Using an amplifier as opposed to headphones

[Joker47]

I picked up an Alesis 12" drum speaker a while ago, just on the off chance I ever "play live" with someone.

After spending a long time tweaking and changing things until I have a fairly "universal" sound for covers, I have a sound I like and can play to MOST covers to without making major changes to ay voices or sounds. Just volumes of voices.

However, when I connect my mixer outputs to the amp, it sounds terrible. Muddy and unclear. Granted, I know I am trying it in my small home office where my kit is, but I would still think that I would be able to keep it down and have it sound at least somewhat how my headphones sound?

For those of you who use both. Particularly if you gig with an amp and practice with headphones, do you have separate configurations for your modules depending on if you are gigging vs practicing with headphones?

Or, do I just have too big of an amp for my room, and/or need satellite speakers to "clear it up"?

Thanks,
J

[AlanK]

Hi Joker. I've used both ways. The first thing I noticed was the quality was way worse through my speaker than when I wore headphones. But keep this in mind, you're going from a stereo set of phones to a single mono speaker. So just curious are you using the mixer's stereo outs with an adapter to go into the mono input of the Alesis speaker? (or does it have stereo inputs?). Mine was just a single PA speaker so I used a y cable.. I actually don't remember if it was L/R TS plugs from my mixer (or the module) to a single TS plus into the speaker, or if I had a y splitter that went TS TS to TRS (which would be more common). I have no idea if my speaker could handle a stereo input so maybe that's why I never liked what I heard.

I know on the module you can use just the left channel output to send a mono signal to one speaker but again, no experience with the Alesis speakers so not sure what inputs it has. But I can say this, when I used my pair of mini Samson's so getting a stereo sound and had them placed on either side of my kit it did sound pretty awesome most of the time.. but it WAS a different EQ mix and sound. I feel like it's similar to the difference one gets when comparing pictures or colour tones on a computer or tv screen as opposed to using a projector.. it could look perfect on the monitor but when projected the way the light/colours are additive or subtractive, whatever that science is, the outcomes are quite different to the eye.. probably the same with audio.. great with headphones, needs a whole different mix/eq to get similar quality with speakers.

But if it's like really muddled and barely audible.. could be your cables or some setting on the Alesis 12" needs adjustment? How would it sound if you just plugged in your cellphone's music or mp3 player etc to the speaker? Any better?

[Joker47]

Alan,
Thanks for the input.

All I've tried is taking the two outputs from my mixer straight into the amp with a Y cable. (I have two modules, so two cables and one out.) Same hookups that I use my headphones with through my Roland Go:Mixer. The Alesis amp has 2 inputs with separate volume controls, and an XLR output. (I guess for connecting to another amp.)
There aren't a lot controls on it. (Here's a link on Amazon so I don't try and explain it all. https://www.amazon.com/Alesis-2000-Watt-Ultra-Portable-High-Frequency-Compression/dp/B07V3GHCPZ?th=1)

That's a really good idea to just try and connect my phone and play that through it. I have attempted to play covers through the amp, so I know the music comes through. But overall, it just sounds terrible.
I guess I could also just try the mono output and see if that's different?

It's definitely not hard to hear. It's loud, but sounds awful. Muddled is a good word. It sounds like with the different speakers, you did see a difference between headphones and speakers/amp. Maybe I will just have to develop a completely different setup for the amp?

I might also try just going straight from the modules to the amp. Skip the mixer altogether. I wonder if that might change the sound?

Thanks again for the input. I have some ideas to try out now.

J