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Post subject: Passport 500 Pro: Using backing tracks
Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 3:59 pm
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My tracks are set up with bass and drums in left track. The rest of the backing is on the right track. Strings, keys, horns, etc.

Present PA, powered subs and speakers, cross over, etc. So left channel (thru crossover) plays bass and kick thru the sub woofer, and the rest of the drums thru a powered cab on top of the sub. Then the right tracks play thru a couple powered cabs, daisy chained.

I want to go the 500 Pro route! I used to play thru a PD250, in mono. But now all my tracks have been re-done, and are stereo as detailed above. (In this case, "stereo" really means, L = bass & drums R = everything else.) And I want to keep them stereo so there's good separation in the tracks. It sounds great having the bass and kick coming out at center stage, and a powered cab on both sides of the sub playing the other instrument parts.

What I'd like to do is run a powered sub thru the sub out for the bass and kick. And somehow run another powered cab so the right track plays the other instruments. AND have the 500 Pro speakers only used for mics, and maybe a sax.

1). Not sure how to get the drums that are on the left track with the bass to crossover
to a 2nd powered cab. If the sub is set for left channel, the Pro will filter out all the higher drum sounds. (Cymbals, snare, etc.) And probably be lost.

2). How do I set up a right channel for the right channel/tracks to play the other instruments thru another powered speaker?

I'm thinking I might need to use a crossover, inserted, and run the sub and one cab thru the left, and another powered cab thru the right side of the crossover.

Or is there a way to do this without a crossover?

Also . . . I want to run a Feedback Destroyer. (inserted) Can I hook up the FB Destroyer & a crossover then insert one of them?


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Post subject: Re: Passport 500 Pro: Using backing tracks
Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2011 1:55 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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So, let me get this straight. You already have all your sound mixed to stereo before you plug anything into the Passport 500 Pro, right? And you already have a powered sub-woofer and powered speakers, right?

So, what exactly are you using the Passport 500 Pro for? You aren't using the mixer and you don't want to use the passive speakers that come with it. Basically, it sounds like you are using it as a box to plug wires into and out of, without actually using the Passport at all.

Why not just run your stereo signal through 1/4" cables into your powered subwoofer and then connect your powered full-range speakers into the subwoofer and leave the Passport at home?

The Passport 500 Pro has six mono inputs (which you aren't using) and two stereo channels (each with a left and right side). It has two passive speakers that are tuned to match the powered mixer, and it has a built-in cross-over for a powered subwoofer. It's very portable. It's powerful enough for a basket-ball court or a large restaurant or bar. Why do you want active speakers added to the mix? You could connect them via the 1/8" stereo out, but why? You are ignoring most of what the Passport 500 was built to do.


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Post subject: Re: Passport 500 Pro: Using backing tracks
Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2011 2:25 pm
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Thanks for the reply!

You missed the point on this post. Yes, I have a full, huge PA right now.
I'm 62 yrs old. And want to lighten the load.

My tracks are already stereo. I want to play the tracks thru an active sub, and active,
more powerful speakers. (Mackie Thumps, and a new, lighter weight sub)

I want the Passport to be used for 2 vocal mics, harmonica and a sax. I prefer not having the trax run thru the 500 Pro so the vocals stay cleaner. AND . . . I can position the 500 Pro speakers behind us, without feedback issues.

I used a PD250 for years! Loved it! Moved to a different location in Ohio. Had to get
new players. They suggested I go stereo with the tracks. GREAT idea! Then they wanted
BIGGER PA. So I sold the PD250. Went to powered cabs and subwoofer. Built a full rack of sound equipment. The sound was awesome! Band broke up. I decided to go back to my Blues/Jazz 3 piece set up.

And I don't want to haul all that gear!

I want to haul the 500 PRO, a 46lb sub. And 2 15" Thumps. Sub & Thumps for tracks. 500 Pro for vocals, harp and sax.

Make sense?


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Post subject: Re: Passport 500 Pro: Using backing tracks
Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 11:31 am
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Aspiring Musician
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It almost makes sense. I'm 56 and I understand wanting a small system. So why not stay small, and just use the Passport 500? Put your tracks through one of the stereo channels with two 1/4" mono inputs or one 1/8" stereo input and mix it all in with your live musicians. It will be clean enough. One thing the Passport does really well is "clean". It has a very clean sound.

You probably don't even need a subwoofer. Acoustic music sounds fine without it. If you need more base, then just drag the powered subwoofer along. Leave the active speakers at home. You really don't need them, unless you are playing for something larger than a basketball court. The 500 is plenty loud.

Forty four pounds with a fat, comfy handle on it, include your mixer, two speakers and cable storage. All you need are a couple of speaker stands and you are set, and you can use inexpensive, aluminum speaker stands that are very light. No back-breaking speakers with hundreds of dollars worth of special, heavy-duty, ratcheting speaker stands.

I know that owning a huge system makes the Passport seem puny because the speakers are so small, but just crank them up to 8 instead of using the big speakers turned down to 3. Most sound systems are massively oversized for the environments they play in. Sean Connery has been quoted as saying he likes his audiences stirred, not shaken. That's what your music should be like. People will love you for the clean sound of the Passport 500.

Save your back. Save their hearing.

And if you need monitors, I'm really loving the Mackey SRM 150. Get one for each musician, put it on a mic stand and patch it in line between the mic and the Passport. Seven pounds. A hundred and fifty watts. It does the job and doesn't break your back. These little systems are a whole new way to think about sound reinforcement. Put the sound up near the musician, not down on the floor. His ears aren't at his knees where most monitors are aimed.

This stuff is beautifully small, transportable and effective. Stop thinking big cabinets. Stop it! You almost certainly don't need it, and you'll be happier without it.


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Post subject: Re: Passport 500 Pro: Using backing tracks
Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 3:12 pm
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Thanks for the feedback. Much appreciated.

I agree with most of what you say. I've been doing this backing track gig for over 12 years. And I used a Passport for most of those years.

Stared out with a P250. Bought the PD250 the day I read about it.

Thing is . . . yeah, the tracks sound OK all coming through the mains. I could do that.
Just use the 500.

But I also know how these tracks sound when they run thru seperate cabs.

When we play, the bass and drums all come from center stage. Like a real band
set up.

The other instruments come thru 2 cabs, one left, one right of the sub.

When people hear us, they comment how much we sound like a full, live band.
(We only add 1 guitar, some times sax, congas/hand percussion, harmonica, and 2 vocalists. The rest is tracked.)

That's because the bass and drums come from a different location on stage. No one can
tell where bass comes from. But they definately know the drums are center stage. Plus I pan the drums during drum fills, left and right, to create a feeling of motion. And it works. The toms "roll" left to right, back to center. Spacial.

Then, left side (or right side, depending where you're dancing) are the keyboards
and other instruments. Like a live band.

And when you pull the bass and drums out of any speaker system and run them thru
a sub, (any system, including PCs) the mix gets MUCH better! You can hear all the
other instruments SO much more clearly if you don't have a bass and kick getting in the way.

So my plan is to get a small sub woofer. Maybe the Gemini. And keep the drums and bass out of the 500 vocal speakers. And if I get it figured out, I'll also pull the other instruments out of the 500 vocal speakers.

OK, first of all, I really appreciate everyone's comments. BUT . . . it'd be nice to get an answer to my questions, as to how to do it, instead of opinions as to why I shouldn't do it.

:)


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Post subject: Re: Passport 500 Pro: Using backing tracks
Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2011 6:30 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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Posts: 434
Okay, so why not run your band through the Passport and run the tracks directly to the powered cabs from whatever sound source you have. That way, the two musical environments are completely independent of each other.

The tracks are run through your active speakers. The band is through the Passport. You get the stereo location you like with the active speakers. You get mono (so the whole crowd hears every musician) for the live music. The result is very 3-D and the setup is relatively simple, since you don't have to figure out how to make the cabs separate, yet linked to the Passport. Just make it separate.

It's more stuff to haul around, but it gets the 3-D effect you like. Alternatively, if you run everything through the Passport, the tracks are stereo and the band is mono. You get much of the same effect, though not quite as extreme, and you have more than 50 pounds less gear to haul around.


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Post subject: Re: Passport 500 Pro: Using backing tracks
Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 1:05 pm
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Location: Central Ohio
Sorry for delayed reply. Unexpected trip to hospital took me out of commision for a few weeks!

After reading your ideas a couple times, it all pretty much struck me, and you're right.
I'm going to keep the powered set up exactly as I have it now. And again, you're right.
It means hauling some extra gear, but I get the sound I want.

Thing is, if I do that, which I'm gonna do, then I don't need the Passport at all. I just
need to bring 2 extra powered cabs, run them as my mains. And run the trax as a sub group. Band thru Mains. Trax thru Sub1.

Which is exactly what I've been doing.

I think you guys all just saved me $825!

Thanks! :)


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