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Thread: PLEASE HELP - Sound not working properly and I am STRESSED out.

  1. #1
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    PLEASE HELP - Sound not working properly and I am STRESSED out.

    Hello everyone,

    This isn't reeeeally a DJ question but I'm at the end of my tether and I don't know where else to turn, I'm hoping that somebody on this forum can please help.

    In a nutshell, my active speakers are not playing music correctly and I can't figure out why.

    My wife and I are opening a Dance School and we simply need to be able to play music from her laptop and use a microphone to talk over the music from time to time.

    This is the setup we have:

    Macbook Pro --- Aux to phono cable --> Alto ZMX52 Mixer.

    THEN

    Mixer --- 1/4" Jack to XLR --> Alto TX210 Powered Loudspeaker

    ALSO

    Mixer --- 1/4" Jack to XLR --> Microphone


    When the Mixer is switched OFF, the music plays through the speakers perfectly and sounds great.

    As soon as the Mixer is turned ON, the music drops to about 10% volume and sounds incredibly muffled, but the microphone works perfectly.


    I'm a total noob and I have no idea what's going on. I hope this is enough information for somebody to spot the problem, but I can give you some more info or share pictures of the set up if that helps.

    I really really appreciate any help that anyone can give me.

    Thanks in advance!!

    Sam

  2. #2
    BanHammer™⚒️ Manu's Avatar
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    Hi. Here's the procedure:


    Plug the mic XLR to XLR on channel one, NOT Jack line in, or it will not work

    Plug the laptop to 1 x stereo 3.5 JACK to 2 x mono 6.35 JACK into line 2 L and R, INSTEAD of phono aux in

    Set laptop volume output to MAX



    Set mixer main level and channel levels to low enough to prevent loud surprises

    Power on the mixer and check it's actually powered ON

    Power the speaker on

    Set channel volumes accordingly to the desired mixed volume output. Then set the master for the final volume control to how loud you need.


    IMPORTANT safety procedure, please apply every single time:

    When powering all on, speakers should be powered on last.

    When powering all off, speakers should be turned off first.

    This prevents any "popping", and is to avoid any speaker damage.
    Last edited by Manu; 07-10-2019 at 02:30 PM.

  3. #3
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    Okay, I have ordered the cables you've mentioned and will test that as soon as they arrive, I'll let you know if it fixes the problem!

    Thanks for your help!

  4. #4
    BanHammer™⚒️ Manu's Avatar
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    No worries, trying to rule out a mixer fault at this point, since you mentioned a sound level drop when powered on. I think this may be because you had the laptop going through the aux and routing full signal towards the speaker, and then the main mix will trim it way down when the mixer is powered up.

    Proper procedure and double checks should get you up and running hopefully, good luck.

    Meanwhile please feel free to post pictures of your equipment and how it is currently set, this may help to pinpoint what is going wrong.
    Last edited by Manu; 07-08-2019 at 07:21 AM.

  5. #5
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    I'm not at the dance studio right now but I'll grab some pics of the setup as soon as I can.

    I just find it really odd that the speakers play perfectly when the mixer isn't switched on... I can literally unplug the mixer from the wall, connect the laptop to the mixer via phono, and connect the mixer to the speakers via 1/4" to XLR, so the only link between the laptop and the speakers is a mixer with no power, but the speakers play perfectly. Does a mixer with no power source still work like a big adapter in this scenario??

    Thanks again for helping me with this, can't tell you how grateful I am!

  6. #6
    BanHammer™⚒️ Manu's Avatar
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    I may be wrong, but I am fairly sure that's because you plugged in through a direct aux line via the RCA. That's nothing different from any other device that allows sound through an auxiliary input, it's basically wired in at all times, so the signal will get through every time, no matter if the device in between is powered on or not.

    Does a mixer with no power source still work like a big adapter in this scenario??
    Some smaller passive mixers can do that. But keep in mind that it won't work in every case, because some microphones will require phantom power, others will need signal amplification. Turntables will also require pre-amplification. You will not be able to mix regular line out sources with a microphone that does not actively supply it's own power.
    Last edited by Manu; 07-08-2019 at 07:53 AM.

  7. #7
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    It worked!! Thank you so much Manu. You've really saved the day!

  8. #8
    BanHammer™⚒️ Manu's Avatar
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    You're welcome, don't hesitate if you have any more questions or problems in the future.

    Have fun you guys

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