Mix for Monitors not muting.

[rs6484Participant]

We use mix 1 and mix 4 for our two floor monitors. These are connected to a two channel amplifier and then independently wired to the two non-powered speakers.

I thought these were working well for the last three years but recently I noticed that if I mute the Mix 1 speaker (our lecturn monitor) I still get the sound routed through Mix 2 (our keyboard) also coming out of the muted Mix 1 speaker. If I mute Mix 2 it however behaves itself and stays silent when Mix 1 is unmuted.

All our mixes are set to pre-fade (I think), I read and watched information about that. I am still learning having only taken over in the last couple of years and with no previous audio mixing experience. I suppose it could be our amps but they look simple enough, two inputs and two outputs. Our main speakers are routed through a digi-mixer (which I do not understand at all) but the monitors do not touch this at all – I’ve traced all the cables and even colour coded them.

Any thoughts would be very much appreciated. Thank you. Roy.

[Mike CParticipant]

You can not “mute” individual mix sends using the mute button, you can turn down the channels mix send or un-assign the mix at the channel send.

Where are you muting at, the channel or the mix master?

What outputs on the mixer are you connecting to the monitor amp inputs?

The amp itself would not cause the issue.

“Our main speakers are routed through a digi-mixer (which I do not understand at all) but the monitors do not touch this at all – I’ve traced all the cables and even colour coded them”

Your above statement makes me think you are using two mixers, one for the mains and one for the monitors, is that the case?

What mixer or mixers do you have?

[rs6484Participant]

Thanks, we have a QU16 (should have said that, sorry).

I’m attempting to mute by selecting the blue mix button on the right and mute on the master strip.

The outputs go from the mix out xlr connectors to the amp input, then from the output to the speaker.

I never thought we had 2 mixers, but it does seem so. The QU16 which feeds the LR mains into a ‘digi mixer’ and from there to three more amps (I don’t know why) one to the main house speakers, one to the bass speaker and the third to presently non-existent secondary house speakers – again no idea why, it’s what I inherited.

The monitors are definitely direct to their own amp.

Not sure if that helps.

Thx

[Mike CParticipant]

The “digi mixer” is most likely a system processor crossover unit and that is needed for the main speakers.

The QU16 will do a total of seven mixes. With everything connected properly you should be able to select a mix and then on the master fader, right hand most fader hit the mute button and mute that entire mix.

Maybe double check the speaker cabling form the amp to the monitors to check that something is not mixed up in that wiring.

I do many sound system service calls and have had to fix many times some very strange
ideas on how a system should be wired and configured.

[rs6484Participant]

Thank you, I’m grateful for your help. I’ll start tracing wires and connections.

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