VTX Amplifiers

VTX750, VTX1200, VTX1500

In designing the new VTX Series of power amplifiers, Cloud have set out to satisfy three principal criteria,
hitherto regarded as conflicting, but all of great importance in today’s venue applications.

Firstly, they have been built to give long, reliable service when operated at sustained high power levels, day
after day, time after time. Simply achieving this degree of ruggedness with consistent audio performance would
satisfy most designers, but we pressed on.

The second set of design criteria are, we feel, equally important, namely to ensure that the amplifier can
protect itself and the speakers connected to it against both casual and persistent abuse. This is why every
Cloud VTX amp provides comprehensive protection features, including our own DCP (Dynamic Clip
Protection), to minimise the risk of damage and system failure.

The third area where the VTX Series has been equipped to excel is in sheer audio quality. The high quality
source material available in today’s marketplace demands accuracy and finesse from the amplifier if detail and
impact are not to be lost. All the new VTX models have been designed with very low distortion, low noise
circuits and given fast rise times and high slew rates for clearly better sound. Any one of these strengths would
make a good case for choosing a Cloud VTX Amplifier. Having all three in one advanced, practical and
affordable package present a choice which is clearly better.

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 APPLICATIONS 1000 watt 100V line system, with a The release time is internally
minimum load of 10 ohms. adjustable, i.e. fast or slow, to suit
Applications for the Cloud VTX the amplifier’s application within the
range of two channel power COOLING SYSTEM
system.
amplifiers are many and varied; from The reliability of the Cloud VTX
prestigious discotheques and SWITCH ON PROTECTION
power amplifiers is due in no
nightclubs to sports halls and smallway to the efficient cooling of To prevent high switch on currents
shopping malls, in fact any application the output devices and the power which can blow mains fuses or trip
where reliability, protection and supply components. A high quality MCBs, all models are fitted with
sonic performance are pre- 120mm fan with ball bearings is used inrush current limited power
requisites. The units are engineered to provide a long trouble free life. supplies. This provides similar
to deliver full power for long periods Cool air is drawn in through the front protection to a ‘soft start’ but
into load impedances as low as 2 panel, directed across the PSU and without the unreliability which can
ohms. the custom heatsink extrusions often come with them. A five second
The standard DCP (Dynamic Clip before exhausting through the rear delay is also incorporated to avoid
Protection) ensures maximum panel. The use of a 3U rack housing potentially destructive switch on
output into any load above 2 ohms allows the use of heatsinks, power transients.
without clipping the waveform, transformers and cooling fans of
PROTECTION
resulting in fatigue free sound and no generous proportions resulting in
clipping related drive unit failures. lower operating temperatures and VI Limiting
All models can be switched to reducing thermal cycling related A sophisticated VI limiting circuit
operate in the bridge mode where failure. protects the amplifiers from short
twice the rated output can be circuit or mismatched loads. The
DYNAMIC CLIP PROTECTION
delivered into a single 4 ohm load. In circuits remain fully transparent to
the bridge mode, the VTX1500 can The specially designed DCP circuitry musical transients and sonic
be used to provide a high power, minimises the risk of damage and performance is not compromised.
balanced 100V line output. system failure whilst maintaining
DC Protection.
optimum sonic integrity, irrespective A relay with magnetic arc
INPUTS
of load impedance. interruption disconnects the
A 3 pin female XLR type connector, Standard fixed level limiters often speakers in the unlikely event of DC
wired to the standard convention being detected at the output.
fitted to power amplifiers suffer from
provides the termination for the
the problem that they assume the Thermal Protection
electronically balanced input. A 3 pin
amplifier is driving the lowest rated A thermal switch detects over
male XLR type connector is also
load at a continuous level. temperature conditions and
provided for linking purpose; this
Consequently, the limiter will not disconnects the speakers. This
connector is wired in parallel with the
allow the amplifier to deliver its automatically resets once the
input socket and can be used to
maximum power into higher operating temperature is normalised.
connect several power amplifiers
impedance loads, nor deliver its
using the “daisy chain” method. LED STATUS INDICATORS
maximum transient power. Cloud’s
OUTPUT CONNECTIONS DCP circuitry gets round this by LEDs on the front panel indicate
Two types of output connector are detecting when the amplifier Protect, Signal Presence, Peak,
provided on the VTX amplifiers: distortion increases and reduces the Bridge Mode and Power On.
heavy duty binding posts, allowing amplifier gain as needed to keep the
easy termination of heavy duty cable distortion at a low level, thus
and two 4 pole “speakon” connectors preventing noticeable clipping. In
are provided, each with terminations addition to clip limiting, DCP also
for both channel A and channel B reduces the gain when the amplifier
outputs. goes into VI limiting, further reducing
stress on the output components
MODE OF OPERATION when the amplifier is driven into a
A switch is provided on the rear short circuit or low impedance load.
panel which determines the mode of VCA chips have not been used in
operation. In the “stereo” mode, each this design, hence avoiding the noise,
channel operates independently with a distortion and slew rate limit which
minimum load of 2 ohms. In the can be associated with them. In fact
“Bridge” mode, the amplifier operates when the DCP is not limiting, its gain
as a single, high power channel with a control circuit has no effect on the
minimum load of 4 ohms. The slew rate and makes no measurable
VTX1500 can be used in the bridge contribution to the amplifier noise
mode to provide the power for a or distortion.
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Technical Specifications
General Specifications VTX750 VTX1200 VTX1500
Input Electronically balanced XLR Electronically balanced XLR Electronically balanced XLR
Output Connectors 1 Speakon & 2 heavy duty 1 Speakon & 2 heavy duty 1 Speakon & 2 heavy duty
binding posts per channel binding posts per channel binding posts per channel
Protection VI limiting, DC offset, VI limiting, DC offset, VI limiting, DC offset,
Thermal shutdown, Thermal shutdown, Thermal shutdown,
Inrush current limited Inrush current limited Inrush current limited
LED Indicators 'Peak Output', 'Signal present', 'Peak Output', 'Signal present', 'Peak Output', 'Signal present',
'Protection Operating', 'DCP on' 'Protection Operating', 'DCP on' 'Protection Operating', 'DCP on'
Cooling System Fan assisted by 120mm Fan assisted by 120mm fan Fan assisted by 120mm
low noise fan high speed fan
Dimensions 483mm x 370mm x 132mm 483mm x 370mm x 132mm 483mm x 370mm x 132mm
Weight 13.4kg 16.65kg 18.6kg

Technical Specifications VTX750 VTX1200 VTX1500

Output power at 1kHz <0.2% THD both channels driven
Rated Output Power 2Ω 375 Watts RMS per channel 600 Watts RMS per channel 780 Watts RMS per channel
Rated Output Power 4Ω 265 Watts RMS per channel 425 Watts RMS per channel 525 Watts RMS per channel
Rated Output Power 8Ω 190 Watts RMS per channel 270 Watts RMS per channel 320 Watts RMS per channel
Bridged Output Power 4Ω 750 Watts RMS 1200 Watts RMS 1560 Watts RMS
Bridged Output Power 8Ω 530 Watts RMS 850 Watts RMS 1050 Watts RMS
Frequency Response +0 -1dB 10Hz to 50kHz +0 -1dB 10Hz to 50kHz +0 -1dB 10Hz to 50kHz
Harmonic Distortion 0.22% typical 1kHz 8Ω load 0.22% typical 1kHz 8Ω load 0.22% typical 1kHz 8Ω load
Input Sensitivity 0dBu - 775mV RMS 0dBu - 775mV RMS 0dBu - 775mV RMS
Input Impedance 10kΩ balanced, 5kΩ unbalanced 10kΩ balanced, 5kΩ unbalanced 10kΩ balanced, 5kΩ unbalanced
Signal to Noise Ratio 100dB below rated output 100dB below rated output 100dB below rated output
Output Rise Time 3µs (10% to 90%) of 1V 1kHz 3µs (10% to 90%) of 1V 1kHz 3µs (10% to 90%) of 1V 1kHz
Slew Rate 45V/µs 45V/µs 45V/µs
DCP Threshold Variable, automatic Variable, automatic Variable, automatic
DCP Attack Time 5ms 5ms 5ms
DCP Maximum Attenuation 20dB 20dB 20dB
DCP Compression Ratio Infinite Infinite Infinite

INTERNAL
DCP SWITCH

POWER
AMPLIFIER
OFF

DYNAMIC ON OUTPUT A
INPUT A CLIP PROTECT
1 LEVEL PROTECTION
2 DC SENSOR
(DCP)
CLIP SIGNAL
SENSE SWITCH ON
3 0V DELAY
FAST SLOW
PROTECT
0V THERMAL
PEAK SENSOR 0V

BRIDGE
0V

BRIDGE MODE
SWITCH

POWER
AMPLIFIER

OFF

OUTPUT B
INPUT B PROTECT
1 DYNAMIC ON
2 CLIP DC SENSOR
LEVEL PROTECTION
(DCP) SWITCH ON SIGNAL
3 DELAY
CLIP PROTECT
0V SENSE
0V FAST SLOW THERMAL
SENSOR 0V
PEAK

Cloud Electronics Ltd., 140 Staniforth Road, Sheffield, S9 3HF, England. Telephone: (0114) 244 7051 Fax: (0114) 242 5462
E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.cloud.co.uk
In the interests of continuing improvements Cloud Electronics Limited reserves the right to alter specifications without prior notice. 3 of 3