I would like some advice on connecting my CQ20 with 2 passive FOH and 2 passive monitor speakers. I have a Yorkville Audiopro 1200 2 channel amplifier to power the speakers. Is this possible? Thank you
I’m not entirely sure what you mean by “FOH speaker” - perhaps something like a small PA system …
In that case, you could wire each two identical speakers (I must assume they are matched to the amplifier!) in phase parallel and connect these pairs to the amplifier’s two channels.
On the CQ, you could then use, for example, Out 1 (Post Comp, Pre Fader) as Main output for your “PA,” and Out 2 (Pre Comp, Pre Fader) as your Monitor output.
In your simple setup, you can forgo using the actual MainLR mix and outputs.
Alternatively, you would still have that available to connect a larger PA system.
Thanks for your reply.. FOH means Front of House PA speakers. The PA consists of 2 passive Mains and 3 passive floor monitors . Using powered monitors I can send individual mixes from CQ to the auxes and the main outs. Is this possible with a passive setup? I should have been more specific in original my original post. Thanks Jon
There’s no practical difference between an amp feeding a passive PA and a powered monitor. It’s using a single 2-channel amp to feed four speakers that isn’t something I’d recommend, and that has nothing to do with the CQ series. You can wire two speakers in parallel to a single amplifier channel, but you would have to know the impedance of both speakers and how that impacts the amount of power fed to the two. Chances are slim that you want to drive your monitors at anything like the same power levels as the PA, which is what you’d get if they have equal impedance. It’s also unlikely that you’d want to have the same audio mix in monitors and mains.
If you really can’t arrange another two channels of amplification you might be squeak by having two mono mixes with the PA pair fed in parallel by one amp channel and the monitors fed in parallel by the other, and the amp does have independent volume control for the two channels, but it’s not a particularly beefy amp. With both channels running it claims 250W at 8Ω and two 8Ω speakers in parallel would drop the load to 4Ω. In a very small venue this might be plausible.
I’ve come to the conclusion that I should invest in a powered speaker system. Thanks for the clarification.
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The only real functional difference is the amp is inside active speakers, and outside passives.
Yes, but you will have mono FOH and a single monitor mix.
- Connect one of the CQ Main outputs to one input of the amp. Connect that channel’s output to both FOH speakers. Keep all the mixer pan controls centered.
- Connect one of the CQ aux outputs to the other amp channel input. Connect that amp channel to both monitor speakers.
Would this Work?
Use a Powered Mixer rather than the 2 channel power amp
• CQ L Main out to Mixer line in 1 balanced centre and sent to FOH
• CQ Aux 1,2,3 to Mixer lines in 2,3 and 4
Provided the mixer has enough monitor sends, separate mixes could be sent to the 3 monitors
Your thoughts?
Most likely the powered mixer will power just the mains(L & R). If your current power amp works with one set of your four speakers, use that with those. That way you can get left and right for your FoH and two monitor mixes.
So if the Yorkville can power your FoH speakers, wire the L & R mains outs of the CQ to channel 1 and 2 of the Yorkville. Then its channel 1 out to your left FoH and channel 2 out to the right FoH.
You can then use the powered mixer for the monitors. Go out of the CQ aux 1 and 2 into the powered mixers input 1 and 2 channels. Pan channel 1 full to the left and channel 2 full to the right. That will get you two separate monitor mixes.
If you need that third monitor, it will have to be wired from the out of one of the other monitors. That is of course, if the powered mixer can handle the load and wattage of a second monitor on that output.
Thanks very much, I will give this a go
Jon
What is the brand and model of the powered mixer? Sometimes they provide dedicated power amp inputs.