Members Tommy Tune Posted August 6, 2003 Members Share Posted August 6, 2003 I have a powered mixer that supplies 325w a side at 8 ohms. If I wanted to use it as an unpowered mixer and supply external power for bigger mains and subs, can I? Will this effect the internal amps? I'm confused because one guy from the tech department for Yamaha says it's ok and one guy says it isn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members KipH Posted August 6, 2003 Members Share Posted August 6, 2003 I'm pretty sure you just run the passive outputs of the powered mixer to the power amps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members KipH Posted August 6, 2003 Members Share Posted August 6, 2003 I got the Behringer PMX2000, which is a 250W/side 10 channel mixer. I'm going to expand later on when I can afford some nice mains. My setup will be: Instruments/Mics -> PMX2000PMX2000 Powered -> Monitor Wedge -> Monitor WedgePMX2000 Passive Mono -> Powered Amp -> Main -> Main If you plug a powered output of the mixer into a powered amp, I'd imagine bad things would happen.. I could be wrong. The manual for the PMX2000 shows a powered amp being attached outside the "Monitor" output, which is a mono, passive output on the front of the mixer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ashivraj Posted August 6, 2003 Members Share Posted August 6, 2003 nope, you're good. as long as you're taking a line-level out (before the amp stage), you're fine running into an amp or a powered speaker. make sure it isnt a speaker out! since the built-in amps are solid state, they wont complain running under no load. in fact, you might even be able to turn the main poweramp level down (i.e. on the mixer) so the amp isnt seeing any signal, but the line-level outs are. AS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tommy Tune Posted August 6, 2003 Author Members Share Posted August 6, 2003 If you plug a powered output of the mixer into a powered amp, I'd imagine bad things would happen.. I could be wrong. The manual for the PMX2000 shows a powered amp being attached outside the "Monitor" output, which is a mono, passive output on the front of the mixer. I'm not talking about plugging it into a powered out. (I'm not too sure that can't be done, anyway) I'm talking about using the stereo outs and an external amp and just leaving the internal amp run without supplying power to anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members KipH Posted August 6, 2003 Members Share Posted August 6, 2003 I know. I'm just stressing that it's the passive outs and not the powered outs of the powered mixer that are to go into the new amp that the mains will be run off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tommy Tune Posted August 6, 2003 Author Members Share Posted August 6, 2003 since the built-in amps are solid state, they wont complain running under no load. in fact, you might even be able to turn the main poweramp level down (i.e. on the mixer) so the amp isnt seeing any signal, but the line-level outs are. There is an adjustment switch to tell the amp weather to run at 100, 300, or 500 watts @ 4 ohms but nothing to actuallty turn it off. I guess that if I run it like this, I'll turn it down to 100 watts. My only concern was running the internal amp without a load. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tommy Tune Posted August 6, 2003 Author Members Share Posted August 6, 2003 Cool. I wonder why the dude at Ya,maha said that over a period of time, I would have problems? I didn't think that it would be a problem but he insisted that it could. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tommy Tune Posted August 6, 2003 Author Members Share Posted August 6, 2003 Cool. I wonder why the dude at Ya,maha said that over a period of time, I would have problems? I didn't think that it would be a problem but he insisted that it could. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author Craig Vecchione Posted August 6, 2003 CMS Author Share Posted August 6, 2003 Originally posted by Tommy Tune Cool. I wonder why the dude at Ya,maha said that over a period of time, I would have problems? I didn't think that it would be a problem but he insisted that it could. Call him back and ask him to explain how it could. If possible, record the conversation. Should be 'interesting' to hear that explanation:rolleyes: Only tube power amps having transformer output stages are sensitive to low/no load conditions. SS amps don't care if they have no load. Don't bother turning the power level down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ezstep Posted August 6, 2003 Members Share Posted August 6, 2003 Tommy, you will have no problems coming from the ST OUT L. or the ST OUT R. plugs. You don't need to run BOTH plugs unless you are running true stereo, and I wouldn't recommend that anyway. For small-mid sized venues, I use the internal amps for the tops and come from the MONO out for the subs (crossed over at about 100-110 - make sure the switch in engaged). For larger and outdoor venues, we come out the ST OUT L. into a bigger amp for the tops and again the MONO out for the subs. I used a Yammy EMX2000 for over three years and the EMX5000 for over a year and have encountered no problems. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tommy Tune Posted August 7, 2003 Author Members Share Posted August 7, 2003 Thanks guys. I just got a little freaked when I got conflicting reports from Yamaha. I used it like this last weekend and It sounded great but I wanted to make sure. I didn't want to take a $900 investment and trash it. Thanks for all of the input. This forum helps me alot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author Craig Vecchione Posted August 7, 2003 CMS Author Share Posted August 7, 2003 Originally posted by Tommy Tune Thanks guys. I just got a little freaked when I got conflicting reports from Yamaha. I used it like this last weekend and It sounded great but I wanted to make sure. I didn't want to take a $900 investment and trash it. Thanks for all of the input. This forum helps me alot. Just kinda curious, but why'd you buy a powered mixer if you don't intend to use the amps? Seems ashame not to use them for something even if you have additional externals....500w x2 ain't too shabby.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tommy Tune Posted August 7, 2003 Author Members Share Posted August 7, 2003 Just kinda curious, but why'd you buy a powered mixer if you don't intend to use the amps? Seems ashame not to use them for something even if you have additional externals....500w x2 ain't too shabby.... Well, technically, it's 500 watts at 4 ohms & 325 @ 8ohms. I also have the option of powering the aux sends and adjusting the amp from 500watts to 200watts or even 100watts. The internal amps get plenty of use but when I'm doing an outside gig or a bigger venue, I want to have more power. That's the only reason. It's great for smaller venues. It affords me the luxury of not toting an extra amp along. Last weekend was a good example for the need to use external amps. We did an outside carnival. We needed a little more. So, we used the external amps and they worked like a charm. The "tech" at Yamaha said that it "Was ok once in a while but not all of the time." I didn't buy that explanation. So, I came here for a better one. Thanks again fellas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.