wrote:

I've put the user manuals for the Inkel mixing desk and the Carlsbro PA
head on http://homepage.ntlworld.com/anengineer/ if anyone wants a
look.

I am connecting the line level output from the desk to the mic inputs
on the PA head, with a simple potential divider built into the XLR plug
to attenuate to the 3.7mV level expected at the PA inputs (works fine).

Hmmm...... what value resistors are in your potential divider ?

Using a mic input is a really bad idea. Performance is limited by the noise
figure of the " PA head's " own mic amps.

It is easy to show using theory that this will *always* be worse than just
using the PA head's mic amps on their own ! No matter how good the mixer
is.

Also, the general spec - distortion etc of a PA head's mic amp is usually
awful, so you aren't seeing the full benefits of using a mixer.


I am driving the PA inputs well - 0dB on the mixer output meters.

That's good.

I am confident it's not a gain issue, it's just a noisy desk ! :-)

I really don't think the desk is to blame.

Doesn't the PA head have a line level - ish input ( like a stereo input for
example ) ? Or an insert point. That would produce far better results.


Graham