JBL Control 12C-VA Troubleshooting guide

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Control 10C-VA Series
Ceiling Loudspeakers
Owner’s Manual
& Installation Guide
Rev A
Control 12C-VA, Control 14C-VA, and Control 16C-VA

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Table of Contents
Product Description .................................................... 2
Product Feature Identication ................................... 2
Installation Preparations ............................................. 3
Step-By-Step Installation and Wiring ....................... 3
Painting the Speaker .................................................... 7
Safety Agency Compliance ......................................... 8
Maintenance ................................................................. 8
Replacement Parts ....................................................... 8
Contacting JBL ............................................................. 8
Product Specications ................................................. 9
ank you for purchasing JBL Control Contractor ceiling
loudspeakers. Read through this manual to familiarize
yourself with the features, applications and precautions
before you use these products.
Product Descriptions
e JBL Control Contractor Control 10C-VA Series
of EN54-24 certied ceiling loudspeakers utilize
innovative design and materials to provide premium level
performance from compact in-ceiling speakers.
CONTROL 12C-VA – A 3” (75 mm) full-range driver to
provide high-delity full-range sound over an extremely
wide coverage area.
CONTROL 14C-VA – A wide bandwidth ceiling speaker
containing a co-axially mounted 4” (100 mm) woofer and
¾” (19 mm) so-dome tweeter.
CONTROL 16C-VA – A wide bandwidth, high sensitivity,
extended bass ceiling speaker containing a co-axially
mounted 6.5” (165 mm) woofer and ¾” (19 mm) so-
dome tweeter.
(Control 14C-VA Shown)
Product Feature Identication
Zinc-Plated
Steel Backcan
Tap Selector for
70V/100V taps, 8Ω
direct and OFF
Loudspeaker
Driver
Attachment
Screws
Gland Nut
Seismic Tab
(secondary
support point)
Terminal Cover
Plate
(Ceramic
Terminal Block
Inside)
Rotating
Mounting Tabs
(dog-ears)
Perforated
Press-In Grille

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Installation Preparations
e entire installation can be accomplished, if necessary, with-
out requiring access above the ceiling. Bracketry for use with
either suspended ceilings or sheetrock ceilings is included. e
speaker is held securely in place via mounting ears which lock
into place.
OPTIONAL PRE-INSTALLATION BRACKETS
IN MOST CASES, NO BRACKETS OTHER THAN THE
ONES INCLUDED WITH YOUR SPEAKER ARE REQUIRED.
Everything needed for most installations of these loudspeakers
is provided with your Control Contractor ceiling speaker.
However, when the speaker is being installed into a sheet rock
(typically gypsum board) ceiling, JBL’s optional pre-installation
brackets can be installed before the sheetrock is installed. e
pre-installation bracket provides a bracket to which wiring can
be tied behind the sheetrock. It can function as a cutout tem-
plate when many cutouts are to be made in a production-line
style installation, and it secures the ceiling speaker to the
building structure. Two types of pre-installation brackets are
available from JBL Professional as optional accessories:
1) e optional NEW-CONSTRUCTION BRACKET is made
of at sheetmetal, with wings to attach to the building structure.
Holes are drilled for nails or screws at 16 inches (406 mm) and
24 inches (610 mm) on-center. Additional holes can be drilled
by the installer at other spacings up to a maximum of 24-3/4
inches (630 mm) apart. Sheet rock installs over the bracket, and
the bracket provides a template for blind cutout of the hole in
the sheet rock. e sheet rock is typically cut with a router-type
cutting tool, using the bracket ring as a cutout guide.
Figure 1:
Optional NC New-Construction Bracket
2) e optional PLASTER-RING BRACKET (or “mud ring”)
contains a circular oset, forming a edge guide for sheet rock
plastering. e bracket has wings that attach to the building
structure. Sheet rock is typically either precut or cut with a
rotary cutting tool using the outside of the plaster ring circle as
a guide. e sheet rock hole is then plastered (or “mudded”) up
to the ring to create a seamless cutout.
Figure 2:
Optional MR Plaster-Ring Bracket (“Mud Ring”)
Table 1: New Construction Brackets
Model
New
Construction
Bracket
Plaster-Ring
Bracket
Control 12C-VA MTC-24NC MTC-24MR
Control 14C-VA MTC-24NC MTC-24MR
Control 16C-VA MTC-26NC MTC-26MR
USING INCLUDED C-BRACKET WITH
SHEET-ROCK
For most installations, the INCLUDED C-shaped backing plate
provides adequate reinforcement to the ceiling material, spread-
ing out the clamping force from the tab clamps.
CUTOUT SIZES
Table 2: Cutout Sizes
Model
Cutout Size
(diameter)
Control 12C-VA 167 mm (6.7 in)
Control 14C-VA 167 mm (6.7 in)
Control 16C-VA 225 mm (8.8 in)
STEP-BY-STEP
INSTALLATION AND WIRING
e installation system has been designed so that the entire
installation can be accomplished from beneath the ceiling for
instances when access above the tile is not possible or practical.
However, in some cases it may be easier with removable ceiling
tiles to access from both the top and bottom of the ceiling tile
during various phases of the installation.

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Step 1 – Cut the Hole in the Ceiling Material. Cut-
out the circular hole to the cutout hole size listed above. Pull
the wiring through the cutout hole.
Figure 3:
Hole Cutout
Step 2 – Insert Backing Hardware rough the
Hole. Packaged with the speakers are two types of backing
hardware – a C-shaped backing-plate bracket and two tile rails.
Suspended Ceilings – Insert the C-plate through the hole
cut in the ceiling tile. Place the C-plate around the hole with
the tabs located as shown on Figure 4. Insert the tile rails
through the cut hole in the ceiling tile. Snap the two rails
into the two tabs in the C-plate and align the rails so that the
ends extend OVER the T-channel grid on the side of the tile.
Secure the rails onto the C-bracket tabs by inserting a screw
though each tab into the rail. is can all be accomplished
from below the ceiling tile, if necessary.
FOR SAFETY:
IMPORTANT TO USE BRACKETS
ALL included support brackets – C-plate and
tile rails -- MUST be used when installing into
suspended ceiling tiles.
Figure 4:
C-Bracket and Tile Rail Positioning on Ceiling Tile
Additional Suspended Ceiling Installation
Information
Tile Rails: e tile rails are designed to t either standard
24-inch wide tiles or 600-mm wide tiles. e tile rail piec-
es do NOT physically attach to the T-grid struts. Instead,
the inverted-V shape at the ends of the rails sit OVER
the T-grid strut. During normal operation, the rails are
supported by the edge of the tile. If the tile were to come
out or fall apart, the ends of the support rails are designed
to catch onto the T-grid, providing secure support to hold
the loudspeaker assembly in place.
Vibration Reduction: Loudspeakers can generate sub-
stantial vibration which can cause buzzing of the ceiling
materials or structure. Depending on the character of the
ceiling tile and structure, the installer might need to place
neoprene or other dampening material under the tile rails
or the edges of the tiles to eliminate rattles.
Cutout Placement: e tile rails are pre-punched with
attachment holes along their length. Placement is not
limited to the center of the tile as is the case with many
other tile rail support systems.
Non-Suspended Ceiling Types – e C-bracket can be
optionally used by itself to shore up the ceiling material and
to spread out the clamping force from the tab clamps. Insert
the C-plate through the cut hole in the ceiling and place it on
the back side of the hole before inserting the speaker.
Step 3 -- Removing Terminal Cover. Loosen the 4
screws holding the Terminal Cover Plate (you do not have to
remove them), slide the plate to where the screws line up with
the larger end of the keyholes, and remove the Terminal Cover
Plate.
Figure 5:
Loosening the four set screws holding the Terminal Cover Plate
and removing the plate.

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Make sure the gland nut tting is axed and tightened in the
proper knock-out location (add a second gland nut to the other
knock-out location if two glands nuts are desired). Slide the
wire through the gland nut (do not tighten the gland nut onto
the wire yet).
Figure 6:
Afxing gland nut to Terminal Cover
Plate
Step 4 – Connect the Wiring to the Ceramic Ter-
minal Block – e Ceramic Terminal Block is attached to
the speaker. Strip the insulation back about 5 mm (about 3/16
inch). Do NOT strip wires back any longer than this. Insert the
bare end of wire fully into the connector (not allowing any bare
wire outside of connector). Only utilize the side of the terminal
where there aren’t already wires connected.
Add a second set of wires in parallel to the same terminals if
a second wire is utilized for looping to another loudspeak-
er. Screw down the hold-down screw until tight using a small
phillips-type screwdriver. Tighten any unused screws to avoid
rattling from vibration.
Figure 7:
Connecting Wires to the Ceramic
Terminal Block
(Note that the right-hand wire shown
in diagram is optional. It only needs
to be connected if the chassis of the
driver needs to be connected to a safety
ground.)
Figure 8:
Connecting two sets of wires to the
Ceramic Terminal Block for loop-out to a
subsequent loudspeaker
Figure 9:
Paralleling connections to multiple
speakers for 70V or 100V distributed
speakers systems
Guide to the Pins for Connection -- e Ceramic Terminal
Block contains 3 terminals, as marked on the connector as +
INPUT, - INPUT and GROUND.
Figure 10:
Terminals
Figure 11:
Shown wired (without cover shown)
-

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Step 5 – Re-attach Terminal Cover Plate and
Tighten Gland Nut -- Slide the wire through the gland nut
until you can re-attach the Terminal Cover Plate. Install the
cover plate so that the screws go in through the keyholes, and
slide the plate so that the screws are back at the narrow-slot end
of the keyholes. Tighten the 4 screws. Tighten the gland nut
onto the wire (leaving enough slack inside the coverplate so that
there is no strain on the wires inside the compartment).
Figure 12:
Re-attaching Terminal Cover Plate
Figure 13:
Shown wired with Terminal Cover Plate
in place
Step 6 – Insert Speaker into Ceiling & Tighten–In-
sert the speaker into the ceiling as far as it goes, until the front
bae rim touches the ceiling.
Figure 14:
Inserting Speaker into Ceiling
(C-ring/tile-rail assembly is above the ceiling tile. Speaker
inserted through cutout in ceiling material. Diagram shown
without cable and ceiling tile for clarity)
Turn the attachment screws to tighten the mounting tabs, by
using the following directions:
Figure 15:
Tightening Mounting Tabs
IMPORTANT -- For each attachment screw, FIRST turn ½
turn COUNTER-CLOCKWISE to release the mounting tab
from its guide.
en tighten the mounting tabs by turning the screw CLOCK-
WISE until tight. e rst ¼ clockwise turn rotates the attach-
ment tabs outward and the remaining turns tighten the tabs
down onto the back of the ceiling surface. DO NOT OVER-
TIGHTEN.

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A tab is provided on the back of each speaker for connection
to an independent secondary support point. Some construc-
tion codes require using this secondary support point, which
requires connecting a support line to a separate secure support
point on the building structure. Consult construction codes in
your region.
IMPORTANT -- Control Contractor ceiling speakers can gen-
erate substantial vibration . Using the seismic tab as a secondary
support point is highly recommended in case the ceiling tile
or structure breaks. In some areas, using the seismic tab as a
secondary support point is required by code.
Step 7 Adjust Tap Selector –e tap selector rotary
switch is located on the front bae. Adjust the tap setting
before applying power to the speaker and before inserting the
grille. From the OFF position, turn the selector counter-clock-
wise to set to the 8Ω (low impedance) nominal setting (see
spec sheet for more precise impedance information) or turn the
selector clockwise to set to the various 70V and 100V distribut-
ed system tap settings.
Figure 16:
Tap Selector
(Shown: Control 14C-VA. Tap ratings on the
other models differ from these gures.)
Step 8 – Insert the Grille – Aer testing the speaker,
consider which direction the logo is facing and press the grille
into place until the front of the grille is ush with the rim. It is
oen easiest to press in various places around the perimeter of
the grille. Make sure grille is securely seated to prevent it from
vibrating loose and falling.
Removing the Grille -- e grille presents a tight t in order
to make sure that it won’t fall out, even with high vibrations
that can be produced by these speakers. If you need to
remove the grille, it is easiest to do so by inserting 2 pointed
objects (such as push pins) into 2 nearby holes in the grille,
presenting slow even pressure to pull down on the grille until
that section of the grille comes out approximately 6 mm (1/4
inch) . Work your way around the grille, loosening a section
at a time until the grille comes out.
Painting the Speaker
For EN54 Applications -- Painting is not allowed for EN54
applications, under the general requirements for EN54-certied
loudspeakers.
For Non-EN54 Applications -- e speaker’s textured white
nish complements most decor and does not need further n-
ishing. Where the interior design requires it, these speakers are
easy to paint.
e rim can be painted before installation or in cases where the
rim needs to be nished along with the ceiling, the speaker rim
can be painted aer attaching into the ceiling.
Type of Paint – e speaker’s ABS rim accepts almost any type
of latex or oil based paint. Two coats are recommended.
Painting Process – For best results, the following procedure is
recommended:
• Clean the rim and grille with a light solvent such as mineral
spirits by rubbing the item with a lightly dampened cloth. Do
not, however, use abrasives such as sandpaper or steel wool. Nor
should you use gasoline, kerosene, acetone, MEK, paint thinner,
harsh detergents or other chemicals. Use of these cleaners may
result in permanent damage to the enclosure.
• Aer cleaning, apply two or more thin coats of either latex
or oil-based paints. Latex paint will adhere best if an oil-based
primer is used rst. Application can be made by rolling, brush-
ing or spraying.
Painting the Speaker Along With the Ceiling – Insert the clear
plastic paint shield into the front of the speaker to mask the
drivers and internal bae, paint the speaker, then remove the
shield.
Painting the Grille – Painting the grille requires removal of the
logo prior to painting (the logo should be stuck back onto the
grille aer painting, making sure it is located in the exact center
of the grille).
e backing to the grille is glued in place so that it can’t interfere
with the movement of the woofer cone. Leave the grille backing
in place. Spray the grille lightly using thinned paint. Make
sure the spray is light enough that when the grille is held up to
the light, you can still see light through the grille holes (which
means that sound can also get through). Spray only the front of
the grille, not the back. Rolling or brushing the paint is discour-
aged because the mesh and/or backing may become clogged
with paint and poor sound quality may result, however using a
very short-napped roller can be made to work.

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Safety Agency Compliance
S7232
LISTED
15CM
Signaling Speaker
e standard Control 12C/T, Control 14C/T and Control 16C/T
models are certied per UL-2043 Fire Tests for Heat and Visi-
ble Smoke Release for Discrete Products and their Accessories
Installed in Air Handling Spaces, NFPA-70 National Electric Code
1996, Article 300-22(C), and NFPA-90A Installation of Air Con-
ditioning and Ventilation Systems, Section 2-3.10.1 (a), Exception
3. Listed UL1480-6 Speakers for Fire Protective Signaling Systems.
SUITABLE FOR USE IN AIR HANDLING SPACES.
e C-VA models -- Control 12C-VA, Control 14C-VA and Con-
trol 16C-VA are certied per EN54-24
ese products are in compliance with the EMC Directive 89/336/
EEC and Article 10 (1) of the directive. In compliance with Tech-
nical Regulations EN50081-1 and EN50082-1. For a copy of the
model-specic CE Declaration of Conformity, contact JBL at the
address listed at the end of this manual.
Maintenance
No maintenance is required when installed in accordance
with installation and wiring guidelines described in this
manual.
Replacement Parts
ere are no user serviceable parts inside these speak-
ers. Refer servicing to an authorized JBL Service Cen-
ter. For the name of an authorized Service Center in
your area, contact JBL Professional at the address listed
below.
Warranty & Contacting JBL
ese products are designed and backed by JBL Professional,
the world leader in sound reinforcement. For complete JBL
warranty information, to order replacement parts or to ask
for clarications to this manual, contact JBL Professional:
WITHIN THE UNITED STATES: Contact the Applica-
tions Dept, JBL Professional, PO Box 2200, 8500 Balboa
Blvd, Northridge CA 91329 USA. In the USA you may
call Monday through Fiday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Pacic
Coast Time [phone].
IN OTHER AREAS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD:
Contact the JBL Professional Distributor in your country.
A list of JBL Professional Distributors and U.S. Service
Centers can be attained from the JBL Professional WWW.
JBLPRO.COM website.

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Product Specications
See product specication sheets for complete specication
listings.
Control 12C-VA
Components: 76 mm (3 in) full-range driver
Frequency Range1: 68 Hz - 17 kHz
Power Capacity (low-Z): 40 W Cont. Program
20 W Cont. Pink Noise
Sensitivity2: 84 dB
Coverage3: 130˚
Max. SPL: 97 dB @ 1m ave., 103 dB peak
Nominal Impedance: 8 ohms (in direct/bypass 8Ωsetting)
Transformer Taps: 15W, 7.5W, 3.8W @ 70V & 100V;
plus 1.9W @ 70V
Control 14C-VA
Components: 100 mm (4 in) LF driver
19 mm (3/4 in) HF driver
Frequency Range1: 74 Hz - 20 kHz
Power Capacity (low-Z): 60 W Cont. Program
30 W Cont. Pink Noise
Sensitivity2: 87 dB
Coverage3: 120˚
Max. SPL: 102 dB @ 1m ave., 108 dB peak
Nominal Impedance: 8 ohms (in direct/bypass 8Ωsetting)
Transformer Taps: 25W, 12.5W, 6.3W @ 70V & 100V;
plus 3.2W @ 70V
Control 16C-VA
Components: 165 mm (6.5 in) LF driver;
19 mm (3/4 in) HF driver
Frequency Range1: 62 Hz - 20 kHz
Power Capacity (low-Z): 100 W Cont. Program
50 W Cont. Pink Noise
Sensitivity2: 91 dB
Coverage3: 110˚
Max. SPL: 108 dB @ 1m ave., 116 dB peak
Nominal Impedance: 8 ohms (in direct/bypass 8Ωsetting)
Transformer Taps: 30W, 15W, 7.5W @ 70V & 100V;
plus 3.8W @ 70V
1Half-space (flush mounted in ceiling)
2Continuous Pink Noise Rating is IEC-shaped pink noise with a 6 dB crest
factor for 100 hours continuously. Continuous Program Power is a
conservative expression of the system’s ability tohandle normal speech and
music program material, and is defined as 3 dB above the Continuous Pink
Noise Rating.
3Half-space (in ceiling) average 1 kHz to 16 kHz.
5065359A
JBL Professional
8500 Balboa Blvd, P.O. Box 2200
Northridge, CA 91329 U.S.A.
Contribution of Each One-ird Octave
Frequency Band when Speaker is Driven
at Full Volume, measured at 4 meter dis-
tance (req’d in this manual by EN54-24):
Control 12C-VA
Freq (Hz) Value
500 57.4
630 57.2
800 57.4
1000 57.8
1250 57.4
1600 59.9
2000 58.9
2500 54.7
3150 57.3
4000 59.2
Control 14C-VA
Freq (Hz) Value
500 58.8
630 58.0
800 58.4
1000 58.1
1250 57.7
1600 59.1
2000 59.0
2500 58.6
3150 60.8
4000 62.8
Control 16C-VA
Freq (Hz) Value
500 62.5
630 62.3
800 63.7
1000 65.6
1250 62.2
1600 62.9
2000 63.8
2500 64.4
3150 63.7
4000 65.4