A PA/mixer hookup question for you...

[Dogbreath]

My son bought a Peavey PA 400 amp/mixer (210 watt, 2 ohm) with a pair of Peavey SP1 (loud as hell) speakers. I gave him a Mackie CR1604 mixer awhile back.

The question...

Can we run the L/R OUT of the 1604 mixer INTO inputs (say) 1 and 2 of the PA 400 without toasting anything?

The idea is to be use the PA400 as mainly the power and have 16 tracks of mixing capability.

We tried it last nite and it worked but that was only 1 mic at a time or just a bass guitar. What about when there's a whole band miked up thru the 1604 running into the 2 inputs of the PA400? Will we overload the inputs?

Many thanks and fried spam sammiches.

[bigtom]

If I understand your question correctly, that's how it is intended to work. You won't blow up your power amp or your mixer. I set my sliders at unity and use my gains for volume contoll. I've not used the mixer you are using, however it should be about the same. You will only have a 8ohm load on the power amp, so you should be fine.

[Dogbreath]

maybe a pic or two??

It's been so long since I've done any live stuff I just don't want to steer my kid wrong.

Out of the L/R on the back of the Mackie...
In to 1 and 2 on the Peavey.

Seem right?

[bigtom]

That pa 400 was not what I was thinking it was, but as long as the mackie is not a powered board you still should be fine. You won't have any way to pan things , but maybe thats not a concern for your live app.

You could just send a mono signal to ch 1 on the 400 and still have 5 more channels to use on the 400 giving you 21 channels in all.

[mixsit]

Originally Posted by Dogbreath

maybe a pic or two??

It's been so long since I've done any live stuff I just don't want to steer my kid wrong.

Out of the L/R on the back of the Mackie...
In to 1 and 2 on the Peavey.

Seem right?

Not knowing what type and range the inputs on the Peavey are, the universal rule you'll want to look at is keeping decent gain staging. Preferably you'll want to go into 'line level' inputs from the Mackie, and hopefully there will be a way to trim the sensitivity down on the inputs to keep from clipping them -looks like there could just be the volume channel volume control on the Peavey and that is it's volume/input trim one and the same.
Some of those all-in-one boxes have lower than normal 'line level' headroom though, in which case the 'cure to keep from clipping will be to pull the Mackie's master output down and raise the Peavey's master to compensate.

[Dogbreath]

Thanks much gentlemen...

bigtom..." but as long as the mackie is not a powered board you still should be fine. "

Pretty sure the Mackie isn't powered. At least what I've read. The mono input doesn't sound like a bad idea.

Mixsit...the Mackie has input trims on the back of each channel. That should work out good then.

I'll show him what you guys are talkin about and let him go with it then.

Thanks again...

[mixsit]

Originally Posted by Dogbreath

Mixsit...the Mackie has input trims on the back of each channel. That should work out good then.

No, I meant the inputs to the Peavey, that's where you need to make it right. You run the Mackie with the same consideration- Each piece in the line must be set up for it's own good gaing staging. If that happens to be a mismatch at the Peavey's input, then pull the Mackie master down.

[Dogbreath]

ahh

got it.

Peace-n-stuff.....