Help needed with C-Mark mixer

[dalzeah]

I decided to upgrade my amp setup from a dodgy old Fender amp used with a Warrior Digimix Mixer (not powered version), and a couple of Class D CD158's speakers as my sound was lacking at volume. Rang the the guy at Class D who was really helpful and recommended a C Mark mr2450 power amp as being ideal for my speakers. When I connected my new amp to the passive mixer; no sound! When I run it after my old Fender amp it works no problem and sounds great, but I assumed a power amp would be able to drive my speakers directly from my passive mixer without the need for any pre-amp. Am I stupid or is there a fault with the power amp? Also the amp came without a manual and C Mark don't seem to have web presence - anyone know where I can get one or a similar model? Thanks in advance.

[Tom]

audio source - mixer - amp - speaker

plus using the correct cables to connect them all up.

[dalzeah]

Yup. Thats the way I'm doing it - Source Audio - keyboard, Mics, Laptop.
into Mixer, then XLR leads into Power Amp, then 15m Speakon leads to speakers. The power amp just doesnt seem to pick up a signal in this configuration (indicator LED does not flicker). As I say if I put my old amp in the configuration and supply the new amp with a signal from that, everyting seems to work ok.

[Corabar Steve]

Are you saying your mixer has no pre-amp ?

[dalzeah]

http://www.bluearan.co.uk/menu/index.php?id=WARMIXE09

This is the mixer. I have the unpowered version.

[Corabar Steve]

That doesn't really answer my question.

What are the inputs on the amp?

Do you have any way of running a CD deck directly into the amp? Try that & if you still get no sound I would assume there is something wrong with the amp, or you are doing something wrong possibly as you don't have a manual. (more likely the first option)

[Mission]

This may sound silly but your not feeding the new amp with the old amps speaker outputs are you :eek:

If however you are saying that if you put the signal into your old amp and output from another set of signal sockets on the amp then what cables are you using.

[dalzeah]

I am using XLR to XLR from the passive mixer to the power amplifier, which produces no sound. When I connect the old mixer via a monitor output to the power amp it seems to work fine. I have to use a standard guitar cable to make this connection as the new power amp has jack inputs as well. I have asked a tech guy at DJkit who says I will need a pre amp if I am using a non-powered mixer, while the nice man at Class d - who recommended the amp - says this power amp should drive my speakers with no problem from a passive amp with no pre-amp! Now I'm really confused.

[Corabar Steve]

I am using XLR to XLR from the passive mixer to the power amplifier, which produces no sound. When I connect the old mixer via a monitor output to the power amp it seems to work fine. I have to use a standard guitar cable to make this connection as the new power amp has jack inputs as well. I have asked a tech guy at DJkit who says I will need a pre amp if I am using a non-powered mixer, while the nice man at Class d - who recommended the amp - says this power amp should drive my speakers with no problem from a passive amp with no pre-amp! Now I'm really confused.


Do you have any way of running a CD deck directly into the amp? Try that

Does the amp have both jack & XLR inputs?

Can you get / do you have a 2x phono to 2x XLR or 2x phono to 2x Jack lead?

Connect a CD player to the amp & the amp to your speakers. Play a CD & adjust the volume on the amp. Do you get sound?

[Mission]

What Steve said first, CD play direct into amp.

Its as though the jack inputs on the amp work but not the XLR !

Have you got any XLR to jack leads to try from the mixer to the amp?

[dalzeah]

Steve - I can connect my laptop to the amp using a jack socket (it has both xlr and jack inputs) and try playing a track. Is that any good?

[Vectis]

Its as though the jack inputs on the amp work but not the XLR !

Is there a switch to toggle between the inputs? (or is it a function of one or more DIP switches)?

... unusual but not impossible!

[dalzeah]

What Steve said first, CD play direct into amp.

Its as though the jack inputs on the amp work but not the XLR !

Have you got any XLR to jack leads to try from the mixer to the amp?


I've got mic leads with XLR to jack but the fittings are the wrong way round! I see where you're coming from though. The passive amp has jack outputs as well as XLR so I'll try going jack to jack when i get home from work. Thanks for taking the time to help chaps.

[Excalibur]

I've got mic leads with XLR to jack but the fittings are the wrong way round! I see where you're coming from though. The passive amp has jack outputs as well as XLR so I'll try going jack to jack when i get home from work. Thanks for taking the time to help chaps.

As far as I know ( and I don't know the mixer) standard mic leads as you describe should be perfectly acceptable for this purpose. Are you sure you're not connecting mixer INPUTS to amp inputs? I reckon mixer outputs have male fittings, not female. I have this amp, and have not found any problems like this. The inputs are not switchable, so shouldn't be that as a problem.

[dalzeah]

Right.... Firstly I went direct into the power amp with my laptop on a jack input. I got no sound. I then connected a mains powered cd player via jack input. This worked ok. Great sound, even with the cd on full volume it did not cause the amp to clip. I then tried my passive mixer using jack out from the mixer and jack in to the power amp. No sound. Then I put the cd player through the mixer - I did get weak sound at this point likewise when I went back to XLR and connected those to mixer outputs and power amp inputs. It seems to me that my passive mixer simply cannot give enough signal to the power amp. What do you think?

[dalzeah]

As far as I know ( and I don't know the mixer) standard mic leads as you describe should be perfectly acceptable for this purpose. Are you sure you're not connecting mixer INPUTS to amp inputs? I reckon mixer outputs have male fittings, not female. I have this amp, and have not found any problems like this. The inputs are not switchable, so shouldn't be that as a problem.


Yes absolutley certain I have connected the mixer Xlr out-puts to the xlr amp inputs. As I say I do get a very limited sound from the amp so it must be getting through to a degree.

[Excalibur]

Yes absolutley certain I have connected the mixer Xlr out-puts to the xlr amp inputs. As I say I do get a very limited sound from the amp so it must be getting through to a degree.

If as you said the mic cables were the wrong way round, do I take it that you have XLR cables with plugs at both ends then, rather than plug and socket ?:confused:

[dalzeah]

My Xlr cables have both plug and socket. I see what you mean, I could have put the xlr female end of the mic cable into the passive amp and the male XLR end into the power amp. I don't think there is going to be an easy solution to this so I have been back in touch with the Ebay shop I bought it from who seem very helpful - I have been given a number to ring tomorrow. Thanks for all your help - at least I don't think I was doing something stupidly wrong before I got in touch withn the seller.

[Mission]

There seems to be a lot of different conflicts here.

CD player into amp works.
Laptop into amp does not work. Was this from laptop headphone out split into two mono inputs on power amp ?

CD player via mixer does not work.

Can I ask if the old fender amp is just a power amp or a mixer amp ?

[Corabar Steve]

I'm totally confused now

[dalzeah]

There seems to be a lot of different conflicts here.

CD player into amp works.
Laptop into amp does not work. Was this from laptop headphone out split into two mono inputs on power amp ?

CD player via mixer does not work.

Can I ask if the old fender amp is just a power amp or a mixer amp ?

Takes some weighing up doesn't it? Yes the laptop output I used was the headphone socket split into two 1/4 jacks - which usually works with no problem with my old Fender Amp (this is a mixer amp).

[Mission]

I thought I had a theory but the laptop into power amp not working blows it out the water.

I'll tell you what my theory is but first does the mixing desk all power up well when switched on etc and has it got a headphone socket on it ?

[dalzeah]

I thought I had a theory but the laptop into power amp not working blows it out the water.

I'll tell you what my theory is but first does the mixing desk all power up well when switched on etc and has it got a headphone socket on it ?

Yes the mixing desk powers up without a problem. It has control room jack outputs which can be used as headphone monitors. I'm going to ring the shop I bought the power amp off now and see what he says - I'll let you know.

[dalzeah]

Rang the shop (Proline audio). They are confused too. He thinks there may be a fault with my mixer, but why does it work with both my other amps? He can't work out why the new power amp will play a cd player but not the laptop. Any passive mixer should be able to drive this amp, he says so definatley something not right. He has asked me to courier it back to them on the understanding if they find a fault they will pay and if it's ok, I shell out for postage. Looks as though this may be my best option. I'm gonna borrow another passive mixer first though and try that.

[Mission]

Rang the shop (Proline audio). They are confused too. He thinks there may be a fault with my mixer, but why does it work with both my other amps? He can't work out why the new power amp will play a cd player but not the laptop. Any passive mixer should be able to drive this amp, he says so definatley something not right. He has asked me to courier it back to them on the understanding if they find a fault they will pay and if it's ok, I shell out for postage. Looks as though this may be my best option. I'm gonna borrow another passive mixer first though and try that.

Thats what I thought about a problem with your mixer but the laptop not working direct into the power amp confused that issue.

The reason I thought is was the mixer was that if you included the old Fender (mixer amp) in line as well meant that the Main Mixer pre amps were not working and a week line signal was getting through the outputs of that mixer. Then the Fender (Mixer amp) was pre amping the signal again before going into the power amp.

Even my above theory does not way up, as the signal coming out of your main mixer would have to be so weak that it would be extremely noisey after it had gone through the fender one and pre amped.

Trying another passive mixer first is the best bet.

[dalzeah]

Thanks Tone, Really appreciate the help - I'm learning!

[Corabar Steve]

You did have the volume up on the laptop when you plugged it into the amp didn't you.

[dalzeah]

You did have the volume up on the laptop when you plugged it into the amp didn't you.

Got me thinking for a minute there! Yes, I pulled the plug from the laptop headphone socket whilst it was playing and got sound from the laptop speakers.

[Mission]

but why does it work with both my other amps?

You say you have another amp ?

Is this a mixer amp like the fender or just a power amp?

If both your old amps are mixer amps then it points to the mixing desk not putting out a preamped signal ?

But that still doesn't explain the laptop issue. Have you tried a different cable on the laptop and also tried a set of headphones/earphones into the laptop ?

[Excalibur]

I've got mic leads with XLR to jack but the fittings are the wrong way round! I see where you're coming from though. The passive amp has jack outputs as well as XLR so I'll try going jack to jack when i get home from work. Thanks for taking the time to help chaps.




As far as I know ( and I don't know the mixer) standard mic leads as you describe should be perfectly acceptable for this purpose. Are you sure you're not connecting mixer INPUTS to amp inputs? I reckon mixer outputs have male fittings, not female. I have this amp, and have not found any problems like this. The inputs are not switchable, so shouldn't be that as a problem.

Please tell me why standard mic cables will not work? :confused: These are what I use to connect my amp ( identical to yours ) on occasion with no problem. The only reason for them to be " wrong way round " is if you are using an INPUT on your mixer. Sorry to repeat this, but I reckon it's important. OUTPUTS will fit mic cables!! :bang:


My Xlr cables have both plug and socket. I see what you mean, I could have put the xlr female end of the mic cable into the passive amp and the male XLR end into the power amp. I don't think there is going to be an easy solution to this so I have been back in touch with the Ebay shop I bought it from who seem very helpful - I have been given a number to ring tomorrow. Thanks for all your help - at least I don't think I was doing something stupidly wrong before I got in touch withn the seller.

So your first statement doesn't make sense to me. :confused: :confused:


I'm totally confused now
You mean you understood it up to a point? Well done that man. ;) :D

[dalzeah]

Hello again - latest from planet Dalzeah. Tried the laptop again and banged the volume up this time - thanks steve. However the volume was only where I had it for my last gig, (about 50%) before I adjusted it. There was Sound!! I turned the amp up full and the laptop up full and only had enough volume to mildly annoy a neighbour - this in a double garage size room. Laptop was directly connected to the amp by headphone socket to jack. Then connected the laptop to the mixer using Aux in sockets as I usually do. I used XLR connectors to the power amp. Main Outputs to amp inputs. I had the mixer on maximum, Amp on max and laptop on max and got only half decent volume. I would not have dared to go this high with my old fender amp. I get the drift with the mic cables (finally) and tried both an XLR to Xlr mic cable and an XLR to jack cable. Again

OOPS! hit submit. Sorry....to continue. Again I got sound in identical quantities but too low for use with my band or in a disco situation. I have got a manual by the way. The chap at Class D sent me one in the post and I seem to be doing everything by the book. The amp just doesn't seem to have any punch. I know I said in a previous post that the cd player worked ok - but when i thing about it I had the amp on a very high setting to get anywhere near a decent volume.