Quick Question - Probably a stupid one?

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Hi all,

Just a quick one.
On the back of my mixer I have 4 outputs as follows:

Balanced XLR's
Master / Record / Booth

Now, I have always used a phono lead coming from the Master straight into XLR on my amp or if I am using my Active speakers, straight into them via the same lead but XLR lead extensions. If I am using 2 x Amps then I use the Master and Booth Outputs for each amp.

Have I been missing a trick?
Should I be using the Balanced XLR output?
What are the benefits?

Just another one to throw into the mix too - I noticed the other day when I was doing Karaoke that if I used a Microphone lead that was XLR to 1/4 Jack, it wasn't as loud as it was using XLR to XLR. Would the same apply to my above question if I am using Phono to XLR to amp and would it be better to use XLR to XLR?

I'm off soon to set up for tonight and will give it a try so pointless asking the question really if I am going to try it out but I thought I'd ask anyway.

Thanks chaps.
G

[Corabar Steve]

Probably / possibly.

I'd always use balanced outputs where possible. When I use 2 amps I run the mixer in mono & use 1XLR to 2XLR splitters so that all the amp inputs can come from a balanced output.

What mixer & amps do you have?

Some amps you can pass the signal through to a second or third amp, so you'd only need the balanced outputs.

Some mixers (like one of my old ones, can't remember what it was now) allow you to use balanced & unbalanced masters, booth & record simultaneously so you could feed 4 amps from this (or if using splitters 8), although not all mixers will let balanced & unbalanced run at the same time.

Might be worth having a play to see what permutations you can come up with.

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Cheers Steve.

[PropellerHeadCase]

Balanced outputs have reduced line noise and thus better signal to noise ratio - meaning that with the volume up and no music playing you'll not have embarrassing levels of white/pink noise and your system will sound cleaner at lower volumes (background music level). Also less prone to picking up RF interference.

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Thanks again. I tried it tonight and it sounded a lot better to be honest.

[DJMaxG]

1/4" Jack are better than RCA [AKA Phono]
XLR are better than 1/4" Jack

XLRs are better because they contain an extra earth grounding wire.

did you not think to go straight from the XLR to the XLR on the amp? :)


although not all mixers will let balanced & unbalanced run at the same time.

My Gemini 19" allows the Master RCA Out and Jacks to work at the same time, BUT the 'volume' is split between them. So it doesn't sound as good after all.