Rockville RBG-15FA/RBG-18FA Folded Horn Subwoofer Owner's Manual

Introduction

Thank you for purchasing this Rockville Bass Gig series Folded Horn pro audio speaker. Rockville pro audio speakers are designed and engineered by a team of music enthusiasts, DJs, and musicians. We have spared no expense in manufacturing these speakers to meet the highest quality standards. With proper care and installation, this unit will provide you with the highest levels of sound quality.

Our goal is to provide you and your audience with "live performance sound" the way it was meant to be experienced. Please read this installation guide carefully for proper use of your Bass Gig series Folded Horn pro audio speaker.

For technical assistance during or after installation, please call the technical help line at 1-646-758-0144, Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM EST.

Specifications

RBG-15FA

• 600 Watts RMS / 1200 Watts Program / 2400 Watts Peak
• 15" Woofer with 110oz Magnet and 4" Voice Coil
• Frequency Response: (+/-3dB) 30Hz - 120Hz
• Maximum SPL @ 1w / 1m: 130dB Peak / 127dB Continuous

RBG-18FA

• 750 Watts RMS / 1500 Watts Program / 3000 Watts Peak
• 18" Woofer with 130oz Magnet and 4" Voice Coil
• Frequency Response: (+/-3dB) 25Hz - 120Hz
• Maximum SPL @ 1w / 1m: 135dB Peak / 129dB Continuous

Features (RBG-15FA / RBG-18FA)

• Folded horn design powered subwoofer
• Power-On and Signal Input LED Indicators
• Signal Input LED Indicator
• Clip Limiter Circuitry with LED Indicator
• Balanced XLR
• Balanced XLR thru/output jacks for parallel connections
• Passive heat sink with heat sensitive variable speed auto turn-on fan for cooling
• Subwoofer Crossover 50Hz-250Hz Low Pass
• Subwoofer Level Adjustment
• Subwoofer Phase Control
• Built-in XLR Balanced High Pass Preamp Output @ 120Hz
• Ground Lift switch for ground-loop noise elimination
• Built-in pole mount socket
• Built-in carrying handles
• Heavy-duty 2" (RBG-15FA) / 3" (RBG-18FA) locking caster wheels
• High density MDF construction
• Dimensions: RBG-15FA - 23.7" x 17.2" x 23.5" / RBG18FA - 35.4" x 28.7" x 29.1"
• Weight: RBG-15FA - 83Lbs / RBG-18FA - 130Lbs

Important Safety Instructions

• To reduce risk of electric shock, never open the unit. Refer service to an authorized Rockville service center.
• Do not expose this unit to any kind of moisture.
• Unit should be situated away from heat sources.
• Do not obstruct vents or exhaust fan.
• Ensure the unit is situated in a properly ventilated area.
• Place the unit on a level and stable surface. It should not be mounted to a wall or ceiling.
• If the product is equipped with a polarized alternating current line plug (one blade wider than the other), it will fit into the outlet only one way. This is a safety feature. If you are unable to insert the plug fully, try reversing it. If it still fails to fit, contact your electrician to replace your obsolete outlet. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized plug.
• If the product is equipped with a three-wire grounding type plug (a third, grounding pin), it will only fit into a grounding type power outlet. This is a safety feature. If you are unable to insert the plug, contact your electrician to replace your obsolete outlet. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the grounding type plug.

What is a Folded Horn Woofer?

A horn shape that gradually expands from a small inlet to a large opening acts as a physical amplifier for sound. When coupled to a loudspeaker, it improves its efficiency. A full-size horn for low frequencies would result in an impractically large cabinet. By folding the horn back on itself, its size can be significantly reduced without compromising the effect. When this technique is used to redirect energy from the back of a speaker to the front, it creates a folded horn bass reflex cabinet.

[Diagram illustrating a basic folded horn design with sound waves propagating through the folded path.]

Connection Configurations

Folded Horn w/Two Sound Reinforcement Speakers in High Pass Configuration

[Diagram showing a mixing board connected to a Rockville RPG-15 subwoofer, which then outputs to two Rockville speakers. Connections include XLR cables for line in, line out, and high pass preamp output.]

Folded Horn Subwoofer w/Two Sound Reinforcement Speakers in Full Range Configuration

[Diagram showing a mixing board connected to a Rockville subwoofer, which then outputs to two Rockville speakers in full range mode. Connections are similar to the high pass configuration.]

Folded Horn w/Dual Speaker Configuration

[Diagram showing a mixing board connected to a Rockville subwoofer, which then outputs to two Rockville speakers. This configuration appears to be a variation of the previous ones, possibly for stereo setups.]

Balanced vs Unbalanced Lines

A balanced line is a three-conductor system where two signal wires carry equal but opposite voltages with respect to a ground wire. The ground wire acts solely as a shield and does not carry audio signal current. Outside interference is either shielded from the internal signal conductor or cancelled out by the opposite signals at the receiving end. Balanced connections are preferred for long cable runs.

[Diagram illustrating a balanced XLR cable connection with pins labeled: 1 Shield (Ground), 3 Cold (Negative), 2 Hot (Positive).]

An unbalanced cable is a two-wire system where the shield (ground wire) acts as one of the current-carrying signal conductors. The center conductor, enclosed by the shield, is known as the "hot" conductor. Unbalanced audio cables do not reject noise as well as balanced lines. They are typical in home hi-fi systems and on the outputs of electronic musical instruments. These work well if the distance between components is short, the signal level is relatively high, and all electronics are plugged into the same AC outlet.

[Diagram illustrating an unbalanced cable connection with pins labeled: 1 Shield (Ground), 3 Cold (Tied to ground), 2 Hot (Positive).]

Control Panel Description

1. Full Range XLR input: Accepts line input signal from any line-level device with a balanced output jack.
2. Full Range XLR output: Sends the signal from the Full Range XLR inputs to another device.
3. Amplifier clip limit LED indicator: Lights up when the amplifier is near clipping. Occasional flickering is acceptable. Continuous illumination suggests adjusting the Level control and reducing the output level of connected sources to prevent premature speaker failure.
4. Full range signal LED indicator: Indicates signal input from connected sources.
5. Protect mode LED indicator: Indicates when the amplifier has entered protect mode.
6. Power LED indicator: Indicates the power status of the unit.
7. Phase switch: Reverses the polarity of the subwoofer, dependent on the subwoofer's placement relative to the speakers.
8. Subwoofer Crossover / Level knobs: The Crossover knob sets the crossover frequency (50Hz-250Hz). The Level knob adjusts the subwoofer's output level, allowing for a balance between the speakers and subwoofers.
9. High Pass Pre-Amp XLR outputs: Used to send the incoming signal to a full-range active speaker or power amp.
10. Heat sensitive, variable speed auto turn-on fan: Activates when the temperature reaches 131°F (55°C). Fan speed adjusts automatically with temperature changes.
11. Ground Lift switch: Eliminates unwanted hum and buzz by interrupting ground loops between equipment, preventing current flow along the cable shield between devices.
12. IEC AC Power socket / user serviceable fuse compartment: Connection for the power cable and housing for the fuse.
13. Power switch: Turns the unit on or off.

Troubleshooting

UNIT FAILS TO POWER UP

1. Ensure the unit is properly plugged into a wall outlet.
2. Verify the power cable is securely connected to the unit.
3. If the power cable may have been damaged (e.g., stepped on), try a different cable to test for shorts. Dispose of damaged cables immediately.
4. If the unit still does not power on, unplug it from the wall. Locate the small door below the power input on the Bass Gig unit. Open this door and, using long-nose pliers, remove and replace the fuse with one of the same rating. Ensure the unit is unplugged from the wall before changing the fuse.

UNIT TURNS ON, BUT NO SOUND

1. Check that all cables are properly connected.
2. If using a mixing console, ensure faders and balance controls are set to center positions and the level is increased.

NOISE, HISS, OR HUM AT OUTPUT

1. For noisy ground issues, move the Ground Lift switch to the disconnect ground position (to the right).

Fuse Replacement Diagram

[Diagram showing a screwdriver removing an old fuse from a fuse holder, and a separate diagram showing an old fuse and a spare fuse.]

Federal Communications Commission Compliance Information

Responsible party name: Rockville

Address: 333 Pearsall Ave. Cedarhurst, NY 11096

This product, the Bass Gig series pro audio speakers, complies with FCC rules as mentioned in the following paragraph:

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.