Behringer MX 1604a, i need more outs, what effect will useing a dual or Y output adapter have on the signal? any? lower? your pro config suggestions and oppinions please...
thanks...
thanks...
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Mixers... more outputs
- Thread starter Fusion2
- Start date
terrible_buddhi
New member
where are the outs going to? I have done this for headphones and stuff, and yes there usually is some degradation of signal.
cstockdale
supafly killa homey
how many outs have you got running right now? That mixer can only send 5 discrete signals (main L/R, alt 3/4 and aux 1 switched "pre"). And secondly, why do you want to split the signals? What is the purpose? If all you are trying to do is get the same 4 outputs from teh mixer to go to the two different 410s, you will definitely get signal degradation if you use a Y splitter cable.
If you put a channel splitter on each output (ie an A/B/Y splitter) then it will feed both/or either one with no signal loss, but you would need 4 of these, which adds up in $$.
Maybe you need a patchbay.... or a new mixer
If you put a channel splitter on each output (ie an A/B/Y splitter) then it will feed both/or either one with no signal loss, but you would need 4 of these, which adds up in $$.
Maybe you need a patchbay.... or a new mixer
Bulls Hit said:
before i dig into the manual, deeper, what is an insert? thanks...
i'm more a comp hardware tech than anything this point in time...
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i ask about the cheaper patchbays from user review ratings i see on the web, ie:
http://www.zzounds.com/a--2676837/cat--Patchbays--2388
Looking at the back of my Yamaha mixer, each mono channel has an XLR socket, a 1/4" line in socket and a 1/4" insert socket.
These inserts are used if you want to send the channel signal to an outboard effects unit like a compressor or your favourite reverb machine. The signal is then returned to the mixer into the same socket, using a special 1 into 2 TRS cable.
However if you use a normal 1/4" unbalanced cable you can 'cheat' so the signal goes out to your sound card, and never comes back. Hey presto, extra outs. I think it will bypass your mixer's eq though
These inserts are used if you want to send the channel signal to an outboard effects unit like a compressor or your favourite reverb machine. The signal is then returned to the mixer into the same socket, using a special 1 into 2 TRS cable.
However if you use a normal 1/4" unbalanced cable you can 'cheat' so the signal goes out to your sound card, and never comes back. Hey presto, extra outs. I think it will bypass your mixer's eq though
cstockdale
supafly killa homey
no, the MX 1604 doesn't have inserts. You have to go farther up the Behringer scale to get a mixer with inserts. I have the Yamaha MG16/4 and it does...
Sorry, don't know much about patch bays, other than to know that it sounds like that is waht you need. Basically, it means you can plug something into input A and get one or more outputs from that signal.
Or, like has been suggested, a new mixer that does have inserts (which can serve as direct outs). Like my Yamaha board, I can get 14 discrete output signals: 8 from inserts, 2 in the main, two in the alternate bus, and two in the aux sends.
Sorry, don't know much about patch bays, other than to know that it sounds like that is waht you need. Basically, it means you can plug something into input A and get one or more outputs from that signal.
Or, like has been suggested, a new mixer that does have inserts (which can serve as direct outs). Like my Yamaha board, I can get 14 discrete output signals: 8 from inserts, 2 in the main, two in the alternate bus, and two in the aux sends.
VSpaceBoy
..loading
Fusion2 said:
Are you wanting to do this at the same time? If your wanting to "take turns", then the A/B or the patch bay setup would work. If your wanting to do it at the same time, then a patch bay wouldn't work, you would lose too much signal. At that point you would have to get a different mixer.
Space
Bulls Hit
cstockdale
VSpaceBoy
thanks for the input, think i'll wait and study up a bit before buying another mixer, i have a # of uses for the patchbay though and will see if it allows a quick switch back and forth between comps without to much hassle, even though a better mixer does sound like a time saver and less cables laying around, thanks again for your suggestions...
cstockdale
VSpaceBoy
thanks for the input, think i'll wait and study up a bit before buying another mixer, i have a # of uses for the patchbay though and will see if it allows a quick switch back and forth between comps without to much hassle, even though a better mixer does sound like a time saver and less cables laying around, thanks again for your suggestions...
As to answer your question on Y-ing or spliting. The simple answer is yes on the outputs.
Never y two sources together (ie. two mics into one channel)
An insert is a jack that allows you to insert devices like compressors and gates into your signal chain right after the preamp. It basicly gives you an output directly from the preamp and an input back into the mixer.
A mixer with nothing inserted would have a signal chain like the following
Mic - preamp - eq - aux sends - main mix
The insert is right between the preamp and the eq. When you plug something into an insert it breaks the connection between the preamp and the eq sending the the output from the preamp to the tip of the connector and the input to the eq is on the ring. You also have a sleve on these connectors which is ground, they look like 1/4" stereo which we usally call TRS(tip ring sleve)
Alittle trick printed in some manuals is to take a standard 1/4" cable and push it into an insert around half way untill it clicks. This places the tip of the 1/4" connector on the contacts for the ring without breaking the connection between the preamp and eq. Thus you are now splting the output from the preamp into the eq and what ever you have your 1/4" cable connected to.
Someone also said that you shouldn't Y headphones because it degrades the quality, that isn't the same as Ying signals sources. With headphones you need to transfer power from the headphone amp into the headphones. To achive this you must have a good impeadance match. As you Y headphones you are adding parallel loads, when you add parallel loads the total impeadance drops. For example two 32 ohm sets of headphones in paralelle is only 16 ohms, add another two and your down to 8 ohms(the formula is (Z1*Z2)/(Z1+Z2) ) Z being impeadance in ohms). Your headphone amp is designed to drive a 32 ohm load but its now seeing an 8 ohm load so most of the signal is now being dropped accross the internal 32 ohm resistance and only a small part of the signal is reaching the 8 ohm load. So you just turn up the gain/volume on the headphone amp and it willl usually run out of headroom and it will start clipping which sounds like crap. Also their may be some frequency response issues but we haven't covered that yet in class(I'm an electroincs engeering technology student)
Never y two sources together (ie. two mics into one channel)
An insert is a jack that allows you to insert devices like compressors and gates into your signal chain right after the preamp. It basicly gives you an output directly from the preamp and an input back into the mixer.
A mixer with nothing inserted would have a signal chain like the following
Mic - preamp - eq - aux sends - main mix
The insert is right between the preamp and the eq. When you plug something into an insert it breaks the connection between the preamp and the eq sending the the output from the preamp to the tip of the connector and the input to the eq is on the ring. You also have a sleve on these connectors which is ground, they look like 1/4" stereo which we usally call TRS(tip ring sleve)
Alittle trick printed in some manuals is to take a standard 1/4" cable and push it into an insert around half way untill it clicks. This places the tip of the 1/4" connector on the contacts for the ring without breaking the connection between the preamp and eq. Thus you are now splting the output from the preamp into the eq and what ever you have your 1/4" cable connected to.
Someone also said that you shouldn't Y headphones because it degrades the quality, that isn't the same as Ying signals sources. With headphones you need to transfer power from the headphone amp into the headphones. To achive this you must have a good impeadance match. As you Y headphones you are adding parallel loads, when you add parallel loads the total impeadance drops. For example two 32 ohm sets of headphones in paralelle is only 16 ohms, add another two and your down to 8 ohms(the formula is (Z1*Z2)/(Z1+Z2) ) Z being impeadance in ohms). Your headphone amp is designed to drive a 32 ohm load but its now seeing an 8 ohm load so most of the signal is now being dropped accross the internal 32 ohm resistance and only a small part of the signal is reaching the 8 ohm load. So you just turn up the gain/volume on the headphone amp and it willl usually run out of headroom and it will start clipping which sounds like crap. Also their may be some frequency response issues but we haven't covered that yet in class(I'm an electroincs engeering technology student)
what he said... heh