skier4467 Posted July 25, 2002 Share Posted July 25, 2002 I'm new to the idea of power amps. Will I need 2 for a PA system? One to power the speakers and one to power the monitors?? Is there a way to just have one power amp that powers both speakers and monitors?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dwarf Posted July 25, 2002 Share Posted July 25, 2002 If you run the system in mono you can get by with only one power amp. However, be careful not to overload the amp. You have to add up the impedances of the speakers to make sure that you're not asking the amp to do too much. In case you don't know, adding impedance is counterintuitive: 16+16=8, 8+8=4, 4+4=2. So thos two 8 ohm monitors are a 4 ohm load on the amp. Got four 8 ohm monitors? That's a 2 ohm load - many amps will balk at a 2 ohm load. Oh yeah, don't buy an underpowered amp and try to push it hard to get the sound you want - you'll blow your speakers that way. -- Rob I have the mind of a criminal genius.....I keep it in the freezer next to mother. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Franknputer Posted July 25, 2002 Share Posted July 25, 2002 Rob's right on - and let me add this: if you try to run your whole rig off of 1 amp and it goes down (and it will, eventually) - sounds of silence! :eek: At least, if you have 2 amps you can go mono & finish the gig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
velvetoceansound Posted July 25, 2002 Share Posted July 25, 2002 Yes, Rob and 'puter are right, but to clear the air a little, let me explain a little. When Rob mentioned running in mono so you only need one amp he is refering to using a STEREO amp with one side used for mains (which will make your main mix mono) and one side for monitors. You really need to find out how many channels of amplification you need. For example: Stereo main mix --- 2 channels main sub woofer --- 1 channel 4 monitor mixs --- 3 cahnnels This setup would require 6 channels of amplification. Describe your desired setup and coverage, and someone here will be able to point you in the right direction. James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisaiken Posted July 25, 2002 Share Posted July 25, 2002 Doesn't 4 monitor mixes equal 4 channels of amps? Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
velvetoceansound Posted July 25, 2002 Share Posted July 25, 2002 correct, I guess my finger slipped a little to far to the right. Can you forgive me? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Franknputer Posted July 25, 2002 Share Posted July 25, 2002 Bad Boy! Turn in your Sharpie at the door on your way out!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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