Using PC speakers with Presonus Firepod

[JLawyer]

i just got a Presonus Firepod as my first step toward a digital recording setup. i don't have a whole lot of prior knowledge or experience with recording other than what i've gathered from being in a band and a semester of Telecommunications classes.

my issue is, i cannot monitor any sound with my PC speakers while using my Firepod with Cubase SX 3. so basically i can't do anything at all right now. i can see the levels going up in Cubase but no sound, even when just playing back. i emailed Presonus about this and the response was that the Firepod was meant to be used with Monitors hooked up to the Firepod itself since the Firepod is meant to replace the system's sound card. they also said i could just switch off the Firepod, then my Sound Blaster Audigy 2 would take over as the system's sound source. not only did that not work... it's completely asinine. considering the Firepod is attached to my PC as the central hub for a DAW, i'm sure there's gotta be a way to set the inputs as the 8 Firepod inputs and output the sound through my PC speakers in Cubase SX.

any help would be greatly appreciated. of course i plan to purchase monitors in the future, but right now, i was hoping to learn the Cubase software and Firepod hardware while i raise funds to continue building my DAW setup. i really don't want my Firepod to sit around useless until i get a pair of monitors.

now, i do own plenty of different kinds of speakers that are not being used for anything. stereo speakers, home audio speakers, hell i even have speakers from old amps/cabs that have been gutted for parts and such. if there is a way to output from the firepod directly into speakers like that without spending a bunch of money on special cables, that'd be great.

 

[TeddyG]

It is kind've a rip, isn't it!

Well, not really, but a quick glance at the pictures(Don't even have to read!) of the Firepod, on the Presonus web site, does seem to indicate a place for your speakers? "CR Out", or some such...

The presonus seems to "act" as a mixer, as well as I/O for your stuff and the computer. My LynxOne soundcard is even "worse", as theres no place to put speakers or headphones on the LynxOne, unless you use up it's "output" for them(Not good) and even then you'd have to hook some kind of an amp to the Lynx's output... That said, I will not be trading my Lynx, for a Firepod...(Another story, another time.)

I use "computer speakers"(Nice ones - still computer speakers) with their 1/8" jacks and plugs -- works fine -- I run the sound card to my mixer(Your Presonus IS such a setup, by default), and my "powered" speakers/phones from the mixer. You can do so, too by purchasing 1/8" to 1/4" adapters at the music store and switching your speakers to the Presonus output..."Alot of expensive adaptors"??? Nah, a few bucks. You may have to follow Firepods directions to hear all of your computer sounds, internal CD/DVD's etc.

Now, we're done here and you have speakers(Bet the Firepod headphone jack worked all along, ey?)((You have headphones, right?)).

Let this be a lesson to you! KNOW WHAT YOU'RE BUYING! Know how it's going to work and integrate with your system BEFOREHAND! There is no excuse for lack of easily available knowledge(And, Gee-whiz, as I didn't even have to do more than look at the Firepod pictures for about 2 seconds!?)...(((Oh! That's right! I've made the same mistake only about a million times already, so "I know" - heh, heh, heh...)))

YES! WE ALL DO THIS -- TOO OFTEN!(Way to often...) - feel no shame - THIS TIME!!! Fifteenth time you spend the big money on something you can't get to work with what you already have --- THEN feel shame...

It'll work out, all will be well, keep studying and building up that (Eventually) expensive box(es and boxes - and boxes) full of "adapters". Buying the gear is easy, knowing how to "adapt" it to actually work, is our business!


TG

 

[mud5150]

yes it would be completely assanine to use a product against specifications and have it not work. Let me explain. The whole point of buying the firepod is to use the firepod, so your speakers should be hooked up to the outputs on the firepod. You can setup cubase to output to your pc soundcard but your perfromance would be so poor there would be no point. If you want to actually get into recording at some sort of semi pro level your gonna have to realize that everything isn't how you see it in your head, if you think that sucks then go ahead and develope aproduct that meets your needs. Bottom line is you should have speakers connected to the firepod and cubase should be outputting to it, if you still want to use your comp for web browsing mp3 playing you should hook up a second set off speakers to your sound card. Thats the bare minimum to get your stuff to work. My recommendation would be to have a seperate pc for recording not running any internet crap or games or anything. Anyway hope that helps

 

[JLawyer]

right that all makes perfect sense.

but my problem is i am waiting for 2 more paychecks before i can snag a pair of monitors and was hoping to get a halfway decent feel for the software itself in that time. suppose i could use headphones for now. i really don't enjoy headphones, but seems to be my only option. was hoping there was a way to set up in Cubase to just output through my PC sound card. but i can't find it if it's there.

as far as my PC, it should be pretty solid for recording. all i need is some more ram (only 1 gig right now) and a higher RPM hard drive as far as that goes. will probably invest in one of the 15k RPM SCSI drives.

 

[Randyman...]

Just get a 1/8" to RCA adaptor for your current speakers, and plug them into the Firepod (assuming they are some sort of POWERED speakers). If your speakers are relying on the Soundcard for power (un-poweed monitors), I might not do this.

15K SCSI drives are killer, but totally un-needed. A standard 7200 RPM ATA-100 or SATA will get you well over 50 Tracks (more like 100 Tracks) - so you'd be spending 4x the cash for un-needed performance gains. Spend that cash on a new set of monitors instead!!!!!!!!!