What is the audio output connection on a PA System?

roxics

roxics

Veteran
I have an event tonight were I might need to tap into the PA system. Probably one of those without a mixing board, so just connecting to the output on the back of the PA speaker itself.
I just can't remember for the life of me what that output is. Is it a male XLR, female XLR or a 1/4". I rarely do events, so I don't remember what it was last time but I remember them all being the same.
 
Assuming you mean it's using ACTIVE loudspeakers, then they're all a bit different. Many have loop through line level inputs on XLR, where the sub could be fed from the top, or vice versa. A few have looped jacks, or perhaps a combo, but it's not a standard, and as the owner of a few PA systems, I would NOT permit anybody to take a feed from a loop-through output because if their connected device is a ;power impedance device, connecting it will pad the circuit and drop the level, and if you steal the signal from the left only, this means the system is right heavy. I'm happy toggle video folk a line level output from a mixer, but my master left and right?? no way - too risky.

If the active speaker is one of those with a small built in mixer, then I suspect the owner isn't exactly the most audio quality conscious operator so probably won't even notice you plug in!

So - you need for safety, a male jack, a male XLR and a female XLR, in case it's wired reverse, and I have even seen some with twin phonos - where the mixer is in ones speaker and the other one just a slave.

If you discover the speaker is passive, with Speakons or Jacks, then don't connect to it at all - it could be very expensive unless you have the appropriate box, similar to a DI, but capable of dropping many Watts at quite a few Volts down to line level.
 
Interesting. I've tapped into a few PA systems from the back of the speaker, either at the recommendation of the DJ or just on my own in cases where the event organizers rented a PA system for their event. In which case they know nothing about them, they're just using them to talk to the crowd.

This is a last minute project I was asked to take on tonight and they have no idea how to handle the audio for video, based on the email thread I read. They were even fine with audio over the camera mics, but I know they have a small PA system (just not sure which kind) and was hoping I could attach onto that with my H4N. Just to get them better audio.

I don't do events very often. It's pretty rare, but I've been doing video long enough that I've done a handful of them this way. I just never remember what the outputs are. I guess if they change system to system, that's probably why I don't remember.
 
Most 1/4" and XLR outputs on mixers and active speakers are line level, so use attenuation (aka, pad or DI) if feeding a mic level input. -10dB unbalanced RCAs and HP jacks usually need attenuation as well when feeding mic level
If worse come to worse, a portable recorder pointed at the PA speaker is an option.
 
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