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How to Hook Up Multiple DJ Amps

When setting up a sound system for a large venue, you may sometimes want to have more than one amplifier. Any given amplifier can only power so many speakers. The impedance for every speaker you connect to an amplifier adds up, and the total must not exceed the capacity of the amplifier. When you've reached the limit of one amplifier, introducing a second or third will give you the power you are looking for. With just a mixer or audio interface, you can connect two amplifiers, one through each the left and right outputs, but if you are looking to connect more than two amplifiers, a device capable of splitting the signal into multiple outputs will be necessary, such as an equalizer. This provides the advantage of splitting the audio signal into various frequency ranges, and amplifying each range or group of ranges separately to correspond with specific low, mid and high range speakers.

Things You'll Need

  • Mixer or audio interface
  • Equalizer
  • Compatible cables (XLR or RCA, depending on devices)
  • Amplifiers
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Instructions

    • 1

      Connect the outputs of your audio interface or mixer to the inputs of your equalizer.

    • 2

      Set the outputs on the equalizer to the parts of the frequency range that you desire. You may want to have more than one amplifier powering the same wide portion of the frequency spectrum, or to split the signal into a low, middle and high, and power each portion separately. You may also choose to group the mid and high ranges together, sending both outputs to one amplifier then to speakers, and send the low range to a separate amplifier then into the subwoofers. This will depend on your personal preference based upon the space and equipment you are using.

    • 3

      Connect the outputs on the equalizer to the inputs of the desired amplifiers. How you choose to group the outputs depends on the number of amplifiers and the type of speakers. Be sure to send the low range outputs to a separate amplifier, since you will want to connect those to the subwoofers.

    • 4

      Set any amplifiers powering a mono signal to bridge mode. This will be found on the back of your amplifier.

    • 5

      Connect the amplifier outputs to the speakers corresponding with each part of the frequency spectrum that you are amplifying.

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