Live sound question

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Wireneck

Wireneck

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This question isn't really about recording but I need some help with my bands mixing board. We have an old powered Peavey XR800d board that has 200 watts per side I believe. It has a monitor out section but its non-powered. I know there is a way to route the power from one of the main outs to the monitor section but I cant remember for the life of me. (In the setup im decribing the right side of the board would become the control for all the mains and the left would be for our monitors if im thinking correctly or I guess it could work the other way around. I can get it to patch where the monitor section is working like im describing but the mains aren't in stereo(if i play a cd over it, anything panned hard left doesnt show up (Mains are controlled on right).
Ok heres what I have to choose from, Left and Right Graphic outs, Graphic ins and main outs. Pwr Amp in Left and right and Monitor A and Monitor B outputs. Anyone familar with this gear or type of routing please help me. We've had the board forever and never really had to use it for live performances, this saturday we have a show and I would love to have it wired up correctly.
sorry for such a long post
 
I can get it to patch where the monitor section is working like im describing but the mains aren't in stereo(if i play a cd over it, anything panned hard left doesnt show up (Mains are controlled on right).

That's how it works! I'm afraid you can't have it both ways. The unit only has 2 power amps built in. If you use one for monitors, you loose one for mains. I'd recommend buying another power amp for monitors. Think of the unit in block diagram terms or as seperate components in one box. You've got a stereo mixer feeding a stereo EQ feeding a stereo amp. There's just not enough channels of power amp there for it to do what your asking it to do.
 
If you have 200 watts per side that is the same as having two 200 watt amps. So if you want to use one for monitor...then it is not possible to have the mains instereo because there is only one amp left. Personally I've never been big on the stereo thing for live gigs because in a club type situation rather than the audience hearing a stereo mix like you hear at home....they tend to hear whatever speaker they're closest to. So you end up panning everything center so both sides of the room hear it and that's mono.

I'd take Monitor A into graphic left into power amp in left. Then the left graphic is your monitor EQ and the monitor A controls will set the volume in the monitor of the different channels.
Then Take one of the main outs into the other graphic into the other power amp and that will be your mains.
 
I agree with Lt. Bob on the stereo thing. I don't like to mix stereo live either for the same reasons. The reason I suggested getting another amp is that I figured you needed at least that much power to do a decent live show, but maybe your doing smaller venues?
 
And I must agree with Monte that 200 watts is only gonna be enough for small rooms....That's not a whole lot of power unless it's a fairly soft gig. Start putting bass or drums thru that and it's gonna get to peaking pretty quick.
 
Yes it is going to be a smaller show, thats the reason we are having to use our own Pa gear. Most of the bigger places we play provide the pa equipment.
I own a yamaha power amp that I use for a different setup, its 350 watts per side. Is there anyway I could use that to power my mains and route the power that my peavey board already has for my monitors?
Thanks for the help guys.
 
Sure...just take one of the Peavey's main outs and plug it into one of the graphics and then from that graphic to the Yamaha. Use a Y-cord at the yamaha end so you'll be able to plug into both channels. That'll be your mains.
Then take one of the monitor sends to the other graphic and from that graphic go to the power amp ins of the Peavey. You might have to use another Y-cord. That'll be your monitors.
That'll get you into enough power to do some good. it would definitely be worth taking the time to bring the Yamaha amp.
 
Thanks Lt. Bob

Thanks, I think ill try hooking it up that way and see how it sounds today.
What exactly are the graphic ins and outs? Maybe if i understand what they do, I will understand the routing a little better.
Also what is the best way to set a power amp's level. Should i have the levels pretty high on the amp to start with or just adjust and watch for clipping?
 
Well the graphic ins and outs are there so you can treat the graphic equalizers of that unit as if they were a seperate outboard graphic equalizer. When you use those it seperates the graphic from the P.A. Head. Actually there are probably some internal connections that are disconnected when you plug into the graphic inputs. But the reason I said to patch it the way I told you is 'cause I know that will work the way you want. I'm not familiar enough with that old unit to tell you how to skip some of the patching. Actually you can probably go from one of the graphic outs to the Yamaha and it will automatically be coming from the mains. And there might be a way to have the other graphic be the monitors without having to patch from a monitor out to the graphic. But without seeing the unit I can't be sure. But the way I told you will definitely work like you want.
 
Oh....and I'd probably try turning the yamaha wide open and turn the peavey channels down unless it's just too damn loud. If you keep the peavey channels low in level it'll be cleaner and quieter up to a point. You don't want to have to turn the peavey channels down so low that they are almost off...say at 8:00 or so. That's a bit too low and you'll get more noise but anything from 9:00 to 12:00 is fine.
 
Ok i have a simaler question. I have a big old analog Audio Technica 1220 Mixing Console, and a Berry MX602A. The audio technica doesn't have a lotta of power. So could plug everything into the Audio Technica and then send the right and left main outputs to channels 1 and 2 on the berry and still be in complete stereo or would that just make it 2 stereo channels. If it just makes it 2 stereo channels Is there anyway I could boost the power of the Technica?
 
Axis said:
So could plug everything into the Audio Technica and then send the right and left main outputs to channels 1 and 2 on the berry and still be in complete stereo or would that just make it 2 stereo channels.
Click to expand...
Yes, you can run the left and right outputs to channels 1 and 2 of the berry and be in true stereo but you have to pan channel ! on the berry hard left and channel 2 hard right. Then it would remain in stereo. I'm not sure what a Berry is. please enlighten me. As long as the berry is stereo, then if you run left and right from another stereo unit into a couple of channels and pan those channels left and right it will remain in stereo.
 
berry = behringer, sorry i just like to use those short little abrevations. Thanks for the help, gotta go try that now.
 
Axis said:
The audio technica doesn't have a lotta of power. /QUOTE]
Do you mean that it doesn't drive power amps to loud volumes? Or are you running it into your 'puter for recording and you're having trouble getting a hot enough signal for that? In either case running into two channels of a mixer would certainly be an easy way to boost the signal. It should work fine but there is a small possibility that the mixers could have matching problems that would cause noise or distortion problems. It's not likely so go ahead and try it to see...I wouldn't worry about it much...but if you have any problems come back and let me know. I'll try to help.
Click to expand...
 
Im doin this not for recording but for live sound and practice. I went downstairs to try it and......... There was so much noise and crap i couldn't even hear my voice through the speakers. It sounded like i was at the beach.
 
Ok well lets figure this out. I have several questions
1. Do you need so many channels that you can't simply use the Berry?
2. If so, what happens when the Audio Technica board is all you use? Are you running it into a regular power amp and if so what kind of power amp?
3. What outputs on the Audio technica do you hook to the power amp?
4. It's kinda unusual to not be able to get enough gain out of a board into a power amp. If all the things I've asked above turn out to be normal and correct are you sure there's nothing wrong with the Audio Technica?

I'll probably have some more questions but this will do to get started. We'll figure it out for sure, it just might take a few back and forth postings. :)
 
I don't have a power amp what I do do when use it is plug the speakers into the main outputs of the technica it has 2 left 2 right 2 monitor outputs and a headphone output. I don't have a power amp. Should I get one? or 2? What are some good cheap kinds.
 
Uh oh...I gave you bad advice I think....Do you mean that the audio Technica is a powered mixer ? It has speaker outs for it's main outs? If so then you can't run it into your Berry. I'm sorry I misunderstoodwhat you were saying but if it's a powered amp then that just won't work because the outputs are way too high of a power level for the inputs of the berry to handle.

If it is a powered unit....then there is no way to make it louder other than adding a power amp. But if you do that you might as well just run the Berry into the power amp. As for cheap kinds....go to your local music store and ask about them. There are plenty of them available and some of the mid-quality brands aren't too much money. Also you could buy a used one and probably get one for as little as $150. For example I have a couple that I'm selling around here for that much and there are usually guys that are upgrading that have older heavy amps that they are just unloading. Being young you probably don't mind if something's heavy and besides....you won't be moving it around much. I've got to go to work but when I get home I'll research your AudioTechnica so I will know exactly what I'm telling you from now on. What kind of speakers are you using? And if the Audio Technica is powered....do you know what the power rating is?
 
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