Frequently Asked Questions

This guide has been written to answer some of the most common issues that have been raised since the initial release of EVO. As more people use EVO no doubt there will be more issues raised. In fact without that feedback then we will lose the most valuable resource for the continual development of EVO. This document will be updated periodically as we receive additional input.

Questions & Answers about EVOi.324 Loudspeakers
What comes in the box?
How do I suspend/mount it?
How much current can it draw?
How long does it take to "boot up" and "shut down"?
The amplifier heat sink is hot. Is this normal?
Can I use it without an EVOi.net?
What will drive it?
Can I paint EVOi.324 speakers?

Questions & Answers about EVOi.net System Controller
What comes in the box?
What is the purpose of EVOi.net?
There doesn't seem to be a 120 and 230v model?
There are RJ45 connectors on the rear panel and a RS232 port on the
front panel. What is the purpose?
Is it possible to 'lock-out' the function of the front panel buttons?
Can I paint the EVOi.net?

Questions & Answers about EVOi.sys Complete System
What comes in the box?
What options do I have for different wireless UHF frequency ranges?
Can I add more microphones?
Is it possible to rack mount the EVO Mixer Station?
Can I add additional EVOi.324s?
What is the maximum distance you recommend between the wireless
microphone and the receiver in the Mixer Station?

Questions & Answers about EVO applications
How many EVOi.324s can I use with one EVOi.net?
Can I use another type of measurement microphone?
Can I use a measurement microphone cable other than the one provided?
Can I 'daisy chain' the EVOi.324s?
What is the maximum recommended signal cable run to each EVOi.324?
How do I use an additional equalizer?
Is it possible to set up the EVOi.324 and then remove the EVOi.net?
How long will the EVOi.324 remember the settings if the power goes off ?
Can I use EVO outdoors?
How do I add a subwoofer to the EVO system?

Reference - EVO Sales Model Listing
(Add -"WH" for white models and "/230" for 230 volt versions)

EVOi.324 - Intelligent Powered Loudspeaker
EVOi.net - System Controller
EVOi.sys - Fully Designed Sound System

What comes in the box?
1 x EVOi.324 Speaker System
1 x User's Guide
1 x JBL Tech Note Volume1, Number 14 Basic Principles for Suspending Loudspeaker Systems
1 x Accessory Bag, which includes:
1 x AC Power Cord
1 x Eyebolt Kit (3 x M10 thread eyebolts and 3 washers)
2 x Small rubber feet
1 x Large rubber foot with nut and washer

How do I suspend/mount it?
Using the provided eyebolt kit, it is possible to suspend it via the three M10 inserts on the top of the enclosure or three M10 inserts on the bottom. Caution: Suspending these systems should be done by qualified persons following safe rigging standards. For more information, please refer to the JBL Tech Note Volume 1, Number 14 - Basic Principles for Suspending Loudspeaker Systems.

For wall mounting, OmniMount® 300 Series products (or products with similar load capacity and mounting hole spacing) can be used. However it is necessary to use the EVO WM300 quick mount adapter plate kit. This simple but comprehensive kit facilitates fast installation.

EVOi.324 has been designed to perform equally in a horizontal orientation as it does in a vertical one. The EVO HS-1 is a kit that facilitates the horizontal suspension of one EVOi.324.

For instances that require the EVOi.324 to be freestanding, the simple to install feet, which are provided, is the recommended method.

How much current can it draw?
EVOi.324 is a powerful system. It contains two 600 Watt amplifiers and a 100 Watt HF amplifier. During extreme operation it is quite capable of drawing peak currents of up to 18 amperes. A qualified electrician should always be consulted prior to installation.

How long does it take to "boot up" and "shut down"?
The internal DSP (Digital Signal Processing) circuit board includes software applications. Like any computer there is a "boot up" time, this is approximately 20 seconds, during which time no audio is passed. "Shut down" is instantaneous, however the green power led will flash to indicate "shut down".

The amplifier heat sink is hot. Is this normal?
The LF and LF/Mid 600 Watt amplifiers are of a Class-D design. They are known for being lightweight as well as extremely efficient, dissipating very little in the way of heat compared to a conventional amplifier design. The good news is that active cooling is not needed. However, the operation of a Class-D design is such that the heat dissipated is fairly constant. Even when the amplifiers are idling the heat sink will remain hot.

Can I use it without an EVOi.net?
Yes, you can. Use a standard XLR type connector with a balanced signal cable (pin 2 hot), and provided you have sufficient electrical input (see 'What will drive it?' next), you can use it as a powered system. It will still be performing its Thermal Modeling software routines, protecting the drivers from thermal overdrive and maintaining the same sonic characteristic to compensate for any power compression.

What will drive it?
Hooking a microphone directly to the input will NOT drive it. The direct output from a standard CD player will NOT drive it sufficiently. The EVOi.324 requires a drive level of +10dBu for maximum performance, i.e. the output of EVOi.net, a standard mixer or professional pre-amplifier. Please see the chart below:

EVOi.324 Sensitivity Chart

Can I paint EVOi.324 speakers?
Yes, you can. For best results it will require some disassembly (please refer to EVOi.324 User's Guide, Page 17), a good clean followed by primer and standard household paint. Krylon and Rustoleum are both acceptable for the grille and Sherwin Williams, Polane T, T-Plus, S or S-Plus can be used for the enclosure.

Questions & Answers about
EVOi.net System Controller

What comes in the box?
1 x EVOi.net
1 x AC Power Cord
1 x JBL Measurement Microphone
1 x 100' Balanced XLR Microphone Cable
1 x EVOi.net User's Guide

What is the purpose of EVOi.net?
The Distributed Intelligence™ de-centralized design architecture distributes the processing power to each EVO Intelligent Speaker. With each EVO Speaker handling its own processing, a centralized network hub is required: 1) to allow the user to communicate instruction to the EVO Speaker, 2) to allow the EVO Speaker to communicate its status to the user and 3) to allow EVO Speakers to communicate with each other. Simply put: it provides a panel of buttons to push and initiate the different EVO Speaker functions and a set of LED's to annunciate the EVO System status.

There doesn't seem to be a 120v and 230v model?
The power supply is a switch mode design and is compatible with both.

There are RJ45 ports on the rear panel and a RS232 port on the front panel. What is the purpose?
These input ports have been designed into the hardware for future applications, involving future networking capabilities and PC control applications.

Is it possible to 'lock-out' the function of the front panel buttons?
Yes. It's possible to defeat the functionality of buttons that effect the system set up, i.e. those that change the Auto EQ or Delay settings. On the rear panel there is a switch accessible through a small hole on the rear panel, located next to the RJ45 ports. Once the system has been set up, the settings can be protected. The status is annunciated by an LED on the front panel.

Can I paint the EVOi.net Controller?
It's not advisable.

What comes in the box?
Well, actually it is "What comes in the boxes?" When you order an EVOi.sys, 4 boxes are shipped.

2 x EVOi.324 each containing:
1 x EVOi.324 Speaker System
1 x User's Guide
1 x JBL Tech Note Volume1, Number 14 Basic Principles for Suspending Loudspeaker Systems
1 x Accessory Bag, including: 1 x AC Power Cord, 1 x Eyebolt Kit, 1 x Foot Kit

1 x Mixer Station containing:
   EVO Mixer Station:
16 Channel, with on board Lexicon effects, integrated EVOi.net and 2 UHF wireless microphone receivers.
AC Power Cord
UHF handheld transmitter with dynamic microphone head
UHF body pack transmitter with lavalier condenser microphone
6 x Handheld dynamic microphones

1 x Accessory carton:
1 x JBL measurement microphone
4 x Boom microphone stands
6 x 50' XLR cables
3 x 100' XLR cables
4 x 2' XLR cables
1 x Dust cover
1 x EVOi.sys User's Guide
1 x EVOi.net User's Guide

What options do I have for different wireless UHF frequency ranges?
Below is a chart showing the different EVOi.sys -XX models and their relative frequency bands. (Note that /230 and -WH will need to be added to the model number for 230v and white options).

Model Frequency Band
EVOi.sys-54 710.200 - 713.000MHz
EVOi.sys-59 742.800 - 745.600MHz
EVOi.sys-62 802.525 - 805.800MHz
EVOi.sys-69A 854.900 - 857.625MHz

Can I add more microphones?
Except for the JBL Measurement microphone, all microphones and components are compatible with AKG products. Therefore to add or substitute additional microphones, AKG should be able to provide the solution. Refer to the cross reference table below.

JBL EVO AKG
UHF Receivers WMS80
Handheld Transmitter HT80
Dynamic Microphone Head D880
Bodypack Transmitter PT80
Lavalier Condenser Mic C/417L
Dynamic Microphones D880

Is it possible to rack mount the EVO Mixer Station?
The width of the Mixer Station will allow for rack mounting however, the nature of the front and rear panel prohibit it, unless severe mechanical modification is undertaken.

Can I add additional EVOi.324s?
The EVOi.net integrated into the Mixer Station will provide enough outputs to manage up to 4 EVOi.324s. If the venue requires more than the 2 EVOi.324s supplied with EVOi.sys, then simply order up to two more.

What is the maximum distance you recommend between the wireless microphone and the receiver in the Mixer Station?
This really depends upon the location of the Mixer Station, its orientation to the microphone transmitter and the proximity of large objects. For best operation keep the transmitter to receiver distance within about 16ft. You should not really expect good operation if the distance is greater than 100ft. Remember, all sorts of things can effect wireless performance, external interference, battery power, distance between transmitters if both are being used

How many EVOi.324s can I use with one EVOi.net?
Four: EVOi.net provides output connections for up to 4 EVOi.324s. The outputs are grouped in pairs, output 1&2 and 3&4. Each pair can be MONO summed with a small switch on the rear panel. Outputs 3&4 are dedicated outputs if you require the automated Delay Set-up. Below is a list of some common configurations and the connection to EVOi.net outputs:

System Output Configuration
Stereo Left, Right Left = 1, Right = 2
Mono Center Left = 1, Right = 2, MONO sum engaged
Stereo Left, Right, Mono Delay Left = 1, Right = 2, Delay = 3 MONO sum engaged
Stereo Left, Right, Stereo Delay Left = 1, Right = 2, Delay Left = 3, Delay Right = 4
Stereo Left, Right, Center Mono-sum Left = 1, Right = 2, Center = 3 MONO sum engaged

Can I use another type of measurement microphone?
NO! For accurate Auto EQ performance all elements in the measurement must be of known performance. In fact if you try to use a different microphone, the system will flash a warning code at you. The JBL measurement comes in a sturdy case for safe keeping. The warning codes can be found in the EVOi.net User's Guide.

Can I use a measurement microphone cable other than the one provided?
Yes. However you must make sure it is correctly wired, even though the EVOi.net will tell you if it is not by flashing a warning code at you. If the cable is of poor quality you will also be notified. The warning codes can be found in the EVOi.net User's Guide.

Can I 'daisy chain' the EVOi.324s?
The EVO system relies on simple communication between the EVOi.net and the EVOi.324, hence we do not need to rely on addition network cabling. It is all transmitted on the XLR signal cables. The Distributed Intelligence EVO system requires that there is a direct (home run) connection from each EVOi.324 to the EVOi.net, therefore 'daisy chaining' the EVOi.324s or placing any electronic equipment between the two will incapacitate the full function of the system.

What is the maximum recommended signal cable run to each EVOi.324 from EVOi.net?
Using good quality balanced signal cable, communication between EVOi.net and EVOi.324 will not be disrupted for cable runs of up to 500ft. Runs over 500ft may result in some communication errors. These errors will be annunciated via flashing a code on EVOi.net. The warning codes can be found in the EVOi.net User's Guide.

How do I use an additional equalizer?
If you feel it necessary to use equalization external to the EVO system you must use it prior to EVOi.net in the signal chain. If you insert it between EVOi.net and EVOi.324 you will disrupt the communication. The EVO System will fail to function to its full capacity and an error code will flash. The warning codes can be found in the EVOi.net User's Guide.

Is it possible set up the EVOi.324 and then remove the EVOi.net?
EVOi.324 will retain its last known settings. It is therefore possible to use EVOi.net to set Auto EQ, Delay Set, Fixed Anti Feedback filters and then remove it from the system and feed each EVOi.324 with a direct signal. This may be a practical solution for a more complex distributed system installation application. The drawback is that there will be no constant communication with the EVOi.324 Speakers. Live Anti Feedback will not function and there will be no way to monitor or change the system performance without re-inserting EVOi.net. Upon re-inserting an EVOi.net that has been used for another set up it is quite likely you will see an Error Code indicating a data disagreement. This is normal. It is telling you that the last information stored in EVOi.net does not match the information in EVOi.324. The EVOi.net User's Guide describes this occurrence.

How long will the EVOi.324 remember the settings if the power goes off?
Indefinitely, or until the building is struck by lightning <grin>.

Can I use EVO outdoors?
EVO should not be used for applications that require weather resistance.

How do I add a subwoofer to the EVO system?
Currently there is no Sub in the EVO product line, so what do you do if you need that extra bandwidth? Adding a sub is a simple procedure, although the response of it will not be included in the Auto EQ set up routine of the EVO Speakers. Here are three options for adding a sub:

1. Install and set up the main EVO system. Install the JBL MPro MP418SP (or similar) powered subwoofer. Feed the full range out from the Mixer to the MP418SP input and connect the Thru High Pass output to the EVOi.net input.

2. Install and set up the main EVO system. Use another feed from the Mixer to a low pass filter, amplifier and on to the Sub. The level and low pass filter will need to be manually adjusted for the desired response.

3. Install and set up the main EVO system. Feed the EVOi.net input with the Hi Pass output of a 2-way "sub/full range" crossover.

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