How to connect 2 mics to amp??

["TJ"]

#1- I recently purchased a Behringer ACX450 amp and soon found that if I connected a second 1/4" mic to the channel 2 line port I could have 2 vocalists. However the volume from channel 2 is way lower than the channel 1 xlr mic. Since I am using 2 different type and quality of dynamic mics I can't tell if the problem is the different mics or is that line port not usable as a second mic port.
#2- In order to get past the problem outlined above I purchased a xlr cable splitter and connected my xlr mike to one side and with the use of a 1/4" to xlr adapter I connected the other mic to the splitter. Now what I have is equal volume from both mics, however the volume is so low that it is hardly auditable even with the gain turned all the way up to 10. As you can see is all I want is to be able to do duets. Any help and/or advice would be greatly appreciated. I have owned acustic guitars for 40 years but this is my first venture into the electronics world and OMG!!! I am so confused !

[Bob-I]

You need a small mixer

[lschwart]

Originally Posted by "TJ"

#1- I recently purchased a Behringer ACX450 amp and soon found that if I connected a second 1/4" mic to the channel 2 line port I could have 2 vocalists. However the volume from channel 2 is way lower than the channel 1 xlr mic. Since I am using 2 different type and quality of dynamic mics I can't tell if the problem is the different mics or is that line port not usable as a second mic port.
#2- In order to get past the problem outlined above I purchased a xlr cable splitter and connected my xlr mike to one side and with the use of a 1/4" to xlr adapter I connected the other mic to the splitter. Now what I have is equal volume from both mics, however the volume is so low that it is hardly auditable even with the gain turned all the way up to 10. As you can see is all I want is to be able to do duets. Any help and/or advice would be greatly appreciated. I have owned acustic guitars for 40 years but this is my first venture into the electronics world and OMG!!! I am so confused !

What kind of mics are these?

And, yes, you should probably get a small mixer.

Louis

[Irish Pennant]

Originally Posted by Bob-I

You need a small mixer

What he said.

[fitness1]

check GC's used site for a Behringer 1202FX - cheap, effects and decent mic preamps.

["TJ"]

Thanks for the replys. the xlr mike is a Shure PG58. The other is a cheep "who knows" (I think it came with an old caset recorder). I will be getting another matching PG58 soon. I was also planning to get a mixer to do some home recording. It is good to here that will cure my problem. An e-mail from Behringer, Inc also suggested a in line preamp for the cheep line 2 mic . Unfortunatly I am still wondering why the xlr splitter did not work. It isn't a mic problem as each mic worked fine when connected alone to the splitter. CONFUSING!!! I would prefer not to have to drag more equipment along to gigs if I can avoid it.

[lschwart]

Originally Posted by "TJ"

Thanks for the replys. the xlr mike is a Shure PG58. The other is a cheep "who knows" (I think it came with an old caset recorder). I will be getting another matching PG58 soon. I was also planning to get a mixer to do some home recording. It is good to here that will cure my problem. An e-mail from Behringer, Inc also suggested a in line preamp for the cheep line 2 mic . Unfortunatly I am still wondering why the xlr splitter did not work. It isn't a mic problem as each mic worked fine when connected alone to the splitter. CONFUSING!!! I would prefer not to have to drag more equipment along to gigs if I can avoid it.

Mics have to go into inputs designed for mic-level signals with preamps that can bring them up to a level appropriate for the next stage in your signal chain. The 1/4" input of channel 2 on your amp is designed to take a line-level, not a mic-level signal, so it's not appropriate for a mic (it doesn't have enough gain). To mix different signals properly into the amp, you need a mixer (that's what they're for). A splitter is not a mixer, and clearly it can't combine the two different signals into the mic input (I'm sure someone here can explain why, but the result speaks for itself). When you have a mixer, you will be able to send a balanced mix of your two mic signals into the 1/4" line input of channel two. Make sure you learn how to set the gain structure on the mixer properly when you do this. You will be able to use the channel volume controls on the mixer to get the balance between the two vocals right and the channel 1 and 2 gain controls on the amp to get the balance between guitar and the vocals and the over all volume right.

I think that your "cheap cassette player mic" is probably not at all appropriate for live use, even if you got yourself a mixer. I'm not even sure what kind of signal it's sending. Scrap it and get a second PG58 and a small mixer with two XLR inputs. Even better, get the mixer and a pair of SM58s instead of the PGs. If you really want to amplify an acoustic duo for gigs, I'd consider upgrading the amp at some point as well (either to one that will give you more of what you need or to a small PA set-up), but of course this depends on what kind of gigs we're talking about and how much money you have to spend.

Louis

["TJ"]

Louis, Thanks so much for all your insight With all the help I have received, I am actually starting to understand SOME of the technobabbel. Clearly I still have a long way to go. Thanks again for helping me along on my quest.

[lschwart]

Originally Posted by "TJ"

Louis, Thanks so much for all your insight With all the help I have received, I am actually starting to understand SOME of the technobabbel. Clearly I still have a long way to go. Thanks again for helping me along on my quest.

You're welcome! Unfortunately it does take some time to wrap your head around the technical aspects of this stuff, but it's well worth understanding. At least up to a point--I don't think it's always necessary to understand things down to the level of the physics and electronics (I have a pretty weak grasp on that level of things), but it is important to know basical how and why certain kinds of connections are designed to work in certain ways (what they're for and not for what the do and can't do, etc.). It keeps you from making mistakes and wasting money, allows you to make quicker more efficient decisions about what you need to buy and use--and as a result you can make yourself sound better!

Louis