Aux 1? 2? 3/4? Pi?

[cstime]

I have sort of a newbie question - sorry if this has already been answered on other threads (I did a couple of searches and didn't find anything).

 

I've got a Behringer MX2004A that I use for a duo that I play in, so I need it to send signals to FOH speakers and monitors (which seems like a reasonable enough thing to wish for). Though the user's manual refers to "monitor out" jacks, the closest I find on the actual mixer are two jack labeled "control room". As far as I can tell, they have exactly the same mix coming to them as the mains except that PFL signals come through them even when the mains are muted.

 

In the "Monitoring" section of the user's manual, it says to use the Aux 3/4 bus for monitoring, but as far as I can tell a signal goes to the Aux 3/4 channel or the main output, not both (I use the Aux 3/4 button on each channel as a mute button). So that didn't make any sense, either.

 

I've been using the two main out channels for monitoring (L to the FOH amp & speakers, R to the monitor amp & speakers), which works okay but it would be nice to be able to have a different mix for the monitors (two different mixes would be nicer yet, but I'd be happy with one).

 

So my question is - am I just misunderstanding this Aux 3/4 thing? It seems like it's designed to give one master fader for a bunch of channels. Like if I had channels 3,4, and 6 all miking drums I'd hit the Aux 3/4 button on those channels and they'd all come out of the Aux 3/4 output so I could have one "drums" slider. The manual seems to support this, but it also mentions the Aux 3/4 channel under "monitoring".

 

I've read on this board that the regular Aux 1 and Aux 2 effect sends/returns can be used for monitoring, too. Is that the way I should be doing it? Send Aux 1 (Aux 2 is post-fader) to the monitor amp and basically treat the monitor amp like an effect that doesn't return a signal to the mixer? Won't that break the signal path and stop the signal, or am I getting aux sends and insert points confused? Also, the signal will be unbalanced, right - will I be able to run it down a 100' snake to the amp or will I end up with nothing but noise?

 

Sorry for the long post - thanks in advance for any help you can give me. Seems to me like there could be a lot of money to be made writing new manuals for Behringer stuff that were useful and easy to read, especially since their stuff is mostly bought (I assume) by people like me without a lot of experience with PA gear.

[apinkel]

For monitoring in a live setting typically Aux 1 is set pre-fader and is used to send a mono mix to your monitor system. By setting it pre-fader you get a mix that is independent of the settings of the main channel faders. You will not use the Aux 1 return in this setup and no this won't hurt anything... think of the aux returns as just another stereo mixer input... you could actually use it as another stereo channel input if you got desperate.

 

Aux 2 is typically used to send a mono mix to an effects processor with the resulting processed signal returned on Aux 2 stereo return.

 

In your message when you are referring to aux 3-4 I'm assuming you meant alt 3-4 which is an alternative sub-mix to the main 1-2/L-R mix... as you mentioned a channel is either sent to the main mix or the alternative mix depending on the setting of the mute/Alt3-4 switch on each channel.

 

For your FOH mix you can either use the main outputs or the control room outputs.

-If you want a balanced output signal then use the main outputs. In this case alt 3-4 wouldn't be used for anything.

-Control room might give you more flexibility... allowing you to select what you want to send to FOH using the main, alt 3-4 or tape in switches. But I don't think it's a balanced output and it may actually be more flexibility than you need.

 

I don't have an answer on the unbalanced monitor send... I've always had balanced outputs when using a snake. I'll leave that to someone else.

 

Al

[cstime]

Do I mean Alt? I thought it said Aux, but I wrote that post from work...

 

*runs downstairs to look at mixer and see if somehow he's been reading "Alt" as "Aux" for a year and a half*

 

Well, what do you know? Alt 3/4. That does make more sense...

seems like I understood how to use it, though.

 

I blame my confusion on Behringer not printing "Hey, Dumbass, it's not Aux 3/4, it's Alt 3/4!" in big bold letters on the first page of the manual.

 

Thanks for your help!

[tlbonehead]

Originally posted by cstime Do I mean Alt? I thought it said Aux, but I wrote that post from work... *runs downstairs to look at mixer and see if somehow he's been reading "Alt" as "Aux" for a year and a half* Well, what do you know? Alt 3/4. That does make more sense... seems like I understood how to use it, though. I blame my confusion on Behringer not printing "Hey, Dumbass, it's not Aux 3/4, it's Alt 3/4!" in big bold letters on the first page of the manual. Thanks for your help!

Yes,on pretty much any setup,one aux is used for effects(or more than one if you want more than one individual effects)and other aux outs are used for monitor sends. The more aux outs your board has,the more separate monitor mixes you can have.