Can someone please help me? I have a new 5 piece band. I am pretty much the leader and owner of the pa equipment (1st time pa owner but have been playing for 20 years). There are 5 in the band: guitar, bass, keys, drums, sax. 3 mics for vocals. Board: Mackie 1604 vlx pro. QSC rmx 2450 power amp. Sm58 mics etc. We practice with it using 2 Yamaha BR12 speakers 300watt to 600watt max @ 8 ohms. I am going to purchase some 15's (probably jbl or yamaha) for the house speakers and use the existing 12's for the stage monitors.
How do I set up or plug-in the monitors with this system and control them? I feel really stupid asking this but I've never done it before and we have a gig coming up indoors and I want to be somewhat informed. Thank you.
As always: It depends...
Let's assume 2 monitor speakers, each with a different monitor mix, just for this example. *
I would connect AUX output 1 and 2 from the Mackie mixer to their own graphic equalizers, then to the stereo inputs of your monitor amplifier. (perhaps Aux out 1 to the "left" amp input, and 2 to the "right" amp input). The equalizers will be needed to minimize feedback between the mics and monitors, as well as make the monitors sound nice (just like the equalizer you use for the main speakers).
Then connect one monitor to each output of the monitor amp.
Now to send any input (mic, DI, whatever) to the monitors, use the AUX 1 and 2 knobs to create a mix of whatever you need to hear in each monitor. The monitor mixes can be as similar or different from each other (and the "main" mix) as your performers require.
This setup is quite similar to the drawing on page 7 of the manual for your mixer.
I didn't read the entire Mackie manual, but when deciding which AUX sends to use, you will want to chose ones that are "pre-fader" if possible. That prevents changes to the "main" mix from affecting the monitors. Your effects (when/if you use them) will be connected to the other AUX sends (the ones which are "post-fader").
* If you are playing relatively small rooms, and if you can get along with one monitor mix, you could put both main speakers on 1 channel of your amp, and both monitors on the other, then connect the mains to the mono main output of the Mackie, and the monitor channel of the amp to one of the AUX outputs.
As always, anyone else can feel free to jump in and clarify my stream of consciousness writing.
Edit: another thought..
Don't try to put everything-and-the-kitchen-sink thru the monitors.
You are going for just whatever is absolutely required for the singers to keep in time and on key with the rest of the band.
Typically that is limited to vocals and un-amplified acoustic instruments (the sounds which would otherwise be hard to hear on stage). The more stuff you put in the monitor mix, the more "cluttered" it gets, and the harder it becomes to hear what you really need to hear.
I wrapped a newspaper ’round my head
So I looked like I was deep
