ 4 ohms bridged J•2500: 2500 watts continuous @ 4 ohms bridged

• Ultra-low noise/low-distortion design

• Switchable low-cut ﬁlter @ 30 Hz on both channels

• Switchable limiter on both channels

• Balanced/unbalanced 1/4" TRS and XLR line input jacks

• Speakon® output connectors

• Detented rotary gain controls calibrated in dB

• Signal present and OL (overload) LEDs

• Variable speed fans for superior cooling

+ 14 hidden pages