Mixers

[Classical_HeavyMetal]

Here's the situation:
I have a microphone and enough store credit to purchase some unpowered speakers. So I need a powered mixer to get that up and running. But I play more guitar than singing, so I was wondering if I decided to get a powered mixer, could I plug in my mic and my guitar, and still run the guitar through my amp(which would be powered)? And I was also wondering about mixers without the word "power" next to them (which I assume to be known as unpowered mixers). Just in general, what are the advantages/disadvantages of powered mixers and unpowered speakers and vise versa.
And another question, whats the difference between speakers and monitors?

Thanks in advance for any information you share.

[Moseph]

"Powered Mixers" are a combination of a mixer and a power amp, meaning they have outputs that produce enough wattage to drive appropriately selected speakers.

Most of the time, mixers simply output low-voltage, line-level signals, and the power increase is attributed to a seperate power amp stage. This could be a seperate power amp, but also "powered speakers" are very common, which take a line level input and drive the speaker cones themselves.

[Motleyguy]

in order to plug into your mixer and your amp and hear signal from both, you can go from a DI box into an ABY switcher box that is hooked up to both the mixer and the amp, or you can just mic your guitar amp into the mixer (probably your best bet)

so it would look something like this:

Guitar --1/4"---->ABY Box ---1/4"---> DI Box---XLR--->Mixer
///////////////////////////////----1/4"--->Amp