P.A. users, question about passive monitor use

[romanianreaper]

I have a Samson XP800 portable P.A for my band practices. Today I went into a guitar store and got two Yamaha SM-15V monitors for the price of one, never been used.

When I got home, I read up on the Samson mixer and there are two monitor outs, but apparently can't power my passive monitors. I've never owned monitors so don't have a full understanding. Do I just need a mixer with power out to the P.A. speakers AND the monitors? Is there an easy way to know what mixers have this capability?

 

[eecamichael]

I have a Samson XP800 portable P.A for my band practices. Today I went into a guitar store and got two Yamaha SM-15V monitors for the price of one, never been used.

When I got home, I read up on the Samson mixer and there are two monitor outs, but apparently can't power my passive monitors. I've never owned monitors so don't have a full understanding. Do I just need a mixer with power out to the P.A. speakers AND the monitors? Is there an easy way to know what mixers have this capability?

The Samson you have needs either an external amplifier or powered speakers (monitors) to get sound from them. I used something like the one below before, and if you look at the description, it has dual amplifiers - one for mains, one for monitors.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/EMX7--yamaha-emx7-12-channel-1420w-powered-mixer

 

[romanianreaper]

The Samson you have needs either an external amplifier or powered speakers (monitors) to get sound from them. I used something like the one below before, and if you look at the description, it has dual amplifiers - one for mains, one for monitors.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/EMX7--yamaha-emx7-12-channel-1420w-powered-mixer

I didn't see the part about dual amplifiers. I saw 2x500, etc but I thought that was just to the two speakers. I wonder if the one a bit cheaper than this has the same?

 

[eecamichael]

Yes - the EMX5 will do the same thing - In the description, it says

The Yamaha EMX5 is packed with a high-efficiency, dual 630-watt, Class D amplifier

You would take the A channel out from the amp/mixer to the Left main speaker, then chain a cable from that speaker to the Right main. Channel B out would go to one monitor and then chain that to the other monitor.

Depending on if you can get by with the amount of power, this one will do the same thing you are looking for and at a great price. If you are potentially gigging with it, I would get the bigger one.

https://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/Yamaha/EMX640-Powered-Mixer.gc

 

[eecamichael]