Analog Mixer/Monitor Amp Connection Problems

M

Mulevaline

New member
Have just swtiched to using a Tascam M-216, and am head-scratching over connecting it to the monitor amp. Am coming out of the mixer through the XLR stereo outs, as in the diagram in the manual, to the 1/4 in. jacks in the monitor amp. Here's the problem/issue: the cords are XLR on one end and balanced 1/4 inch on the other. One cord works and one has no signal, & both the same type. I checked to make sure they are both functional and they are. If I connect a regular mic cable with an XLR/1/4 in. adapter on it, that works, but is much louder than the other cord. What's up? I have a mix-down this weekend and need both sides to be very equal. Thanks alot.
 
Replacing or repairing the bad cable seems the best route.

Otherwise, I can only assume your XLR-1/4" adapter is unbalanced while the cable is balanced.
 
You have to isolate where the problem is. Take the 'working' cable, plug it into the other monitor input - if it works, then the problem is not the amp input. Plug the working cable into the other mixer output - if it works, then its not the mixer output. Now take the 'non working' cable, do the same thing. No sound any time, then its the cable. If you get no sound at any point with the working cable, you now know where the problem is.
 
Do as mjbphotos says to rule out the mixer output.

Assuming it's not the mixer, it's easy to go wrong when converting from balanced to unbalanced...something as simple as both pins 2 and 3 being connected instead of just one of them could result in no audio getting through.
 
Thanks everyone. Problem solved. It was the balanced/unbalanced cable issue. I was fooled by a balanced cable that DID work, but found out it was a custom wiring, so it looked identical to others, but wasn't. XLR to unbalanced 1/4 inch worked.
 
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