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I have a SM58, a mixer ART Pro USB MIX 4 and a speaker SPL-100/A I bought a cable TRS split (https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07K59LPDJ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1) and plug it in MAIN MIX OUT LR but it doesn't working with MIC, if I plug my computer in USB sound is OK but not MIC. I tried with TRS cable (male-male) and plug in STEREO OUT and no luck MIC doesn't working. If I plug my TRS split on just on MAIN MIX OUT L, MIC working

Any idea what's going on? Need I TS cable ?

Thanks

[UPDATE 1] I used TRS cable split from MIXER L-R to speaker Line input I'm not an expert so I'm not sure if it's a good idea

enter image description here

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    Please clarify--it's not currently clear why you're using a splitter, or where you are connecting it (mic or speaker? Which of the three plugs are you connecting to what?)
    – Reg Edit
    Oct 30, 2022 at 1:11
  • Feeding one speaker from a stereo signal will not end well. Mix the two down to a mini signal and feed that to the amplified speaker.
    – keshlam
    Oct 30, 2022 at 2:04
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    You don’t need a Y cable or splitter at all. Just keep all the pan knobs in the middle and only connect the left main out to the speaker. Oct 30, 2022 at 3:47
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    You are running mono, use a mono 1/4” cable from the mixer’s L output to the speaker like @Todd_Wilcox said. Do you even need the mixer though? The speaker has an XLR mic input and even an extra stereo input channel. Oct 30, 2022 at 4:06
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    If you don’t have a TS cable a regular TRS cable will work for mono. Oct 30, 2022 at 4:14

3 Answers 3

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You say your speaker is SPL-100/A but you have posted a picture of SPL-080/A:

enter image description here

???

What make is this please? I cannot find it.

BUT ANYWAY the main problem looks to be that you're using the speaker's Mic input. As pointed out elsewhere, you could plug your mic directly into this speaker; however, you are going via a mixer so you need to use the speaker's Line input.

enter image description here

So to connect this speaker you need two mono cables to go from the mixer line out jacks to the speaker line in RCA sockets. These will need to be jack to RCA adaptor cables, or you can get cables and adaptors separately.

Your image is blurry so it's hard to be sure if the Mic input is actually dual-purpose. If it is, and you do continue to try and work with it, you will need to take note of the little press switch and be sure you understand what it does and which position to set it to.

Whichever speaker input you use, you will need to take note of the volume controls present on each input, and increase to a mid/max level. Currently you appear to have these set to the minimum, which would also explain the lack of sound from the mic:

enter image description here

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The powered speaker will have a mono jack input, which should connect to the mixer (L or R out) with a single TS jack to TS jack.

The mic will go into channel 1 of the mixer, as a mono input, and the pan control moved accordingly L or R.

If you need a stereo signal- which the speaker can't reproduce as stereo, then you could use TRS out of the mixer to 2 phonos (RCA plugs) into the powered speaker. That will, in itself, not produce a stereo sound, only mix L and R.

There's always the possibility that the cable you bought is faulty, but more likely is the fact that the jack input on the powered speaker is mono, not stereo. There's no point in trying to send a mic signal anything but mono into this powered speaker.

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A single speaker like this will only give you mono sound (no stereo). You simply need to plug a standard 1/4" TS (tip-sleeve) cable between your mixer's left output to the input of your speaker.

You don't need a TRS cable in this application. A TRS (tip-ring-sleeve) cable usually carries a balanced signal (for RF noise rejection) or, in rare cases, a stereo signal. 1/4" TRS cables are rarely used in professional audio systems.

Using only the left output of the mixer will give you a signal that combines both the left and right channels of the mixer's stereo output. If a sound from a stereo input (i.e. computer) is panned hard right, for example, you'll still hear the sound from your speaker. For stereo playback, you would simply plug a second TS cable from the mixer's right output to a second speaker.

Your speaker appears to have a mic/line switch on its main input. You'll need to run the speaker in LINE mode, as your mixer puts out a line-level signal. The MIC setting applies additional gain--lots of it--so you can plug a microphone directly into the speaker. This gain will cause massive distortion to your mixer's output signal, so mind the setting of that switch.

Finally, remember that speaker cables used between power amps and speakers are often of the 1/4" TS variety. Speaker cables are not shielded, however, which means they can pick up unwanted RF (radio frequency) noise if used to carry line-level signals. Be sure to avoid speaker cables and instead use instrument cables (line-level cables, guitar cables) for this application.

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  • I have far more TRS jacks in my studio which are used for stereo signals. Most (if not all) the XLRs are for balanced signal.
    – Tim
    Nov 1, 2022 at 11:59
  • I spent many years in the professional recording studio trenches, and we never used long 1/4" TRS for anything but headphone (stereo) extension cables. The occasional patchbay would use balanced 1/4" TRS. Nov 1, 2022 at 12:29

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