Mackie SRM1801 Owner's Manual - Placement

12

Placement

The SRM1801 subwoofer is designed to sit on the 

floor or stage. It is not designed to be pole-mounted or 

suspended. 

When pole-mounting loudspeakers, be sure that the 

SRM1801 subwoofers are stabilized and secured from  

falling over or being accidentally pushed over. For 

stacked scenarios, it is highly suggested that straps are 

utilized. Failure to follow these precautions may result 

in damage to the equipment, personal injury, or death. 

WARNING:

 The cabinet has no rigging 

points and is not suitable for rigging.  

NEVER

 attempt to suspend the SRM1801 

by its handles. 

As with any powered components, protect them from 

moisture and extreme cold and follow the other Care 

and Maintenance suggestions below.

Care and Maintenance

Your Mackie subwoofers will provide many years of 

reliable service if you follow these guidelines:

•  Avoid exposing the subwoofers to moisture. If 

they are set up outdoors, be sure they are under 

cover if rain is expected.

•  Avoid exposure to extreme cold (below  

freezing temperatures). If you must operate 

the subwoofers in a cold environment, warm 

up the voice coils slowly by sending a low-level 

signal through them for about 15 minutes prior 

to high-power operation.

•  Use a dry cloth to clean the cabinets. Only do 

this when the power is turned off. Avoid getting 

moisture into any of the openings of the cabi-

net, particularly where the driver is located.

Protection Circuits

There are several protection mechanisms designed 

into the SRM1801 to safeguard the subwoofers and 

amplifiers from inadvertent damage. 

CAUTION:

 The protection circuits are 

designed to protect the subwoofers under 

reasonable and sensible conditions. Should 

you choose to ignore the warning signs 

(i.e., frequent OL LED indications, excessive distortion), 

you can still damage the speakers in the SRM1801 by 

overdriving them past the point of amplifier clipping. Such 

damage is beyond the scope of the warranty.

Limiting

The driver has its own compression circuit, which 

helps protect it from damaging transient peaks. The 

compressor is designed to be transparent and is not 

noticeable under normal operating conditions.

Overexcursion Protection

A 24 dB/octave high-pass filter at 40 Hz just prior 

to the low-frequency amplifier prevents very low 

frequencies from being amplified. Excessive low-

frequency energy below 40 Hz can damage the woofer by 

causing it to “bottom out,” also known as overexcursion, 

which is equivalent to a mechanical form of clipping.

Thermal Protection

All amplifiers produce heat. The SRM1801 is 

designed to be efficient both electrically and thermally. 

The amplifier module is mounted on a large 

heatsink, which is cooled by convection where cool air 

is drawn over the rear panel, carrying the heat away. 

In order for this convection cooling to work efficiently, 

it is important to provide adequate airspace behind 

the subwoofer. When you position the SRM1801, we 

recommend leaving at least six inches of air space 

behind it.

  If for some reason the internal temperature gets too 

hot, a built-in thermal switch activates and turns down 

the amplifier. When the amplifier cools down to a safe  

temperature, the thermal switch resets and normal 

operation resumes. If the internal temperature again 

gets too hot, the output level reduction process repeats. 

Should this happen, make sure that airflow to the rear 

of the cabinet is not restricted.