Having a reliable audio setup is crucial for your work. However, it can really be frustrating dealing with sound system issues such as no sound from mixers to speakers.
In this blog post, we’ll cover the most common causes of this issue and offer troubleshooting techniques to help you get your audio up and running again.
No Sound from Mixer to Speakers: 6 Working Fixes
Here are some DIY fixes you should try out:
1. Double-Check Cables and Connections
Anytime you are faced with this difficulty, you should first check whether the cables for audio input – whether TS, TRS or XLR – are well connected. Ensure that no cable is loose or disconnected. Getting sound from your mixer to speakers requires, before anything, a tight connection for optimal flow.
2. Troubleshooting with a Headphone
It will be of great help to confirm early whether the audio signal is actually sent from the mixer to the speaker. Try plugging in your earphone or headphone directly into the mixer to be sure.
If you don’t hear anything, you should check whether your sources (your laptop, mobile device, or CD player) are playing audio at all. It could also be a problem of volume – we will cover this in the next fix.
3. What if it’s the Volume?
If you’re having doubts concerning the volume, turn the Gain knob (on your mixer) until the indicator light comes on or the overload light glows red. This will indicate that the audio signal is actually coming into the channel.
Up next is to check the fader – the volume control at the mixer’s bottom. If the fader is a knob, you should turn it clockwise. However, if it’s a slider, push it up.
Some mixers also come with a switch that has to be turned on. The main output sliders too should be pushed up. If everything is perfect, you should see the green meter oscillating back and forth, plus the sound emitted out simultaneously.
Note that all these won’t still work if the mute button is pressed down. Check that too.
4. Does your Speaker have an Amplifier?
Amplifiers are what we use to increase the frequency of sound. If your speaker has no amplifier, it can result in no sound coming out from them. Based on their presence, speakers are usually of two kinds: active speakers and passive speakers. Active speakers come with built-in amplifiers while passive speakers don’t.
Knowing which kind of speaker you own can save you a lot of time while running fixes. Here’s how to know: if your speaker has a power cord or makes use of batteries, it is very likely to be built with an amplifier. If it isn’t, you need to get it connected to a separately working amplifier or a receiver to get your sound.
Try other Ports (Input/Output)
Since the issue could be that the whole channel is faulty, and it could be one of many things – the mute button, the volume sliders, or even the ports. Trying other ports is a great way to troubleshoot this issue. Should you confirm that the channel is faulty, you may need a competent technician to find the broken bit and fix it.
5. Power Issues
Check that all components of the sound setup are receiving power. Ensure that the power cords are plugged in properly, and that there are no power outages or tripped circuit breakers in cases of overload.
How to Properly Connect Mixers to Speakers & Sources
Here’s a step-by-step guide that shows how to set up a working sound system in minutes:
1. Reduce the Master Volume Completely
Not reducing the volume may create a sudden loud output which may cause damage to the mixer and the speakers once the mixer starts working.
2. Plug In your Microphone (If there’s one)
Microphones are plugged in using XLR cables. The XLR cable is the one that has its end 3 pins inside a metal cylinder. The port for the XLR is usually close to the left/right top corner of the back of the mixer. The XLR ports can easily be recognized with the 3 small holes inside a circle.
3. Attach Your Sources to the Mixer Inputs
To do this, you’ll make use of the “in” ports on your mixer and XLR or TRS cables as the case may be. The other end of the cable should be connected to the source which could be your laptop, mobile device, or a CD player.
4. Attach Speakers to the Mixer Output
Depending on the model, the output ports on mixers can be either XLR or TRS and configuration. Whichever one it is, connect it to the “out” ports on your mixer, and then route those cables to the “input” ports on your speakers, ensuring that the head knobs are rotated well in a clockwise direction until they are fully tightened.
5. Connect the Mixer to a Power Source
Plug in your mixer into a grounded electrical outlet or surge protector so it can power up all other passive components (that is, your speakers). Once connected, turn on your mixer using the power switch.
6. Adjust the Levels of the Sound
Remember we started by reducing the master volume completely. Now, you have to tweak the volume knobs and sliders until you can hear each of your sources clearly.
How Do I Connect Multiple Speakers to My Mixer?
To do this, you can use one or more output ports on your mixer. Using DAISY CHAIN, you can connect many speakers to those connected directly to the mixer.
- Determine the number of speakers and the number of available outputs. If speakers exceed the output, you will have to daisy chain some of the speakers.
- Connect one end of the cable to the output port on your mixer. Place and connect to Left and Right outputs as you want.
- The other end of the cable should be inserted into the input ports of the speaker.
- The rest of the speakers should be connected by a cable from the ‘Output’ of the main speakers to their own input ports.
What Cable Do I Need to Connect Speakers to a Mixer?
This depends on the kind of ports you have on your mixer and speakers. So, the cables could be XLR on both ends. You can also have XLR output for the mixer with a balanced TRS input for the speakers. Another kind is XLR output from the mixer to the unbalanced RCA input on the speakers.
Always refer to the user manuals of your speakers and mixer to determine the exact type of cable required for your setup.
Is it possible to link a mixer directly to a speaker?
It is possible to connect a mixer directly to a speaker, but it depends on the type of mixer and speaker. Some mixers and speakers have built-in amplifiers, while others require an external amplifier/receiver to adjust the signal volume.
How do Audio mixers work?
Each of the audio input signals flows from the jacks over to the channel strips, down to the fader section, and then it’s routed over to the master section where it goes back out to the speakers or recorders.
Wrap-Up
We hope you got your sound system vibrating. If none of the highlighted fixes solved your issue, your equipment may need quick servicing or replacement.
