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ThirdBird 27 December 2009

I was using a friend's mixer to route my output signal to powered monitors as well as to a standard home stereo. My friend needed his mixer back. Is there any budget alternatives to listen route my signal to the monitors and to the stereo speakers? Somewhere around $50 USD?

Some kind of Y-cable?
Line-splitter?
Monitor management device?
Some kind of aux-box?

I already have a headphone amp, so that is not needed.

Thanks!

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Boswell Mon, 12/28/2009 - 03:05

What's the source of the signal? Is it balanced or unbalanced? Your powered monitors will probably work with either a balanced or unbalanced input at pro line levels (+4dBu), but your home stereo will need an unbalanced input at domestic levels (-10dBV). There is about a factor of 4 (12dB) level difference between these two. The mixer you borrowed would have had this attenuation and unbalancing function built-in as part of the RCA tape outputs.

This means that at least you need an attenuator for driving the home stereo, but depending on the source, you may need to go from balanced to unbalanced as well. Tell us a little more and we can advise further.

Thomas W. Bethel Mon, 12/28/2009 - 03:57

Lots of companies make distribution amplifiers and or level converters.

Here is one these

You could just "Y" the output of your to the powered monitors and your home hi fi but as others have said we need to know the nature of what your equipment is. If it is balanced or unbalanced and what levels each piece of equipment needs.

Some solutions are going to be inexpensive some are not.

Let us know what you are working with...

hailthenewstorm Tue, 04/19/2011 - 06:12

Similar Problem! Output splitter.

Hello there

I came across this thread while searching for a solution to a similar issue.

Was wondering if any of you kind folk would offer some words of wisdom.

I am currentley undergoing an upgrade for my bedroom set up.

I've opted for a Tascam US-800, which will be going to a pair of active Wharfedale Dimond monitors (XLR, Jack or phono inputs, balanced and unbalanced)

It would be great to get the signal from the Tascam US-800 (unbalanced jacks) going to the stereo amplifier as well (Teac R-A600) as the monitors.

The reasons being would be to compare mixes on a stereo, or to use Teac and passive speakers to listen to music coming from the computer.

Don't really need all 4 speakers on at once, but ideally would be great to be able to choose which speakers would be in use, instead of manually unplugging/reconnecting each time.

Hope this makes sense!

Thanks
Lewis.

Boswell Tue, 04/19/2011 - 07:19

You need something like the SM Pro Audio M-Patch 2. This has a common volume control and separate outputs for two different amplifiers or powered monitors, and switches to select which (or both) sets of speakers to use. The only thing you would have to take a little care over is how you cabled it to the input of your Teac amplifier, but that should not present any problems.

The M-Patch 2 is a passive device in the path of signals to your monitors, so there is no signal quality degradation, but it also has a headphone amplifier, so you can switch both sets of speakers off and listen via phones. You need to use the plug-top power supply supplied with it when you use headphones, but that's not needed for speaker switching and volume control.

Boswell Tue, 04/19/2011 - 09:29

hailthenewstorm, post: 369219 wrote: http://www.smpalma.it/public/palma/big_SMPRO_M-Patch2.jpg

So I can see this would take the input from the soundcard and would route this signal to the monitors - what would be a recomended way to send this signal to the Teac Amp? Is it kosher to use the XLR out put and modify the end of the wire for the Teac inputs? Bit stumped again. Cheers.

Yes, in this case you can take an unbalanced output by wiring only to pins 2 (signal) and 1 (ground) of the XLR. Amazon UK has several XLR - RCA cables, but you would have to check that XLR pin 3 is not wired to anything.

If you and your gear can cope with unbalanced RCA switching, there's a cheap 3-way [[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.amazon.c…"]stereo switch box[/]="http://www.amazon.c…"]stereo switch box[/] available from Amazon UK that you could use instead of the M-Patch 2, but it really is a second-best.

You haven't filled in the section of your profile to say where you are located, but if the clue in the link you posted that it is in Italy, you may be able to find something similar near you.

hailthenewstorm Wed, 04/20/2011 - 03:47

Thanks for all the help. Jack that link was a good read, a little over my head but could grasp most of the fundermentals. I like the tone...

"It's popularity stems from the continual and perpetual difficulty of hooking up audio equipment without suffering through all sorts of bizarre noises, hums, buzzes, whistles, etc.-- not to mention the extreme financial, physical and psychological price."

Still figuring out the solution but I think i'm going to have to at least try that cheapo box. Another point of concern (which that article reminded me of) is that the output jacks from the tascam us-800 soundcard are unbalanced... so seems to make sense to use the unbalanced input of the monitors (clearly a potential problem).

We'll see. Oh and i'm from Leeds, U.K... Italy would be nice right now...

Boswell Wed, 04/20/2011 - 04:43

Having unbalanced outputs not really a problem in this case, and it's why I thought the box from Amazon would work. Just use unbalanced cables: phono (RCA) on the switch box connectors going to phono or TS jack plugs as appropriate on the equipment ends.

You can imagine you are in Italy, as all roads roam to Leeds.

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