You’ll set up your main PA speakers like normal, but now let’s get the aux sends in the mix (no pun intended). Perhaps you’ve rented a hall and want to make sure the sound is just right. Let’s say you’re setting up your own stage gig. Now let’s use them in a real-world situation. It’s always a good idea to test things out in a tactile way, so you can get a real hands-on feel for what Aux1 does by simply attaching a 1/4” cable to an external monitoring device, and by turning the Aux1 knob to increase or decrease levels. On our Yamaha unit, for example, we see a level control for “Aux1” and a corresponding output near our main output for “Aux1”. Your mixer will likely have corresponding aux send outputs for each level control you see in the channel strip. Conversely, your mixer may only have a few aux send options, so keep that in mind when shopping for a new compact mixer. Your mixer may have many different aux send options, allowing you to simultaneously send signals out for external processing and monitor mixes.
![mixing live sound from stage mixing live sound from stage](https://hearthemusicplay.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/PAsystem-e1493309018110.jpg)
In the channel strip, you’ll likely notice some “aux send” level controls, which allow you to change the levels of that channel being fed to a particular aux send output.
![mixing live sound from stage mixing live sound from stage](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/YtpPliyVn6I/maxresdefault.jpg)
Take a look at your mixer’s channel strips and output section. Now, why would you want to do this? There are a number of incredibly practical applications where it makes sense to take sound coming into your mixer, and send it out somewhere else, either for additional processing, effects, or simply to feed a mix to stage monitors, in-ear monitors or another monitoring source. But what else can your mixer do? Well, most mixers, both large and small, are equipped with routing options called “Aux Sends.” In its simplest form, this functionality allows you to send a signal to an auxiliary location (the “aux” part). OK, so getting sound to your main speakers is easy. That wasn’t hard, was it? AUX SENDS – WHAT ARE THEY? So, simply take the left and right outputs from your mixer’s main outputs, and run an XLR cable to each of your left and right channel PA speakers on stage or in your practice space.
![mixing live sound from stage mixing live sound from stage](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/dbZFTzFs9Jo/maxresdefault.jpg)
This is an easy step, as most compact mixers have readily identifiable main outputs, most of which will be setup to work with balanced XLR cables. So, it only makes sense that traditionally, what most bands will be doing with their new mixer is outputting sound to their PA speakers, either for rehearsals or stage use. The most common application for a live mixer is part of a PA system.