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Ok here's whats going on.

 

I'm using an MX2004a behringer mixer, and I have been strugling with mixing the drums on it thru the Stereo channels. I'm not getting the volume I want from them. They don't have a gain control on them just the fader slide. I have tried putting the main fadders way up and the rest of us down to mix and it helped but I still have to have the sliders on the board just totally up. and its ok but still not giving me the sound I want. I plan on getting another mixer to sub mix the drums into 1 of the stereo channels soon very soon. But a little frustrated are the stereo channels just worthless or do I need to get a preamp for them or what. I would like to at least run another vocal mic off them or something, our drummer loves to talk to the crowd. But I can't seem to get the volume up.

 

Our set up as follows.

 

2 Yamaha s115iv's Mains

2 AC (something generic 15's) Mains

4 Monitors (now 3 blew one)

E&W AL1600 power amp running mains

XA-1100 nady amp running monitors

 

3 vocals mic's

1 DI'd acustic guitar(share between songs Only 2 guitarists, but like to have it hooked up and ready for show)

1 DI'd electric guitar

1 miced amp guitar

1 miced (line in off his amp) Bass guitar

5 piece drum mic kit

3 piece cymbal mic kit.(haven't got yet, but need, we have 1 and i'm worried about the phantom power problem none on stereo channel) The bass drum is running thru my last IMP and the rest of the drum mics are on the stereo channels. The bass drum sounds great the rest have very little sound (better now that I turned the main sliders up and us down but still what are they good for?).

 

any Idea's on a inexpensive drum sub mixer i've been looking at the mxb1002 but i'm still going to run into useless stereo channels. what am I doing wrong? Do I need to set the mains up even higher and the mic channels with gains down even further? Or is there a Preamp I can put inbetween them to boost the volume more.

 

any help would be appreciated.

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Originally posted by dvst8tion

Ok here's whats going on.


I'm using an MX2004a behringer mixer, and I have been strugling with mixing the drums on it thru the Stereo channels. I'm not getting the volume I want from them. They don't have a gain control on them just the fader slide. I have tried putting the main fadders way up and the rest of us down to mix and it helped but I still have to have the sliders on the board just totally up. and its ok but still not giving me the sound I want. I plan on getting another mixer to sub mix the drums into 1 of the stereo channels soon very soon. But a little frustrated are the stereo channels just worthless or do I need to get a preamp for them or what. I would like to at least run another vocal mic off them or something, our drummer loves to talk to the crowd. But I can't seem to get the volume up.


Our set up as follows.


2 Yamaha s115iv's Mains

2 AC (something generic 15's) Mains

4 Monitors (now 3 blew one)

E&W AL1600 power amp running mains

XA-1100 nady amp running monitors


3 vocals mic's

1 DI'd acustic guitar(share between songs Only 2 guitarists, but like to have it hooked up and ready for show)

1 DI'd electric guitar

1 miced amp guitar

1 miced (line in off his amp) Bass guitar

5 piece drum mic kit

3 piece cymbal mic kit.(haven't got yet, but need, we have 1 and i'm worried about the phantom power problem none on stereo channel) The bass drum is running thru my last IMP and the rest of the drum mics are on the stereo channels. The bass drum sounds great the rest have very little sound (better now that I turned the main sliders up and us down but still what are they good for?).


any Idea's on a inexpensive drum sub mixer i've been looking at the mxb1002 but i'm still going to run into useless stereo channels. what am I doing wrong? Do I need to set the mains up even higher and the mic channels with gains down even further? Or is there a Preamp I can put inbetween them to boost the volume more.


any help would be appreciated.

How are you able to run drum mics through the line in channel inputs? Are you using actual inline transformers or just adaptors? That is probably your problem. We have submixed our drums into a stereo channel for a couple years now and it works fine.

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If I'm reading this right, you're plugging drum mics into the stereo inputs, correct?

 

Those inputs have much less gain than the mono (mic) channels. In fact, they don't have mic preamps. You need a sub-mixer or mic preamps for the drum mics.

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Originally posted by RickJ

If I'm reading this right, you're plugging drum mics into the stereo inputs, correct?


Those inputs have much less gain than the mono (mic) channels. In fact, they don't have mic preamps. You need a sub-mixer or mic preamps for the drum mics.

 

My guess as well!

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Just my 2 cents on this subject... Your not going to get a very clear reproduction of all the instruments (drums, bass, guitar and vocals)through two Yamaha 15" speakers. I strongly suggest replacing your mixer (which in the long run may be cheaper) with one that has at least 16 mic inputs and if you plan to add kick drum and bass guitar to your mix, certainly add at least a couple of subs.

 

As for mixers, you can't go wrong with either an A&H Mixwiz or the Mackie 1604. Don't run mics through stereo channels on the Behringer as they do not have preamps and it will be a nightmare to try to balance your mix.

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As far as channels and routing capability, the behringer will work however, the issue of quality is very real. I'm not a fan of behringer mixers but it will do the job. You may also try getting a used Soundcraft, A&H or Mackie for around $600 to $700.

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Originally posted by dvst8tion

I can't really afford 1 of those, but what do you guys think of a MX2442 Eurodesk, its selling for 550 and in my price range. I think that would be a lot easier then doing the sub mix and less to carry.

Submixing is very easy and basic if you set things up well. Our drummer has the MX2004 in a rack with a stereo 15 band EQ which is used on the kick drum and the snare(not really needed there,IMO)and a comp/gate on the kick and snare and a quad gate for the other four channels(two ride toms and two floor toms) So the only connections are for power to his rack and a left and right line into the main board.

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Ok, I got an Idea

 

Tell me if you guys think this will work.

 

I'm going to go with the MX2442a mixer by behringer (I kinda like behringer they seem to do me well, I know a lot of people don't like'em but I do, i haven't had a problem with them).

 

Here is my idea. I was thinking of getting Ultra DI Pro4000, 4 channel DI rack mount. And hook them up to the 4 stereo channels on the board, with then I will not need the phantom power like I would with the DI floor boxes. Move the 3 acustic guitars over to that, freeing up some preamp mono's for the other mics or something. On the Mx2442a mixer it says the stereo channels have the +/- 20db gain, but also the Pro4000 has an extra +/- 20db gain so that would give me the +/- 40db witch would keep me close to the +/- 60db gain of the mono channels. Am I right there? Even though the acustics don't seem to use that much gain anyway, I have to have the -20db gain on the DI box on to keep her from feeding back (yamaha acustic electric, not sure what model but it is nice the other one is a regular acustic with some cheepy add in pickup).

 

then the only thing I need to figure out is how to hook the XLR imputs on the stage box to the TS connectors on the guitar. Or can I just get a XLR to TRS and plug that into the guitar, I have never tried that not sure if you even can. Or do they make a XLR to TS female connector so they can just plug there guitar cords into that.

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actually I have a MX2004a I have been using for my main board, but of course we out grew it in about 5 months, I'll use the MX2442A for the main board and the Mx2004a board to sub-mix the drums. But you think it will work using the DI box on the stereo's to give me a little more boost on them, so i'm not wasteing channels. I hate that. (except for the 2 that i'll use to sub-mix with.)

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They DO make an XLR to TS female transformer adaptor. Weuse them... to lplug into the stage box of the snake, and then plug the guitars directly into. Radio Shack sells one and i am sure other do to. SR

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The problem with that is the Pro4000 by behringer gives you the +/- 20db gain, just incase they are not loud enough. Not sure i'll need it but I ran into so many problems not getting enough sound out of the Stereo channels. And preamps are quite expensive.

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if you get the bigger behringer mixer, then you dont even need a separate mixer to submix drums -- thats what the subgroups are for! of course, it may be cheaper just to buy another small mixer.

 

i am selling two behringer mx2004a's in great condition... will sell them separate. bill@zuulmusic.com or aim: zuul777

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