AVS › AVS Forum › Audio › Audio theory, Setup and Chat › using p.a gear for Large Outdoor 7.1 setup??
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

using p.a gear for Large Outdoor 7.1 setup??

post #1 of 10
2/27/12 at 1:59am
Thread Starter 
Hi, i was looking at helping a mate out for a party where they are watching movies outdoors, we had a idea about using some gear we have to set up a 7.1 system using my larger p.a. gear. I have enough powered speakers and active sub for each channel and my friends denon 7.1 channel home theatre amp has rca pre outs.

Now here is where i came across my dilemma. i am aware of unbalanced/balanced cables and was wondering if i can use a short rca-ts lead out of the 7.1 receiver into my di rack to convert it to balanced and then run the using mic leads to each of the powered speakers??

Any ideas would be appreciated !! would this work and sound ok ??
Reply
Reply

AVS Top Picks

post #2 of 10
2/27/12 at 4:48am
Quote:
Originally Posted by skermo83 View Post

Hi, i was looking at helping a mate out for a party where they are watching movies outdoors, we had a idea about using some gear we have to set up a 7.1 system using my larger p.a. gear. I have enough powered speakers and active sub for each channel and my friends denon 7.1 channel home theatre amp has rca pre outs.

Now here is where i came across my dilemma. i am aware of unbalanced/balanced cables and was wondering if i can use a short rca-ts lead out of the 7.1 receiver into my di rack to convert it to balanced and then run the using mic leads to each of the powered speakers??

Any ideas would be appreciated !! would this work and sound ok ??

Yes you can do that-HOWEVER-you need to be careful of the levels coming out of the 7.1 processor. Depending on the DI you have-that level may be "hot" for the typical level they are looking for-and you could end up distorting or having transformer saturation (compression-limited low end response etc).

If the DI's have line level inputs-then you should be fine. It is the basic instrument level units you have to be wary of. And the quality vaires greatly.
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 10
2/28/12 at 1:18am
Thread Starter 
I have a behringer di-800, I know it's behringer and it's cheap but it does the job on the stage. So I would assume it would just use instrument level inputs not the line level you are talking about ??

Are there any other options, buying 8 better di boxes or transformers would get expensive pretty quick I would think??

Thanks for your help !
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 10
2/28/12 at 5:29am
I think your best bet is to get or make a RCA > TS cable and give it a try with what you have before you go buying out the store.
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 10
2/28/12 at 5:35am
Quote:
Originally Posted by skermo83 View Post

I have a behringer di-800, I know it's behringer and it's cheap but it does the job on the stage. So I would assume it would just use instrument level inputs not the line level you are talking about ??

Are there any other options, buying 8 better di boxes or transformers would get expensive pretty quick I would think??

I have a DI-800 that I have used for the purpose of showing movies in a large auditorium via its sound system. No problem. You don't need DI's to feed line inputs, their purpose is to drive mic inputs.
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 10
3/2/12 at 3:49am
Thread Starter 
Thanks, I'll give it a try through the di800 and see how I go. Cheers
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 10
3/2/12 at 7:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by arnyk View Post

I have a DI-800 that I have used for the purpose of showing movies in a large auditorium via its sound system. No problem. You don't need DI's to feed line inputs, their purpose is to drive mic inputs.

The real purose of a DI is to convert a unbalanced signal into a balanced signal-so that it will "travel" down a twisted pair without signal loss and without picking up noise.

A unbalanced cable is much more suceptable to noise than a balanced cable.

The level of the signal does not matter. The noise picked up will be the same.

With a lower signal level-more gain will be required to get to a certain level-so the noise is amplified more than with a higher level signal-which will need less gain to get to a certain level.
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 10
3/4/12 at 12:59am
Thread Starter 
so there should be no issue going out of the di box into speakers that have only a line input ? i have some that are switchable and some that arent ??
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 10
3/4/12 at 7:01am
Quote:
Originally Posted by skermo83 View Post

so there should be no issue going out of the di box into speakers that have only a line input ? i have some that are switchable and some that arent ??

There are a lot of variables ar work here. What is the driving level into the DI? What is the voltage loss due to impedance conversion through the DI?
What is the actual level of "line input"?

The answer is-maybe. Or maybe not. It will "work". But how loud will it be? Will you be able to drive the speakers to full output?

THAT is the question that is not so easily answered-without specific details. Different models will give different results.
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 10
3/24/12 at 7:03am
Thread Starter 
Worked sweet through behringer di 800. Just had to boost a couple of the signals a bit on the di and fiddle with the individual volumes a bit
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Audio theory, Setup and Chat

AVS Top Picks

AVS › AVS Forum › Audio › Audio theory, Setup and Chat › using p.a gear for Large Outdoor 7.1 setup??