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Building Out Setup

Your comments, questions, or opinions on any karaoke related hardware.
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pat2187
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Aug 21, 2017 3:57 pm

Building Out Setup

Post by pat2187 »

Been having some issues getting my setup dialed in and need help please!

Hardware I have so far: Behringer Xenyx 1002FX Mixer, Win 7 Laptop, Peavy DM112 Speaker, (2) Sony Mics, Cables ( recently picked up the Speaker have not used in a setup yet )

I have been able to run a few nights of karaoke with limited success depending on the location and who had what A/V equipment. Been trying to setup a config that I can document and ensure I'll be able to setup and we can all get drunk and sing.

Previous setups that have worked off my PC were plagued by the mic delay, yet at another location where there is surround sound I could utilize an open setting like CD on the Receiver and have no delay. After a lot of trial and error I was worried the speaker was not working, but I verified it is by plugging a mic directly into the speaker and I can hear myself. When I run a TS cable out of the Main Out to the speaker I get nothing, yet the mixer will indicate sound on the levels. Note: that Main Out cable is a TS "Y" cable.

My planned setup would be PC sound out of the speaker jack to the mixer in an available channel(s), mics into the mixer, main out on mixer to speaker input. PC to TV by HDMI with the sound disabled. Did I miss a component? Or am I just already on the wrong path?


mr.dj
Posts: 221
Joined: Sat Jul 16, 2011 7:08 am
Location: Kent, England

Re: Building Out Setup

Post by mr.dj »

When you say your running a y cable from the main out, you should not do that. I'm not saying that is why your not getting any signal but a y cable out does not sum the signal properly.
If you can only run a single cable to the speaker you should use the pan knob, so if you run from the left out of the mixer to the speaker you should pan all the channels to the left.
Most active speakers have left and right input allowing you to run left & right intoa them then the speakers sum the signal correctly if running a single mono configuration.
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pat2187
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Aug 21, 2017 3:57 pm

Re: Building Out Setup

Post by pat2187 »

Thank you for the reply,

I'm still learning terms and nomenclature - turns out Gain is synonymous Volume and this knob (me) didn't have that knob on the speaker turned up.

I'm getting my sound out of the mixer, mic and music track - however its not at a constant level, sounds like its stronger then weaker sort of bouncing back and forth. Sounded like maybe the left and right were fighting over the line, tried using one or the other TRS connect into left or right. Sound still comes in inconsistent but its just overall softer.

That made me think back to your comment about the cable combining the signal properly. Even if I'm just using one of the Y split ends with the single terminating in the speaker, that other line in the cable could be loss of signal? Ideally I'd have two speakers and run a single cable to each, do you think a standard cable will address the sound fluctuation?

Then some other factors my inexperience with Audio setups I'm worried about in testing, the speaker I plugged into a surge protector with a few other devices already into it. I'd read about ground loops but don't know if this is what I'm experiencing, I just don't have the ear yet. Balanced vs Unbalanced cables and noise accumulated there.
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DanG2006
Posts: 1498
Joined: Sun Jan 01, 2006 8:37 pm
Location: USA

Re: Building Out Setup

Post by DanG2006 »

Usually unless the active speaker is weird, one hole or connection is for the sound from the mixer coming in while the other is used to send sound to another speaker. You really don't want to do that because it will bring the ohms down from 8 to 4 ohms. The weird speakers actually have a red and white RCA input. It was only one one of the reasons why I went from a pair of Podium Pro active speakers to a pair of EV ZXA1'S that I use to use before I decided that even though the other speakers didn't require an outlet while being used, the limited time that the battery life gave me wasn't worth turning down gigs that lasted over 5 hours and it wasn't worth turning down gigs without the necessary outlets near my speakers. So I have gone back to a passive pair of speakers that are the passive version of the EV ZXA1'S that I use to have.
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mr.dj
Posts: 221
Joined: Sat Jul 16, 2011 7:08 am
Location: Kent, England

Re: Building Out Setup

Post by mr.dj »

It depends on the way that Y cable is actually wired up. Is it wired as 2 separate left and rights going to a single stereo jack ? If that's the case then your plugging a stereo jack into what I think is a mono socket on the speaker.
Looking at that speaker it does only seem to have a single input so you can't run a left & right into it and have it sum the signal.
Is it just the sound from the music track that is inconsistent or the mics as well ?
I think you need to try a single mono unbalanced Jack to Jack just to see if that will improve the sound first.
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pat2187
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Aug 21, 2017 3:57 pm

Re: Building Out Setup

Post by pat2187 »

I got (2) TRS to XLR cables arriving tomorrow, I will have to give it a go then. Hard to tell if the mic is dipping with the music, I couldn't give it a proper test given the time it was - neighbors and living in an apartment ( flat ). Although when I verified the speaker worked at all with the mic directly plugged into the speaker I don't recall any fluctuation. I'm optimistic the single cable will help - I have to rebuild a laptop, migrate the library over to it, build the search index. Luckily I'm a computer guy by trade - should be ready for Saturday

Thank you for taking the time to look at my equipment, offer advice and options. Cheers to you
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pat2187
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Joined: Mon Aug 21, 2017 3:57 pm

Re: Building Out Setup

Post by pat2187 »

mr.dj wrote: Wed Aug 23, 2017 5:19 am I think you need to try a single mono unbalanced Jack to Jack just to see if that will improve the sound first.
That was exactly it, I got a 1/4" TRS to XLR 6m cable and no warble or fluctuation. We all had a great time and we cranked the piss out of that thing.
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mr.dj
Posts: 221
Joined: Sat Jul 16, 2011 7:08 am
Location: Kent, England

Re: Building Out Setup

Post by mr.dj »

Thanks for letting us know how you solved the problem, enjoy your party nights.
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