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I have a Behringer PMP2000 powered mixer with 12" speakers (B212XL) and a Behringer EP 4000 Europower power amp with 15" speakers (B215XL). I want to use the powered mixer/12s for monitors and the power amp/15s for mains. I think this is possible but I'm not sure what cables I'll need and how exactly to hook it up. Can the powered mixer be used to EQ the sound going out through the mains if I'm using the power amp to push them? Can anyone give me a little advice? I'm fairly inexperienced with live sound reinforcement.

Thanks!

Justin

Comments

boxcar Sat, 08/20/2011 - 16:12

I looked up your mixer amd power amp and there is a main out and a monitor out section on the mixer with seperate eq for each.
So hook up your 15's or 12's to main out.

Then use 2 trs or ts cables as your monitor out jacks are unbalanced anyway.Keep em short if you can. 3 feet.
Hook those from monitor out L/R on your mixer to L/R in on the power amp.

TURN THE MONITOR OUT VOLUME ON THE MIXER TO "0"
Start with the power amp volume at 1/2 and then bring the monitor out volume on the board up slowly till you see where your at.

chihuly5 Sat, 09/10/2011 - 03:29

Thanks boxcar!

I have another question. I actually bought two 15" powered monitors (Behringer 215D) that I would like to use with my PMP2000 powered mixer. I was planning on hooking the 12" passive speakers to the powered outs on the back of the mixer and use those as monitors. My question is how do I connect the powered speakers? Can I XLR (line output) to XLR from the speakers to open inputs on the mixer (this is what the guy in guitar center told me) or do I need to XLR to 1/4" to the main or monitor pre-amp outputs?

dvdhawk Sat, 09/10/2011 - 08:50

No, no, no, no, no!

NEVER - under ANY circumstances - connect your powered speakers to any inputs on your mixer.

If in fact a GC employee told you that was the way to do it, either they are clueless - or misunderstood the question.

Typically powered mixers have 1/4" TRS outputs, as you describe, that are after the pre-amp and before the amplifier sections (Main & Mon).

If nobody else comes along with specifics, I'll look up the model and exact labels.

boxcar Sat, 09/10/2011 - 09:13

chihuly5, post: 376105 wrote: I thought that sounded like an extremely bad idea. The mixer has both a 1/4" main left/right out and a monitor out in the pre-amp section. Can I hook the 12" passive speakers up to the monitor out and XLR them together for monitors and then hook the 15" powered speakers up to main right/left out?

The monitor out is pre amplification so the passive speakers will not work there.You could daisy chain the powered monitors to that output but it will be mono.
Use the pre-amp out L/R to hook up the powered speakers.Those outputs are there to send a signal to a power amp or powered speakers.

"DO NOT" hook up powered speakers to the main powered outs, they will blow.

Katalyst_Studios Thu, 11/03/2011 - 01:29

On the pmp200 you have only 1 mon send , that is going to be the pre amp Monitor out located on the the front of your mixer, Your 212's are rated at 800 watts peak , hooking them into an EP4000 WILL requier you to buy new speakers sooner rather than latter , so with what you have right now your only option is to use your powered 15s from your PRE AMP monitor out located on the front side of your mixer and use the passive 12's with the POST AMP main outs located on the rear of your mixer. This is the only way you are going to get stero mains with your current setup and have monitors.

If you are willing to play with MONO out to your mains you can flip the mode switch on the front of your mixer to mono and connect your powered 15s to the LEFT/MONO PREAMP out located on the front of your mixer and dasy chain them, connect your passive 12's to the RIGHT/MONO main out located on the back of your mixer.

As of right now your EP 4000 amp is less than useless to you , if you use it right now it will cost you money by blowing your 12's

Boswell Wed, 06/02/2021 - 03:57
This is straightforward to do as long as you DO NOT run the external amplifier from the loudspeaker outputs of the powered mixer. Connect up the powered mixer as usual to its matching loudspeakers. This gives you a 500W system. Connect the other set of speakers to the outputs of the 300W external amplifier. Finally, connect the stereo monitor outputs of the powered mixer to a stereo input of your external 300W amplifier. This combination gives you a combined power level of 800W, at least on paper. You will probably find that the monitor output of the powered mixer has its own level control and is not affected by the level control of the main output. That would mean you would have to operate two faders to control the overall sound level. I've used a Yamaha Stagepas 500 and a Stagepas 300 in this way, and they run with no problem once you have the overall balance set correctly.