OT- power amp to passive monitor to powered monitor

[Canoehead]

Hello all:

 

I often find myself at clubs with too few monitors. Is there a safe way to tap into an existing monitor system where a power amp drives passive monitors and get a signal to my (powered) QSC 10?

 

I see that Radial has a device http://radialeng.com/r2011/hamp.php ,a headphone tap. Could I take the headphone out of the H Amp and input that to my K 10? Oris there a similar, but more appropriate device for this application?

 

Thanks in advance and apologies if my questions have been unclear.

 

Gord

[ITGITC]

 

I don't see why this wouldn't work.

 

OTOH, is there no other line output that you can use from your monitor send on the mixer to drive the QSC?

 

In an ideal situation, each musician will have their own monitor mix, personalized to what they want to hear. Taking the signal from that passive monitor simply mirrors the mix into the QSC (as you know). If you are OK with this, then go for it.

 

However, if you could check to see if there is a line-level signal you can tap or if there is (perhaps) an available monitor output channel on the mixer, this would be a better solution, I think.

 

Tom

 

 

 

[Canoehead]

Thanks Tom,

 

I'm always hopeful that there is an available aux on the mixer to get my monitor mix from. I'm thinkng of this as the option of last resort. In such a case I'd be OK with a mirror of say, our drummers mix. Just want to be prepared for the next time I hear, "why would you guys need more than 3 monitors" or "what's an ox?". I have very limited knowledge of operating a PA system, but I've encountered many "soundmen" with less!

 

Thanks again,

Gord

[Michael Wright]

Hey Gord!

That device seems to be the answer. I don't know if you put the keys through the monitors for the other guys, but if you do, you will get your own mix right back at you. I may be wrong on this. Better to get a get a second monitor send straight from the board, a luxury sometimes I know. Mike

[Canoehead]

Hey Mike,

 

Yessir, we put the keys through the monitors. I just like to add a bt more for my monitor, if possible. I see now that ART makes a headphone tap as well, and as it's only $50, I'll order one and try it out.

 

Thanks.

Gord

[Michael Wright]

Hey Mike,

 

Yessir, we put the keys through the monitors. I just like to add a bt more for my monitor, if possible. I see now that ART makes a headphone tap as well, and as it's only $50, I'll order one and try it out.

 

Thanks.

Gord

The price is right!

 

[JeffLearman]

There's little difference these days, between line outputs and headphone outputs. If anything, the headphone outs are just beefed up line outs.

 

Line outs used to fail if you put a load of too few ohms on them, and were rated with "minimum input impedance" or "maximum input impedance" (meaning the same thing, oddly). A typical value was 5K Ohms, whereas typical line inputs were 10K Ohms, so you could drive two inputs with one output and a Y connector.

 

I suspect too many people didn't follow the rules and broke their line outputs. Either that, or the tech just improved to the point where the extra cost was negligible. For whatever reason, we never see a load impedance spec on today's line outputs, and can use them to drive any set of reasonably efficient headphones (which would have been a bad idea back in the day).

 

The only other difference is that headphone outputs probably exceed line outputs in max voltage, so you just need to take care that you're not overdriving the input stage, which is easy enough to do. In the case of a powered speaker, you'd just be running the speaker too loud, causing distortion. If it sounds bad, turn it down. If it's not loud enough and sounds bad, get a better speaker!

[JeffLearman]

I'd hate to hear my keys only through the same monitor mix as for the vocalists. I need to hear my instrument clearly, and the vocalists need to hear their vocals. IMHO, there's no mix that serves both purposes. In general, the vox are more crucial, so at best, the keys would be too quiet compared to the vox.

 

A far better option is to run your own keyboard monitor. That's what most of us do. Those who don't are the bigger dogs, who get a separate keyboard monitor mix from FOH. I say bigger dogs, because in many small venues they don't have multiple monitor mixes, and often, even when they do, they use it for other purposes. We keyboard players are way down on the list of importance, to most small-venue sound guys. We're lucky if they put us in the mains at all!

[Canoehead]

Thanks Jeff!