Black 18 sub - Hi-fi system ALTO - Free user manual and instructions

Product Type	Active subwoofer
Brand	ALTO
Model	Black 18 sub
Peak Power	2400 W
Continuous Power	1200 W
Amplification	Class D
Transducer	18-inch (457 mm) high-excursion
Audio Inputs	2 x XLR / 6.35 mm jack (L/R)
Audio Outputs	2 x stereo XLR with high-pass filter
Built-in Low-Pass Filter	80 Hz, 100 Hz, 120 Hz, 140 Hz, Custom
Bluetooth	Yes, range up to 30 m (100 ft)
Control App	Live Drive (iOS)
Power Supply	110-240 V, 50/60 Hz (IEC cable included)
Power Consumption	1200 W continuous
Fuse	Replaceable (rating indicated on the device)
Enclosure Material	18 mm plywood with scratch-resistant coating
Protective Grille	Steel with powder coating
Handles	Ergonomic for transport
Mounting	35 mm pole mount socket for stand or support
Feet	Steel-reinforced rubber
Care and Cleaning	Clean with a dry cloth. Do not use solvents.
Safety	Use in accordance with electrical codes. Do not expose to water.

Frequently Asked Questions - Black 18 sub ALTO

How do I pair the Black 18 sub with my iPad or iPhone?

Turn on the subwoofer, briefly press the pairing button on the back. The LED flashes. On your device, enable Bluetooth and select 'Black Series'. If a PIN code is required, enter 0000.

What is the maximum power of the Black 18 sub?

It delivers 2400 watts peak power and 1200 watts continuous, thanks to a class D amplifier.

Can I use this subwoofer without the Live Drive app?

Yes, you can use it with a standard mixing console. The Live Drive app offers advanced control (EQ, time alignment, etc.) but is not mandatory.

How do I adjust the subwoofer's low-pass filter?

Use the DSP Mode button on the back to choose among frequencies: 80 Hz, 100 Hz, 120 Hz, 140 Hz, or Custom. For most applications, 80 or 100 Hz is recommended.

What does the red LED on the front panel mean?

The red LED indicates that the subwoofer is in standby mode or that the polarity is reversed depending on context. Refer to the manual for details.

How do I connect multiple Black 18 subs together?

Use the XLR outputs of one subwoofer to connect to the input of the next. Make sure all subwoofers are on the same polarity to avoid bass cancellation.

Is the Black 18 sub compatible with speakers from other brands?

Yes, it can be used with any audio system via its XLR/jack inputs. However, for optimal performance, it is designed to work with Alto speakers from the Black series.

What type of power cable is supplied?

A standard IEC cable is included. Plug it into a power outlet suitable for your region (110-240 V).

Can I turn off the illuminated logo on the front?

Yes, press the LOGO ON/OFF button on the back to turn the Alto Professional logo LED on or off.

What should I do if the subwoofer does not power on?

Check the power cable, the power outlet, and the fuse. If the fuse is blown, replace it with a fuse of the same rating (indicated under the power input).

USER MANUAL Black 18 sub ALTO

ALTO PROFESSIONAL

BLACK |8|SUB

User Guide

English (3-7)

Guía del usuario

Español (8 - 12)

Guide d'utilisation

Français (13 - 17)

Guida per l'uso

Italiano (18 - 22)

Benutzerhandbuch

Deutsch (23 - 27)

User Guide (English)

Introduction

Alto Professional's Black Series is a full line of elite speaker systems, each designed to exacting standards with premium, purpose-matched components, wireless capability and immense built-in power. Black Series speakers have been designed with one goal in mind: satisfying the ears of your audience with the most gratifying and immersive sound experience they've ever had. Both Black Series subwoofers—the Black 18sub and Black15sub—have been crafted to thunder with finely tuned sound in a virtually limitless variety of applications: from touring rigs to permanent installations and everything in between. And with 2400 watts of peak power, each one comes equipped to thrill.

Key Features

• 2400 Watts peak Class D power (1200 Watts continuous)
• Powerful 18" low-frequency, long-excursion driver
- Stereo inputs: Mic/Line left channel, XLR right channel
- Stereo XLR outputs with integrated DSP crossover
- Specifically crafted, purpose-matched components for maximum efficiency and industry-leading power
- Adjustable level and polarity controls
- Switch to turn off logo LED
- Portable design with comfortable, custom-molded handles
• 18 mm hardwood plywood vented cabinet
• Rugged, highly durable scratch-resistant finish
- Extremely durable powder-coated steel speaker grille
• Steel-reinforced rubber feet
- Standard 35 mm pole socket
- Designed and tuned in the U.S.A.

Box Contents

• Black 18sub
• Power Cord
• User Guide
  • Safety & Warranty Manual

Support

For the latest information about this product (system requirements, compatibility information, etc.) and product registration, visit altoprofessional.com/black18sub.

For additional product support, visit altoprofessional.com/support.

Important Safety Precautions

Please note: Alto Professional and inMusic are not responsible for the use of its products or the misuse of this information for any purpose. Alto Professional and inMusic are not responsible for the misuse of its products caused by avoiding compliance with inspection and maintenance procedures.

Installation

• Always install subwoofers in accordance with applicable electrical and building codes.
- Install the subwoofer according to its maximum weight. Check the specifications of your stage to ensure it can support the subwoofer's weight. Also, observe all safety precautions specified by the manufacturer.
- Do not mount multiple subwoofers on the same stand or pole.
- Always verify that the stand or pole is on a flat, level, and stable surface. Also, fully extend the legs of tripod-style stands, and ensure its legs do not present a trip hazard.
- Inspect the stand (or pole and associated hardware) before each use and do not use equipment with worn, damaged, or missing parts.
- Always be cautious in windy, outdoor conditions. You may need to place additional weight (e.g., sandbags) on stand's base to improve stability. Do not attach banners or similar items to any part of a loudspeaker system. Such attachments could act as a sail and topple the system.
- Unless you are confident that you can handle the subwoofer's weight, ask another person to help you lift it onto the stand or pole.
- Make sure your cables are out of the way of performers, production crew, and audience so they will not trip over them.

Sound Level

Permanent hearing loss may be caused by exposure to extremely high noise levels. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has specified permissible exposures to certain noise levels. According to OSHA, exposure to high sound pressure levels (SPL) in excess of these limits may result in hearing loss. When using equipment capable of generating high SPL, use hearing protection while such equipment is under operation.

Hours per day	SPL (dB)	Example
8	90	Small
6	92	Train
4	95	Subway
3 97 High level	desktop monitors
2 100 Classical	music concert
1.5	102	Riveting
1	105	Machine
.50	110	Airport
.25 or less 115	Rock concert

gig

train

machine

factory

Quick Start / Connection Diagram

Note: Only items listed in this manual's Box Contents section are included with this product. iPad, extra loudspeakers and subwoofers, microphones, mixer, and cables are sold separately. Live Drive app is available on the App Store.

Example A: 1 subwoofer, 2 loudspeakers

Connect your mixer's main outputs to your Black Series subwoofer's inputs.

Connect each of your Black Series subwoofer's outputs to a separate loudspeaker to take advantage of the subwoofer's crossover.

graph TD
    A["LIVE DRIVE"] --> B["Black Series Loudspeaker"]
    B --> C["Black 18 Subwoofer"]
    C --> D["Black Series Loudspeaker"]
    D --> E["Mixer"]
    E --> F["Microphones"]
    F --> G["Antenna"]
    style A fill:#f9f,stroke:#333
    style B fill:#ccf,stroke:#333
    style C fill:#ccf,stroke:#333
    style D fill:#ccf,stroke:#333
    style E fill:#dfd,stroke:#333
    style F fill:#dfd,stroke:#333
    style G fill:#dfd,stroke:#333

Example B: 2 subwoofers, 2 loudspeakers

Connect each of your mixer's main outputs to an input on a Black Series subwoofer.

Connect an output on each of your Black Series subwoofers to a separate loudspeaker to take advantage of the subwoofers' crossovers.

graph TD
    A["LIVE DRIVE"] --> B["Black Series Loudspeaker"]
    B --> C["Black 18 Subwoofers"]
    C --> D["Black Series Loudspeaker"]
    E["iPad"] --> B
    F["Mixer"] --> G["Microphones"]
    H["Microphones"] --> I["Black Series Loudspeaker"]
    style A fill:#f9f,stroke:#333
    style B fill:#ccf,stroke:#333
    style C fill:#ccf,stroke:#333
    style D fill:#ccf,stroke:#333
    style E fill:#fff,stroke:#000
    style F fill:#fff,stroke:#000
    style G fill:#fff,stroke:#000
    style H fill:#fff,stroke:#000
    style I fill:#fff,stroke:#000

Using the Live Drive App

Black Series subwoofers also come equipped with wireless technology and the unmatched capabilities of the Alto Professional Live Drive app. You'll be able to level-match, adjust EQ and compression, time-align and more. The Black Series puts active live sound control at your fingertips. Using the app on your iPad or iPhone, you can adapt the subwoofers to new venues or tweak settings remotely from any corner of the room. Black Series subwoofers offer a powerful new experience, not only for your audiences, but also for you—you get streamlined, sound-shaping capabilities at your fingertips.

Downloading the App

To download the App, just search for Live Drive in the App Store and download the Alto Professional Live Drive app.

Bluetooth Pairing

About Range: Black Series subwoofers use an advanced, extended-range Bluetooth antenna design, allowing for ranges far greater than traditional Bluetooth devices. The typical range is approximately 100 feet (30 meters) with a clear line of sight. However, the range may vary depending on your source device and the environment.

To maximize the range:

• Set your source device on a flat surface and make sure there are no obstacles between the subwoofer and your device (e.g., walls, furniture, etc.).
• Turn off your source device's Wi-Fi.
• Turn off any unneeded 2.4 GHz devices in the nearby vicinity (e.g., other Bluetooth devices, baby monitors, Wi-Fi access points, microwave ovens, etc.).
• Try using a different Bluetooth source device (iPad or iPhone). Bluetooth signal strength varies between different devices.

To pair the speaker to your Bluetooth device:

1. Do this on one subwoofer only: With the subwoofer powered on, press and release its Pairing Button. Its Pairing LED will flash.
2. From your Bluetooth device's settings page, enable Bluetooth and select Black Series as the device. When paired successfully, the Pairing LED will light continuously. (This process may take up to 30 seconds.)
   Important: If your device prompts you to enter a PIN code to pair it to the speaker, enter 0000 (four zeros).
3. Once your device is paired to the subwoofer, the subwoofer will remember the device even after power-cycling it. If the device does not reconnect automatically, go to your device's Bluetooth settings page and select Connect to reestablish the connection.

To erase all previous pairing settings, press and hold the Pairing Button for 10 seconds. The LED will flash to confirm the pairing records are erased. Now, you can pair to a new device.

Live Drive Operation

For more information about using Live Drive, visit altoprofessional.com/livedrive.

Features

Rear Panel

1. Power Input: Use the included IEC power cable to connect this input to a power source.
2. Fuse: If the unit's fuse is broken, lift this tab to replace the fuse. Replace it with a fuse with an appropriate rating (printed under the unit's power cable input). Using a fuse with an incorrect rating can damage the unit and/or fuse.
3. Power Switch: Use this switch to power the subwoofer on or off.
4. Power/Standby LED: This LED illuminates when the subwoofer is powered on.
5. Standby On/Off Switch: By default, this subwoofer has its Standby Mode enabled: when no incoming audio

signal is detected for approximately 15 minutes, the subwoofer will enter a low-power state. The subwoofer will exit Standby Mode within 0.5 seconds of detecting an incoming audio signal. Change this recessed switch's setting to the Off position to disable this feature.

9 7 MAX POLARITY 1 INPUT 2 13 OUTPUT 2 11 12 CROSSOVI BYPASS 4 3 1 2 15 10 PRESS TO PER LIVE DRIVE 90 Hz 100 Hz 120 Hz CUSTOM ECP MODE GROUND OFF ON VERY LADDY STRAW LND STANDARD GROSET LOAD GROSET POWER ON OFF

1. Logo On/Off Switch: Press this to turn the light in the Alto Professional logo on or off.
2. Polarity Switch and LED: Press this switch to toggle the polarity of the subwoofer's acoustic output. In some cases, reversing the polarity can help reduce any interference in the frequency overlap between the subwoofer and main loudspeaker. When the LED is off, the subwoofer is set to its default positive polarity (the recommended setting when used with Black Series loudspeakers). When the LED illuminates red, the subwoofer's polarity is reversed from its default.

Important: When using multiple Black Series subwoofers, make sure they are set to the same polarity to avoid cancellation of the bass frequencies.

1. Inputs: Use a standard XLR or 1/4" (6.35 mm) cable to connect your audio source to this input. This input accepts both line-level sources only.
2. Input Volume Knob: Use this knob to set the level of the audio going into the inputs. The Black 18sub is engineered to work seamlessly together with Black 10, Black 12, or Black 15 loudspeaker models. For optimal bass balance, set the Black 18sub input volume knob to the 12 o'clock-position detent, and set the Black 10, Black 12, or Black 15 volume knobs to their maximum clockwise position. Adjust the volume controls as needed to further fine-tune the audio level from each system.
3. Signal/Limit LED: This LED illuminates green when an incoming audio signal is detected. It illuminates red when the audio signal level is too high and is being dynamically reduced to protect the subwoofer from damage or distortion. If this LED is continually illuminated red, or if the audio output sounds excessively distorted, then reduce the volume of the connected audio source, or reduce the setting of the Input Volume Knob.
4. Outputs: Use a standard XLR cable to connect this balanced output to the input of a Black Series loudspeaker. Audio is sent from this output at 0 dB.
5. Crossover Bypass Switch and LED: Press this switch to toggle between Standard and Bypass Modes. When the LED is off, the subwoofer is in Standard Mode (the default) where the XLR outputs' signal is high-pass-filtered to be sent to a full-range loudspeaker. When the LED illuminates green, the subwoofer is in Bypass Mode where the XLR outputs' signal will be unfiltered and full-range (the XLR outputs effectively function as loop-through connectors in this case).
6. Ground Switch: Engage (depress) this switch to reduce hum or noise.
7. DSP Mode Button: Press this button to cycle through the subwoofer's internal low-pass crossover DSP settings, as shown on the rear panel. The LED next to the setting will illuminate when selected. For most applications, we recommend using the 80 Hz or 100 Hz setting; use the 120 Hz or 140 Hz settings to increase mid-bass impact.
8. Pairing Button and LED: Press and release this button to pair the subwoofer to your iPad or iPhone. The Pairing LED will illuminate when it is paired. See the Bluetooth Pairing section for instructions.

Assistance technique

Trademarks and Licenses

The Bluetooth word mark and logos are owned by the Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Alto Professional is under license.

App Store, iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch are trademarks or service marks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

All other product or company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

altoprofessional.com