Karaoke Forums

hi
i have started a new bar lately and decided to use their own p.a system.
i plug in my behringer pmp3000 in to their system so in theory i am just using their amp and speakers.
what i found last week was that when the singers are singing the music drops a couple of levels
any one have any ideas.
sorry i do not have the spec of the clubs set up yet.

The general rule is not hooking into a clubs sound system unless their soundman is there. They have a general level setting for different applications. You are using line out? Not quite understanding what you mean about music dropping It is mixed before hitting the PA system..

_________________
Join The Karaokle Singers Social Network. Upload Your Music!!

there are 2 xlr inputs by the stage which i use xlr to jack into my main 1 out inputs on my mixer then run laptop etc through the mixer.
when the singer sings into the mic the music lowers by a couple of levels as if i am turning the music down which i am not

You did try a different channel for the mic? And are you making sure you are not sending the music through the FX processor?

yes i did try other channels for the mics but they were all the same
sorry to sound stupid but i don't know what you mean by running the music through the fx processor.
if i am would that make a dfference

You have a little knob marked "FX" on every channel. In order to have effects for the singer there are three controls -- that FX send, the main FX level, and the FX return to main,mon1, and mon2.

On the FX knob on every channel, you want the ones for the mics to be at about 1 oclock. You want the one for the music to be all the way counter-clockwise, i.e. off.

(You probably want the FX send slider at about 0 or unity, and the FX return to main and mon1 at about 1 oclock. These are starting points -- listen to tune.)

Then set your trim on each channel so that it is lightly flashing the Peak LED when a normal signal is present.

Correct me if I am wrong: you sent the powermixer main out put to the house amp? Does not seem right; I hope I am reading you wrong.

_________________
I can neither confirm nor deny ever having or knowing anything about nothing.... mrscott

Get the bars sound man there or the one who maintains it before you do anything!!!!!

_________________
Join The Karaokle Singers Social Network. Upload Your Music!!

main 1 out L&R into 2 XLR sockets that are on the stage.
is this wrong what do others suggest.
mckyj... no i do not have the music going through the fx just the mics.

PLEASE!!!

_________________
Join The Karaokle Singers Social Network. Upload Your Music!!

i don't know what the US is like but here in the UK not every bar has a sound man and when they do they don't tend to spend every minute in the bar waiting for a KJ to come to them with a problem.
i will take my own PA next time.
thanks for all your help

The outputs of the Behringer are hot, they aren't just a signal. They are intended to go directly to passive speakers and they carry power not just a signal frequencies. they arent designed to plug into another amp, you're lucky you haven't blown something yet.

A signal only output is a very low voltage siganl designed to go to something that will amplify it. If you go from a signal only, non powered output on the Behringer into the sound system you should be OK.

If the place has a house system then they already have a mixer and you don't need to use yours. Just plug your laptop into their mixer either into a regular channel or into CD/Tape input. You may need adapeters for your cables to do this.

CD/Tape IN is RCA L and R, it may also simply be labeled Line IN. Channel inputs are 1/4" or XLR. The cable from your laptop is probably 1/8" on the laptop side to (2) RCA male on the other end. If this is the case then CD/Tape IN or LiINE IN is the easiest way to go to plug into any mixer, you won't need any cable end adapters. If you want to go from RCA to 1/4" then you will need (2) female RCA to male 1/4" mono adapters.

The powered outputs on the PMP3000 are Speakon connectors. There is no Speakon-->XLR cable I am aware of, so I am pretty sure smiler01 has the proper Main 1 --> amp connection.

But I agree with the others -- talk to the bar sound man. It sounds like an impedance mismatch to me. Without being there I can't tell, but it sounds like 1) the wrong cable or 2) the input is going to a mic connection or some other non-line-level input.

It's always a new experience when using unfamiliar equipment. Of course you need to talk to the person that set up the system to know exactly how it's configured. As far as the mysterious decline of the audio level of your mic whenever there is music present. I suspect that there is a compressor set up in a side chain fashion somewhere in the signal path. It's a fairly common practice in live sound. It sounds like it's working exactly how it is designed to work. If you don't know what side chaining is a little net search will help fill you in on the practice and operation. I could be wrong, but it is the first thing that came to mind. That's my long distance guess of the day.

_________________
Quickness of mind will deceive the eye

is there a "Mic Talkover" switch, or something similiar on the board or Mic Channels? Alot of DJ boards I have used have this- my current board has one where I can set the sensitivity of the mic channel so I can do a talkover anytime and the music cuts down a number of decibals so people can hear your announcement without cutting the music totally... have no idea if your board has something similiar to this so thought I would throw it out there...- tig