| Visit Our Catalog at SteelGuitarShopper.com |

Post new topic Preamp - powered or unpowered speakers?
Reply to topic
Author Topic:  Preamp - powered or unpowered speakers?
Greg Milton


From:
Benalla, Australia
Post  Posted 15 Dec 2020 1:25 am    
Reply with quote

Hello forumites,

I've recently taken the plunge and moved from a combo amp to a Milkman 'the Amp 100' and plugging in to my duo partner's PA (I play in beer gardens and wineries that need you to project over the closest tables to be heard by those at the back). I play mando as well and have got myself a K&K pure xlr preamp to handle that side of things but wanted to ask about getting a speaker cabinet as/or monitor to support both, alongside plugging into the PA mixer. I'm a total newbie on this sort of stuff and have started learning all about different impedance matching between steel and mando and other concepts I vaguely understand.

The Milkman preamp is great with unpowered speakers - I've been plugging it in directly to my Fender Super Twin speakers (as a monitor, but HEAVY!) and it sounds amazing! I understand that the K&K preamp needs to see powered speakers (and I'm still not 100% positive on this), and so to my question - if you have one preamp that wants to see powered speakers and one that doesn't is there any harm in getting a monitor/fold back that is powered to cover both bases?

Sorry if this question is confusing because it's already confusing to me and makes my head hurt!

Any guidance would be greatly, greatly appreciated!
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Richard Sinkler


From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
Post  Posted 15 Dec 2020 4:19 am    
Reply with quote

That Milkman appears to be a full amplifier, not a preamp, although it may have a preamp output [edit: I see it has a "direct Out" XLR, which I assume is what you are using to connect to the PA]. A preamp doesn't create the power necessary to drive a speaker. It is necessary to run a preamp into a power amp, and the power amp powers the the speaker, or run it into a powered speaker, which is just a speaker cabinet with a power amp built into it.
_________________
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 54 years and still counting.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Greg Milton


From:
Benalla, Australia
Post  Posted 16 Dec 2020 12:34 pm    
Reply with quote

Thanks, Richard. I forgot that the Milkman is an amp rather than a preamp. That means that a powered speaker as a monitor should be fine then as it will cover the mando preamp and won't degrade the sound of the Milkman amp
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Richard Sinkler


From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
Post  Posted 16 Dec 2020 5:48 pm    
Reply with quote

That would work.
_________________
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 54 years and still counting.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Jump to:  
Please review our Forum Rules and Policies
Our Online Catalog
Strings, CDs, instruction, and steel guitar accessories
www.SteelGuitarShopper.com

The Steel Guitar Forum
148 S. Cloverdale Blvd.
Cloverdale, CA 95425 USA

Click Here to Send a Donation

Email SteelGuitarForum@gmail.com for technical support.


BIAB Styles
Ray Price Shuffles for Band-in-a-Box
by Jim Baron