Help needed with A & H ZED

[damasp]

I'm liking my new A & H ZED10FX mixer a lot. I've got a couple of questions that I couldn't find answers with. I'd like to run two lines (R & L) out to to the FOH and two lines (R & L) to my stage monitors. What's the best way to do this with the output of the ZED?

I don't have all that much experience with mixers. I see the 2 XLR outs and just one aux out. I'm probably not seeing the simple answer here. With my other mixer, I'd run two lines out from Control Room to a di box for FOH and two lines out of Mains to my monitors.

I appreciate your help.

[cphollis]

There are a couple of ways to do it, but all will require some sort of special cable. Radio Shack usually has what you need.

I'm assuming you'll be using the XLRs for FOH?

There are a pair of RCA-style (red and white) monitor outs. A simple cable will convert the connector to 1/4" that should have enough level for your monitors (assuming they take 1/4" plugs). Volume would be controlled by the "monitor level" knob, but you wouldn't be able to adjust multiple boards individually.

Also, you could take the Phones output and split it left-right to a pair of 1/4" plugs for your monitors. Again, a simple cable. Monitor volume would be controlled by the "phones level" knob.

As a final option, the "AUX out", while mono, should sound acceptable, and gives you the ability to adjust each channel level individually using the "AUX" knobs on each channel.

You didn't mention what kind of stage monitors you have. If they have a XLR pass-through, that's an option -- but you'll have to adjust stage volume using their controls vs. trying to do it from the mixer as that will affect house sound. I just saw from your sig that you are using 2 ELX112P speakers, so -- yes -- that's an option.

Hope this helps?

[damasp]

Yes that is very helpful. I'd like to use the XLRs out for FOH. My stage monitors or a pair of EV ELX12ps. They do have a XLR pass-through. They also accept 1/4 inputs.

The way I'm understanding it, is by getting converting cables:

Either using the RCA record out or the headphone jack is a good way using adapter cables for stereo monitoring. Then the RCA out put cable would convert into 1/4 plugs, one for the right and one for the left speaker cabinet.

The headphone jack plug cable can also be converted into 2 1/4" cables for the two cabinets.
If the cabinets were to be linked, is there still a stereo signal being produced?
I assume that a from the headphone jack would plug directly into the first cabinet.

Do the cables that are converted to 1/4" cables need to be TRS?

Thank you.

[cphollis]

Not clear on your speakers. There are ZLX12Ps, and there are ELX112Ps, but no such thing as a ELX12P. I'll assume your sig is correct.

The headphone jack (as it is stereo) would be a single 1/4" TRS male plug on one end, and a pair of 1/4" TS (mono) connectors at the other end. The cable will likely be short, so you'll need additional male/male 1/4" TR to reach (an ordinary instrument patch cable).

Here is one: http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/YPP117/

Don't know how the "link" function works on the EVs. On other vendor models, you plug L in channel 1, R in channel 2 and it figures things out. Check your documentation. Regardless, you could just run separate cables to each.

[damasp]

Sorry the speakers are ELX112P. Thanks again.

[damasp]

It also depends on what inputs the FOH desk has. More professional desks tend to have only mic level XLR inputs. If this is the case, then the main XLR outputs from your ZED might be too hot for this and may overload the FOH inputs, resulting in distortion. Luckily, the ZED has a DI level switch to deal with this. Set it to the -30dB position in this situation. If you feed the FOH desk from the Link output of your EVs, then you won't be able to reduce the output level to the FOH desk this way.

If on the other hand the FOH has line level inputs, then they would be the correct level to take the signal from either your ZED's main outputs or the Link output from your EVs. Unfortunately, these Line level inputs are usually on jack sockets, so a pair of suitable XLR-to-jack cables or adaptors would be neccessary. Exactly what you would need would depend on whether the FOH desk's line inputs are balanced or unbalanced.

[damasp]

As RedLeo said, it depends what you will find on the stage to plug in your rig.
Mid to big venues you will have di-box on stage to plug your cable, with 1/4 plugs.
In your case, the ZED has XLR outs and can skip the di-box step, but,
I think the best is send XLR to FOH mixer, through a di-box with parallel ins, and duplicate the signal to your L-R speakers.
Try to keep balanced signals as far as you can. It will keep a clean sound.

[RedLeo]

I think the best is send XLR to FOH mixer, through a di-box with parallel ins, and duplicate the signal to your L-R speakers.
Try to keep balanced signals as far as you can. It will keep a clean sound.

This is the best solution by far. It's tidy, professional, flexible and eliminates the potential problem of ground loops when connecting two mixers directly together, which is something I failed to go into in my previous post.

You can frequently - in the UK at least - get away with connecting two desks together and avoiding ground loops, but in the USA I understand that things area lot more variable as regards electricity supplies at venues, and if you do get a ground loop on any particular night, you may well not have the means to do much about it.

[mtier0067]

I agree. I use my A&H zed10 for a bunch of things. Its a really great mixer for its size and price. I usually run a stereo monitor mix (l/r) from the FOH mixer to get the other band members, a stereo mix from stage 2 through a stereo DI, and my vocal mic in some cases...all through the A&H. The stage l/r goes parallel out of the DI to the A&H and to FOH via the xlr outputs.The FOH stereo monitor mix with a bit of the direct stereo l/r from the stage go to my in ear monitor transmitter via the mains out 1/4" ts l/r. Then the aux mix gives my mono stage wedge (EV zlx12p) all of the stage volume i need for most gigs. Great to have the choice between in ear stereo or mono through the wedge. Still depends on the song for me. Sometimes I want to hear the stage, sometimes I want to hear the mix... this gives me the best of both worlds.