Quest Engineering QM 500 User manual

User
Manual
MODEL: QM 500

Contents
Safety Precautions ............................1
When Installing the Unit .............................................. 2
When the Unit is in Use .............................................. 2
General Description............................3
QM Range Optional Accessories ...................................... 3
Functional Design................................................... 3
Getting The Best From Your QM500 ...............4
Connections ....................................................... 4
Suitable Amplification ............................................... 4
Speaker cables ..................................................... 5
Speaker Placement as a Single Box or in Arrays .......................... 5
Flying the QM500. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Rotating the Horn Flare .............................................. 6
Foldback HF coverage ............................................... 6
QM500 Wave Guide Examples. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
QM500 Specifications ..........................8
Technical Parameters ................................................ 8
QM500 Reference Diagram ......................9
Tech Tips and Troubleshooting ...................10
Mixer Basics ....................................................... 10
Input Gain Settings.................................................. 10
Powering up the PA system ........................................... 11
Buzzes and Noises in the Sound System? ............................... 11
User Manual Q Motion Series
QM500

QM500
User Manual
User Manual
Q Motion Series
QM500
1
Safety Precautions
• Be sure to read the instructions in this section carefully before use.
• Make sure you observe the instructions in this manual as the conventions of safety symbols and
messages are very important.
• We also recommend you keep this instruction manual handy for future reference.
Safety Symbol and Message Conventions
Safety symbols described below are used in this manual to prevent bodily injury and property
damage which could result from mishandling. Before operating your product, read this manual first
and understand the safety symbols and messages so you are thoroughly aware of any risks.
Indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if
mishandled, could result in death or serious personal injury.
WARNING

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WARNING
When the Unit is in Use
• Turn down the amplifier before switching
on the amplifier. If there is no sound,
check the speaker connections. Speakon
connectors must be locked in place.
• Should any of the following irregularities
be found during use, immediately switch
off the amplifier power, disconnect the
power supply plug from the AC outlet and
contact your nearest Quest dealer:
• If you detect smoke or a strange smell
coming from the unit,
• If the unit falls and the unit case is
damaged,
• If it is malfunctioning (no HF or low
frequency output).
Make no further attempt to operate the unit if
it is found to be in any of the above conditions
as this may cause fire or electric shock.
When Installing the Unit
• Do not expose the unit to rain or an
environment where it may be exposed to
water or other liquids, as doing so may
result in damage to the bass driver or
corrosion of the steel protective grill.
• Do not cut, kink, otherwise damage
nor modify the speaker cable. Also use
speaker cable of at least 1.5mm core
diameter. In addition, avoid locating the
speaker cables close to heaters, high
traffic areas or locations where the cables
can be damaged.
• Avoid installing or mounting speaker
boxes in unstable locations and when
flying, use the hardware designed for the
speaker box and fix securely to a solid
wall. Failing to do so may result in the
unit falling, causing personal injury and/or
property damage.
• Be sure to ground to the safety ground
(earth) terminal to avoid electric shock.
Never ground to a gas pipe as a
catastrophic disaster may result.
• Never hang a speaker box from only
one rigging point. Use multiple points
and attach a safety line to a point strong
enough to take the weight of the speaker
box.

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General Description
The QM500 is a passive two way bass
reflex design speaker suitable for mobile or
installation use. The design characteristics of
the QM500 make it suitable for both full range
use or as the high-mid component of a multi
way system with sub-bass enhancement.
The patented phase device high frequency
transducer is matched to a rotatable
asymmetrical wave guide that can be rotated
through 270 degrees for horizontal, vertical or
fold-back monitor installation.
The asymmetrical coverage allows the horn
to achieve both long throw performance
and wide angle close coverage without
“hot zones” or adding to unnecessary room
reflections that can degrade vocal intelligibil-
ity. The unit can be used in a stand alone
configuration or as part of a system coupled
with any Quest sub-bass system. When used
in conjunction with these devices, the QM500
will form part of a high performance multi
way audio system.
Installation
Temporary installation is possible with the
35mm floor stand mounting in the base of
the enclosure. Fold-back installation can give
extra uniform stage performance by rotating
the horn flare to the “fold-back” position.
Five M10 thread inserts are located on the
speaker, 2 at the top, 2 on one side of the
speaker, and a last one at the bottom. they
allow stand-alone applications, as well as the
mounting of accessories. These are intended
to be used with the WB500 wall bracket.
QM Range Optional Accessories
Two optional accessories are available for the
QM500:
• WB 500 Wall bracket kit
• QMB 500 Protective transit cover
Functional Design
The QM500 casing features an asymmetrical
horizontal angle along one side which makes
it suitable for use as a stage\foldback wedge.
The painted ply casing has steel reinforced
polymer skids to help protect the paintwork
and adhere to the stage floor without sliding
around during the performance. The heavy
gauge power-coated steel grill ensures the
driver and horn are always protected.
WARNING Flying the box from one insert must not be attempted!
Improper installation may result in damage, injury or death.

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Connections
Two Neutrik™ Speakon model NL-4
connectors are mounted in a removable panel
on the rear surface of the box.
The connector input is wired pin 1+ and pin 1-.
Pin 2 is not connected.
Take care when inserting the Speakon
connector twisting the connector until it
locks into place. Reverse the procedure to
disconnect.
Getting The Best From Your QM500
Suitable Amplification
The QM500 is an 8 ohm enclosure and can
be connected in multiple parallel connections
to an amplifier channel that can operate at
speaker impedances of 4 ohms.
The QM500 is a mid power level high
efficiency system, so ultra high power is not
necessary to obtain high sound pressure
levels. The recommended power range per
amplifier channel is 350 - 500 watts RMS
into an 8 ohm load or up to 1,000W RMS into
a 4 ohm load. An ideal partner to the QM500
are any of the Quest QA range of amplifiers.
Setting the QA amplifier’s high pass filter
at 35Hz is recommended for full range
applications. If you are intending to add sub
bass speakers, the high pass filter can be set
to 80Hz.
Recommended QM500
Amplifier Configuration
Reducing low frequency output will make more
amplifier power available for clean vocal reproduction
for full range sound, set the high pass filter to 35Hz
OUTPUT ASSIGNMENT
PIN1+ :
PIN1-:SIG N A L GR OUND
LINKA
LINKB
INPUTA
INPU T B
PushTo Reset
~220 240V10A50/60Hz
OUTPUT A
OUTPUT B
BRIDGE
PIN1:
PIN2:
PIN3:
SIGNAL G N D
SIG N AL +
SIGNA L -
CAUTION
RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK
DO NOT OPEN
OFF 80H z 110Hz
LOWPASS-A
26dB
32dB1.4V
GAI N
STEREO PARALLEL BRIDGE
MODE
OFF 35Hz 80Hz
HIGHPASS-B
OFF 80Hz 110Hz
LOW PASS-B
ON OF F
LIMITER
LIFTGROUND
GROUND
DESIGNED BY QUEST ENGINEERING,AUSTRALIA
MODEL:
OFF 35 Hz 80Hz
HIGHPASS-A
OFF 35Hz 80Hz
HIGHPASS-A
10
1
1 2
5
10
1
5

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Speaker cables
Speaker cable needs to be as heavy gauge
as conveniently possible for low-loss results.
Light gauge cable (below 1.5mm) will create
extra resistance and waste amplifier power.
This particularly applies to long speaker
runs. The amplifier’s damping factor statistic
(“punch” for the non technical) is greatly
diminished, so keep your speaker cables
short and as heavy gauge as practical.
Speaker Placement as a Single Box
or in Arrays
The QM500 is intended for use as a single
speaker system or as part of a multiple
speaker setup with or without sub bass
reinforcement. It can also be installed in small
arrays of up to three boxes per array for very
wide coverage applications.
When a group of point source speaker boxes
are placed together, it is possible to have
“interference effect” between some of the
boxes causing uneven frequency response.
This can be particularly noticeable in the
mid-high frequency area.
If you intend to set up the QM500 as part of a
multiple box array, see the section ‘Flying the
QM500’.
When positioning the speaker system on a
stage, make sure the HF horn at the top of
the speaker box is above the heads of the
audience. At full power the output of the
QM500 is very high and hearing damage can
result from short to medium term exposure.
For best results when the QM500 is used as
a front of house speaker, the HF horn should
be aimed away from the ceiling and focused
on the intended area of coverage. This will
minimize HF reflections, lower the reverberant
field in the room and give better intelligibility.
Ideal QM500 Flown Configuration to benifit from the asymmetrical HF coverage

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Flying the QM500
Before suspending any speaker system
always inspect all components (enclosure,
rigging frames, track fittings, etc.) for cracks,
deformations, corrosion, missing, loose or
damaged parts that could reduce strength
and safety of the array. Do not suspend the
speaker system until the correct preparation
of the installation site has been taken to avoid
health risks during and after the completion
of the installation. A licensed Professional
Engineer must approve the placement and
method of attachment to the structure prior to
the installation of any overhead object.
Rotating the Horn Flare
The asymmetrical horn flare can be rotated
through three separate planes of dispersion
depending on the speaker box requirement
and installation environment. The planes are
vertical installation, horizontal installation and
foldback monitor.
Good coverage of audiences often requires
wide dispersion at the base of the horn flare
to cover close listeners and a focused narrow
dispersion at the top of the flare to beam to
the back of the room.
The QM500 horizontal horn covers both
“short-throw” and “long-throw” requirements
in a single system. For the majority of
installations (where the box is installed
vertically), the asymmetrical horn should be
used as supplied and will not need to be
rotated.
For horizontal installation rotate 45 degrees
so the arrow is pointing at the floor side so
as to have the “beaming” facility at the top of
the horn.
Foldback HF coverage
For stage foldback monitors the coverage
must be wide when performers are close
to the wedge and beam down the stage
to minimize the spill off the stage that may
interfere with the main PA.
For floor monitor use the horn must be
rotated with its “wide” dispersion (arrow
indicator), side directed towards the top of
the horizontal floor cabinet.
When removing and reinstalling the front grill
to rotate the horn, ensure the nuts are not
over tightened as this may make them difficult
to remove in future or cause them to break.
WARNING Ensure the box is securely located. If any doubt about the
physical stability, tie the box down with ratchet straps to a
secure base.

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QM500 Horiztonal Configuration (front) QM500 Horizontal Configuration (side)
QM500 FOH Configuration (side)
QM500 Wave Guide Examples
QM500 FOH Configuration (front)
QM500 Foldback Configuration (side)QM500 Foldback Configuration (front)
45˚
60˚
60˚
45˚
45˚
60˚
+
15˚
-45
˚
+
15˚
-4
5˚
+15˚
-45˚

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QM500 Specifications
Technical Parameters
Power Handling 500W program , 1000W peak
Frequency Response 55-18kHz (+/-3dB)
Sensitivity 98dB @ 1kHz
Maximum SPL @ 1m 128dB
Woofer 15” Medium Power Bass Woofer
Tweeter 1” Ferrite Compression Driver
Directivity Asymmetric +15/-45 ; 45/60 horizontal
Dimensions 647 x 432 x 369.5 mm
Weight 24 kg (Net)
QM500 - Frequency Response - 2.83V/1m
Frequency (Hz)
100 1k 10k
100
80
60
20 50 200 500 2k 5k 20k
110
90
70
50
20

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QM500 Reference Diagram
1
2
3
45
6
7
8
9
10
10
20
3bis
2bis
No. Description Spare Part
1 Complete Grill (with Acoustic Foam) HGQM500
2 15” Woofer (3” voice-coil, 350Wrms, 8ohms) T15004
2bis Recone kit to suit 15” woofer RT15004
3 Compression Driver 1” exit (1.75”voice-coil, 75Wrms, 8ohms) T1012
3bis Compression driver recone (diaphragm) RT1012
4 Asymmetric horn flares - for 1” driver HWG350
5 Passive filter network (complete) - X-over AXQM500
6 Back connection panel HCPQM500
7 Internal metal brace HIBQM500
8 Top hat plate HTHP2
9 Rotating Q badge (35mm) HQB25
10 Rubber skids (medium) HSK137
11 Rubber skids (small) HSK52

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You can never know too much when it comes
to the variety of technical issues that can
appear at your gig. Here are a few tips.
Mixer Basics
Whether you are starting with one microphone
two turntables and an iPod, or a 48 channels
of live band, the audio principles are the
same. If you introduce distortion to any part of
the audio chain, it will still be there at the end
of the line (your speakers).
A small audio system may only be a sound
source, a mixer and a amplifier/speaker
combination. A slightly bigger one may have
added to the chain, DI boxes, digital effects,
compressors, equalizers and electronic
cross-overs. Any of these units that have
excessive input level will pass on distortion
to all the following equipment in the chain. It
follows that all the individual units must have
their input and output levels operating within
their designed operational range.
A mixer output meter that is showing + 9
dB at the end of the “red bars”, only to be
pushing a compressor/limiter to limit 10dB is
only going to sound bad, not get louder. When
you look at a Vu meter on a mixer (Vu means
voltage units), you will see a row of numbers
with a minus (-) sigh in front of them leading
to a “0dB” on the right hand side.
When the gain structure chain is set correctly,
“0” means you have the system full power
(not including any “head room” the system
may have). After “0” db, you are reaching
the limits of the system’s capacity to deliver
undistorted sound. How much distortion
Tech Tips and Troubleshooting
will depend on a number of factors, but it is
enough to say that by the time you get to the
end of the red, your mixer is now clipping and
sooner or later you are likely to damage the
loudspeakers.
Input Gain Settings
Channel input levels must be set to prevent
a mixer channel overloading during the
performance. Too high a setting will introduce
distortion at the start of the signal chain.
10
1
1 2
5
10
1
5
100
5
CLIP/LIMIT
10
1
1 2
5
10
1
5
100
5
CLIP/LIMIT
10
1
1 2
5
10
1
5
100
5
CLIP/LIMIT
MIXER
MIXER
MIXER
AMP
AMP
AMP
VU
1
10
30
-+
2303

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Powering up the PA system
It is wise to avoid switching on or off devices
in the signal path while the speaker system is
powered and turned up. Otherwise loud clicks
and bangs could result. When shutting down
the system, always turn the speakers off first.
This is to prevent the speaker amplifying the
sound of the other equipment in the chain
being shut down. The reverse is true when
powering up. Mixers and effects on first,
power amplifiers or powered speakers on last.
Buzzes and Noises in the Sound
System?
This is a specialised study in itself but as an
introduction, here’s a few tips.
BUZZ
Sometimes you can experience a hum and
buzz together. A buzz is almost always a
problem with the “earthing” of the system. It
will often occur when you have the system
powered from separate power outlets in the
same building or audio and lighting sharing a
common power circuit.
Even when the audio and lighting systems are
powered from separate sources, there can
still be a common earth between them. For
example, a smoke machine may be powered
from the lighting system, yet the trigger
mechanism could be connected to the audio
system through the audio multi-core/snake.
An earth connection between the audio and
lighting will now exist and a buzz could be
amplified in the audio system. The simple
solution is to power your audio circuit and
everything connected to it from the same
source. If the buzz persists, check your
signal cables, one may have an earth/shield
disconnected. A cheap but possibly life
saving investment is a domestic power tester
to check that the power supply sockets are
correctly wired. Faulty or incorrectly wired
power is a booby trap that is more common
than you think.
WHITE NOISE
This is the hiss that suggests that the gain
structure is set incorrectly. Something in the
signal chain is boosting too much or an input
is set too sensitive. If your equipment has gain
switches on it, set them all the same. If the
switch is labelled +4dB, set them all to that
figure. If one piece of equipment seems to be
overloading, set them all to -10/-20dB and be
prepared to boost the input level of the QSA
input. The last unit in the chain should be set
to +4 dB at the output stage if possible when
connected to the line level input of the QSA
series input.
CHECK THE POWER
A cheap but possibly life saving investment is a
domestic power tester to check that the power
supply sockets are correctly wired. Faulty or
incorrectly wired power is a booby trap that is
more common than you think.
READ THE WARNINGS!
All audio products are sold with instruction
manuals and this is where the important safety
and user information is found. Always read and
follow the safety directions. All manuals for
Quest products can be downloaded from the
internet at the following address:
www.questaudio.net/downloads/
We love receiving your gig stories and photos
and we welcome comments and ”war stories”
from Quest users. Contact: [email protected]

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