Home Theater through a Mixer

[CrazyMonkey24]

   I pulled out a Behringer Eurodesk analog-style soundboard that's been sitting in the closet the other day, and decided I wanted to start a project to route a home theater setup for my small bedroom through it after recieving a couple bookshelf speakers. 

 

   The plan is to run an optical cable from my TV to a digital/analog converter to input the signal to the mixer, then output from the mixer with a small amp to the two bookshelf speakers. The television itself is going to act as the center speaker. 

 

   I just don't know if the signal will be strong enough after going through the converter to reach the mixer effectively, and if I'll need some sort of pre-amp or receiver to make it work. I don't have much experience with home theater systems at all, and what I would only describe as "just sufficient" understanding of operating the board.  I've spent a bit of time the last couple days just figuring out how to choose an amp, so I'm probably behind the curve compared to anyone who's reading this post. 

 

Any ideas/input would be appreciated. I also want to acknowledge that I know this isn't really a practical setup, and I'm really only doing it 1) because I think it might be cool, and 2) as a sort of learning opportunity. The soundboard was given to me after a local church switched to digital,  so I figure "Why Not?" After all, the upfront cost of the soundboard was free to me. 

 

What kind of outlook might I have in sound quality (or loss of) with this sort of setup, and what could I improve?

[TheFlyingTraut]

You can't run the tv speakers and optical. Very rare that TV's allow two outs. You're making this way too complicated for yourself. The board (mixer) isn't going to really do anything with tv sounds, the audio from there is already trash, unless it's a movie or something, but it's still not disc. Cool ifyou want to use the bookshelfs, but if the tv has HDMI ARC, just run that to any newer receiver with ARC (99.999999% of receivers), and just wire up the two bookshelfs. Still can't use the tv as an extra speaker though.

[CrazyMonkey24]

18 hours ago, TheFlyingTraut said:

You can't run the tv speakers and optical. Very rare that TV's allow two outs. You're making this way too complicated for yourself. The board (mixer) isn't going to really do anything with tv sounds, the audio from there is already trash, unless it's a movie or something, but it's still not disc. Cool ifyou want to use the bookshelfs, but if the tv has HDMI ARC, just run that to any newer receiver with ARC (99.999999% of receivers), and just wire up the two bookshelfs. Still can't use the tv as an extra speaker though.

Both of my Element TVs actually allow me to do so. I assumed this was the norm after the first one, but I just tested the one in my bedroom with the soundbar I use in the kicking room, and it worked great- TV speakers and all!

 

My TV doesn't support ARC however, and I don't have a reciever. Of course I could always go buy one, but I could also spend in the ballpark of $25 on the converter and 1/4" jack adapters to use the hardware I already have.

 

The use is going to be primarily for movies anyways. I'm the most concerned with any dramatic loss of quality by going from optical>converter> aux cord to plug into the mixer. 

 

This setup doesn't really alllow me much in expandability in the future, I could add a sound bar or a sub and that's it (and it wouldn't even allow me complete mixer control over it unless I find a way to the optical input into two audio channels), but that doesn't really matter to me. To expand the system I plan on finding a video reciever that might export the sound duties to the mixer (If such a thing even exists, it's not my priority to expand the system in any way in the near future). My solution works pretty good for me. 

 

[Blasteque]

4 hours ago, CrazyMonkey24 said:

Both of my Element TVs actually allow me to do so. I assumed this was the norm after the first one, but I just tested the one in my bedroom with the soundbar I use in the kicking room, and it worked great- TV speakers and all!

 

My TV doesn't support ARC however, and I don't have a reciever. Of course I could always go buy one, but I could also spend in the ballpark of $25 on the converter and 1/4" jack adapters to use the hardware I already have.

 

The use is going to be primarily for movies anyways. I'm the most concerned with any dramatic loss of quality by going from optical>converter> aux cord to plug into the mixer. 

 

This setup doesn't really alllow me much in expandability in the future, I could add a sound bar or a sub and that's it (and it wouldn't even allow me complete mixer control over it unless I find a way to the optical input into two audio channels), but that doesn't really matter to me. To expand the system I plan on finding a video reciever that might export the sound duties to the mixer (If such a thing even exists, it's not my priority to expand the system in any way in the near future). My solution works pretty good for me. 

 

As @TheFlyingTraut has mentioned, what you're doing is better handled by a receiver.  You don't need the the converter, mixer, or amp.

 

If the goal here is to hook up some speakers using only what you have without spending any money, then yes, what you described would work.  The mixer will likely have no problem picking up the signal from the converter (boosting low-level signal is part of a mixer's job); in that regard the mixer can function as a pre-amp and EQ.  However, is the mixer really necessary?  Can the amp just be driven straight from the converter?  All these connections will degrade sound quality.

 

(Also, "I could also spend in the ballpark of $25 on the converter" means you don't already have a converter.  Stereo receivers can be found for under $100.  Maybe waiting until you have enough money for a receiver is a better option.  Just something to consider.)

[CrazyMonkey24]

8 hours ago, Blasteque said:

As @TheFlyingTraut has mentioned, what you're doing is better handled by a receiver.  You don't need the the converter, mixer, or amp.

 

If the goal here is to hook up some speakers using only what you have without spending any money, then yes, what you described would work.  The mixer will likely have no problem picking up the signal from the converter (boosting low-level signal is part of a mixer's job); in that regard the mixer can function as a pre-amp and EQ.  However, is the mixer really necessary?  Can the amp just be driven straight from the converter?  All these connections will degrade sound quality.

 

(Also, "I could also spend in the ballpark of $25 on the converter" means you don't already have a converter.  Stereo receivers can be found for under $100.  Maybe waiting until you have enough money for a receiver is a better option.  Just something to consider.)

   I'm sort of in the middle of downsizing, and remodeling the room to make it a little more of a functional living space than just a bedroom. As I was cleaning out the closet, I wiped the dust off and hated to get rid of it. I thought that I'd just take the desk I'm getting ready to make for the room, make it into an 'L' shape, and give it a proper place in the house instead of trying to sell it or leave it perpetually in storage somewhere. I've known it was impractical from the start, but I thought I'd give it a functional use, yet put it on display as a sort of vanity item to give the room a little more character. It was never necessary, but I'd thought it'd be a little neat to set up somewhere. 

 

   The only thing I'm worried about is an absolutely horrid drop in sound quality. If- generally- it's going to be a better (or even just a pleasantly fuller) sound in the room than the built-in TV speakers, I'm perfectly happy pursuing road I'm heading towards.

 

   I'm just wondering if the about $25 is going to be worth the effort for what boils down to a decoration, or I'll end up disappointed in the end product- even as a person that's never been too interested in upgrading their home theater setup as a way other than to hear the television across large room.

 

 

 

[Blasteque]

15 hours ago, CrazyMonkey24 said:

   I'm sort of in the middle of downsizing, and remodeling the room to make it a little more of a functional living space than just a bedroom. As I was cleaning out the closet, I wiped the dust off and hated to get rid of it. I thought that I'd just take the desk I'm getting ready to make for the room, make it into an 'L' shape, and give it a proper place in the house instead of trying to sell it or leave it perpetually in storage somewhere. I've known it was impractical from the start, but I thought I'd give it a functional use, yet put it on display as a sort of vanity item to give the room a little more character. It was never necessary, but I'd thought it'd be a little neat to set up somewhere. 

 

   The only thing I'm worried about is an absolutely horrid drop in sound quality. If- generally- it's going to be a better (or even just a pleasantly fuller) sound in the room than the built-in TV speakers, I'm perfectly happy pursuing road I'm heading towards.

 

   I'm just wondering if the about $25 is going to be worth the effort for what boils down to a decoration, or I'll end up disappointed in the end product- even as a person that's never been too interested in upgrading their home theater setup as a way other than to hear the television across large room.

 

 

 

Understood.

Basically you have two choices:

1. $25 can let you try something that will work, but might not sound as good as you'll want (but could still be better than TV speakers), or

2. $100 can get you a proper receiver that will work and probably sound better, but will just be a cheap, stereo receiver.

 

Go for the $25 option and give it a try.  If it doesn't work out, you can sell it without too much loss.