Stevens R. Miller
Well-Known Member
My community theater company has its own Behringer UB2442FX that we use for our shows. We perform in local middle schools. The schools all have rack-mounted Peavey FX mixers and amplifiers that drive their built-in loudspeakers. The racks are wired in such a way that it isn't always feasible for us to connect the output of our mixer to the inputs of their amplifiers. In those cases, we must connect the output of our mixer to two inputs of the schools' mixers.
We have been connecting XLR outputs from our mixer to XLR inputs on their mixers. By reading the manuals, I have become aware of something called "microphone level," and something else called "line level." Thus, if I understand what I am reading, I have discovered we are connecting a line level output to inputs intended to receive microphone levels. Mostly, I think we do this because it seems as though the "main" output jacks on our mixer are the XLRs ("main" because they're bigger than the quarter-inch TRSs, I guess), and it just seems natural to connect one XLR to another. But now I am wondering if we wouldn't be better off connecting the output of our mixer to the line level inputs on their mixers.
Specifically, here are my questions, and my own guesses at the answers:
1. Should we connect our line level output to the schools' line level input? (Guess: Yes, because line level is higher than mic level, so the input will have no pre-amp, which helps keep noise down.)
2. Is it harmful to connect line level outputs to mic level inputs? (Guess: No, so long as you don't overdrive the input, but there's no up-side to it, either, and gawdnose what would happen to our mixer if someone turned on the phantom power at the schools' mixers.)
3. Is there any reason not to connect an XLR line level output to a TRS quarter-inch line level input (as opposed to using TRSs at each end)? (Guess: No, but it's easier to find TRS-to-TRS cable than it is to find XLR-to-TRS cable.)
As ever, thanks to an CB'ers who can help sort me out.
We have been connecting XLR outputs from our mixer to XLR inputs on their mixers. By reading the manuals, I have become aware of something called "microphone level," and something else called "line level." Thus, if I understand what I am reading, I have discovered we are connecting a line level output to inputs intended to receive microphone levels. Mostly, I think we do this because it seems as though the "main" output jacks on our mixer are the XLRs ("main" because they're bigger than the quarter-inch TRSs, I guess), and it just seems natural to connect one XLR to another. But now I am wondering if we wouldn't be better off connecting the output of our mixer to the line level inputs on their mixers.
Specifically, here are my questions, and my own guesses at the answers:
1. Should we connect our line level output to the schools' line level input? (Guess: Yes, because line level is higher than mic level, so the input will have no pre-amp, which helps keep noise down.)
2. Is it harmful to connect line level outputs to mic level inputs? (Guess: No, so long as you don't overdrive the input, but there's no up-side to it, either, and gawdnose what would happen to our mixer if someone turned on the phantom power at the schools' mixers.)
3. Is there any reason not to connect an XLR line level output to a TRS quarter-inch line level input (as opposed to using TRSs at each end)? (Guess: No, but it's easier to find TRS-to-TRS cable than it is to find XLR-to-TRS cable.)
As ever, thanks to an CB'ers who can help sort me out.