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I'm accustomed to using amped monitor speakers, and I've now added a set of 250w monitors to the equation, and I'm using a 1000w amp to drive them (500w / channel).
I've had a couple of people tell me a couple of different strategies...what's best in your opinion?
Leave the amp pumping 1/2 power, so that I don't overdrive the speakers?
Or leave the amp cranked and turn the mixer output to half, so that I don't overdrive the amp?
Also, if by accident they were to receive full 500w, how good are the chances of the cones being blown as opposed to just distortion?
What can I use to test how much power I'm actually pushing?

I'm new to an amp set-up, I'm so used to being lazy with amped monitors, or nightclub set-ups, so this is new territory for me.

Thanks for the help!
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Leave the output gains open, the speakers isn't going to take more than it needs. . . if it is doing so you will see the clip lights on the front of your amp lighting up. Just because the amp is capable of 1000watts, doesn't mean it's going to push that power unless of course you are just riding every single slider at 100%. Realize that the speakers are 250 watts and the amp is 500 a side, assuming that's 8ohm, you will be fine.
In a nutshell - technically its much safer to overpower speakers than it is underpower them. I won't go into specifics but you can search this forum on underpowering/overpowering speakers/amps, you'll find heaps of info and some interesting and informative insights from Bob Detrich - well worth the effort.

As an example I run 2 passive APX152s (~300watts) off a V4000 which can deliver 600 watts per channel without any problems. Sometimes I turn the gains on the amp down a fraction depending on the size of the room.

Despite this always listen to your speakers with your own ears, too much power can sound distorted especially with lower frequencies. Good luck.

ROQ out.
Ok Ok Ok....I've been crusing through this board this morning and I'm trying to clean some posts up.

- - -Not sure if this applies to you - - -
Ok skully, now i dont know what the specs are on your amp but from what you said you have a 1000 Watt amp. If the manufacturer has called this a 1000Watt amp then if you run one speaker on each channel then I highly doubt that you will get 500watts per side for the simple fact that a manufacturer usually describes an amp according to its bridged output. That said the bridged output is the combination of each channels output at 2ohms roughly. I doubt you have 2ohm speaker cabinets. Which means you wont get 500W each side.

- - - NEXT - - -
The controls on an amplifier do not regulate how much power or watts the amp puts out. They regulate the input needed to achieve full power.
ie: I turn the knobs all the way up..that means i need X amount of volume form my mixer to make the amp put out its full rated power. If i turn them half way up then I will need 2*X amount of volume from my mixer. Get it? those knobs on your amp only regulate how loud you have to turn your mixer up to get full power from the amp.

General rule of thumb, power your speakers with 2* their RMS value. If they are rated at 250W RMS then power each with 500W.

If you are worried about blowing speakers then make sure you:
-keep all meters out of the red
-reduce bass going to these speakers (since they are only monitors) the bass is what will really eat up your power. this will allow you to get more volume on the cabinets before the amp clips.
-do not let the amp clip (this will surely fry your speakers especially if the drunk host of the party decides to drop the mic) there goes your speakers.

hope this helps...feel free to drop anymore questions

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