Mixers... more outputs

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Fusion2

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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...
 
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where are the outs going to? I have done this for headphones and stuff, and yes there usually is some degradation of signal.
 
terrible_buddhi said:
where are the outs going to? I have done this for headphones and stuff, and yes there usually is some degradation of signal.
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second delta 410 or second aux hardware mixer...

i have 2 systems running m-audio 410's and would like to see if both can have equal rights to the little mixer...

still a little green on the bus config, thanks...
 
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
 
cstockdale said:
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
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that's what i was thinking, thanks...

are the cheapo 24 bay units any good? i'm not on the road or anything, i know wireing is an issue in low budget equip, thanks again...
 
Does that mixer have inserts?

If so you might get extra outs that way
 
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
 
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.
 
Fusion2 said:

i have 2 systems running m-audio 410's and would like to see if both can have equal rights to the little mixer...
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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...
 
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)
 
Garak said:
Also their may be some frequency response issues but we haven't covered that yet in class

(I'm an electroincs engeering technology student)
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er, ok ;) what he said... heh

thanks, i'll grab the manual tonight and adsorb a bit further...
 
so what do you need these extra outputs for?? you may not need what you think you need if you could explain your project a little more in depth!
 
13th_Omen said:
so what do you need these extra outputs for?? you may not need what you think you need if you could explain your project a little more in depth!
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i'm attempting to give each system equal rights to the mixer, there's enough buses but not enough outputs i believe, humm, so i can rec back and forth, playback, etc...

like i said, green bus boy ;) thanks
 
i'm attempting to give each system equal rights to the mixer
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what do you mean? are you sending each channel to a seperate track on an ADAT or something? i am pretty sure your inserts will suffice.
 
13th_Omen said:
what do you mean? are you sending each channel to a seperate track on an ADAT or something? i am pretty sure your inserts will suffice.
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heh, from what posters have said in this thread the mixer doesn't have inserts ;) thanks anyway...
 
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