Audio Interface to Connect Monitors

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Audio Interface to Connect Monitors

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Phalanx Phalanx is a male

Chronologic

Registration Date: 13-09-2007
Posts: 333

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I was really lucky and found a great deal on some used Mackie HR824 monitors.

Unfortunately now I have to connect them to my laptop. I have 4 USB ports and a firewire port. I'm running FL on my internal sound card, and I have a standard 1/8" headphone jack.

I don't care for all the bells and whistles, I just want something cheap that will allow me to connect the monitors to my computer and unfortunately I don't know too much about audio interfaces. Do you guys have any suggestions?

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28-08-2008 06:59

Muad'Dib Muad'Dib is a male

Andrejnalin

Registration Date: 02-12-2003
Posts: 4,197

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Define cheap. Big Grin

Terratec Phase 26? 245$
Or maybe Numark DJ I/O? 99$
Here is another one: TonePort UX1 - 89$

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28-08-2008 10:15

thechronic thechronic is a male

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Registration Date: 01-11-2002
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Cheapest will be to buy:
1 minijack plug
2 XLR male plugs
2 lengths of microphone cable

this will cost you around 8 euro.

A soldering iron and some tin you can borrow from a mate, this will cost you a beer.

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28-08-2008 10:30

Phalanx Phalanx is a male

Chronologic

Registration Date: 13-09-2007
Posts: 333

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quote:

Originally posted by thechronic
Cheapest will be to buy:
1 minijack plug
2 XLR male plugs
2 lengths of microphone cable

this will cost you around 8 euro.

A soldering iron and some tin you can borrow from a mate, this will cost you a beer.

So how would I rig this up exacly? And this would still give me an accurate sound and stereo image?

Could I use a Y splitter, or do I want the left and right channels going to each monitor respectively?

Thanks a lot for the help.

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This post has been edited 1 time(s), it was last edited by Phalanx: 28-08-2008 17:16.

28-08-2008 16:34

djfreemc djfreemc is a male

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Registration Date: 25-07-2003
Posts: 1,117

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If I'm not mistaken:
Make sure you buy 3-pin XLR plugs, they are the most common ones, but others exist (2 pin, 5pin are used for midi,...)
On the first XLR plug:
- pin 1: shielding (if your mic cable has 2 wires and a shielding, otherwise you need to use the shielding as - wire and connect it to pin 3)
- pin 2: + wire (supposing your mic cable has a black and white wire, you can use the white here)
- pin3: - wire (could be the black one)

On the second XLR plug:
Do the same as on the first, with another piece of mic cable.

On the mini jack plug: (this is the more dificult one)
make sure you buy a stereo mini jack and not a mono one, or it will be useless.
- bring together the 2 black -wires comming from the XLR plugs, and solder them to the sleeve of the jack (the part furthest away from the tip, most to the middle)

Now you need to choose which one of the xlr's will be right and which one will be left, I advise you mark them in some way.

- Now solder the white +wire of the right channel on the ring connection of the minijack
- Then solder the white +wire of the left channel on the tip connection of the minijack.

- Don't connect the shielding anywhere on the mini jack, this wil help you avoid disturbing and noisy ground loops.

For reference and pictures:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XLR
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRS_connector

Note that this might be the cheapest solution, but that will hear the flaws of your built- in soundcard on those monitors, so in time you may want to look out for a decent quality audio interface.

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28-08-2008 19:34

BattleDrone BattleDrone is a male

2161... the future.

Registration Date: 30-12-2005
Posts: 6,413

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quote:

Originally posted by djfreemc
If I'm not mistaken:
Make sure you buy 3-pin XLR plugs, they are the most common ones, but others exist (2 pin, 5pin are used for midi,...)
On the first XLR plug:
- pin 1: shielding (if your mic cable has 2 wires and a shielding, otherwise you need to use the shielding as - wire and connect it to pin 3)
- pin 2: + wire (supposing your mic cable has a black and white wire, you can use the white here)
- pin3: - wire (could be the black one)

On the second XLR plug:
Do the same as on the first, with another piece of mic cable.

On the mini jack plug: (this is the more dificult one)
make sure you buy a stereo mini jack and not a mono one, or it will be useless.
- bring together the 2 black -wires comming from the XLR plugs, and solder them to the sleeve of the jack (the part furthest away from the tip, most to the middle)

Now you need to choose which one of the xlr's will be right and which one will be left, I advise you mark them in some way.

- Now solder the white +wire of the right channel on the ring connection of the minijack
- Then solder the white +wire of the left channel on the tip connection of the minijack.

- Don't connect the shielding anywhere on the mini jack, this wil help you avoid disturbing and noisy ground loops.

For reference and pictures:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XLR
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRS_connector

Note that this might be the cheapest solution, but that will hear the flaws of your built- in soundcard on those monitors, so in time you may want to look out for a decent quality audio interface.

Ace explanation! Bigup

Check my soundcloud (exclusive tracks on there)

28-08-2008 21:47

Sentinel Sentinel is a male

Mr. Grumpy

Registration Date: 05-04-2008
Posts: 845

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Alternatively you can go to an electric repair shop and ask them to build you one for pretty much fuck all and you don't need to put any effort into building a cable yourself.

I did this for a custom mono mini jack to stereo 3/4 jacks to plug my laptop into my 10 channel analogue mixer.

Also m-audio usb 2.0 external soundcards are really cheap and are almost as good as firewire soundcards only real difference is they a hell of a lot cheaper than firewire models !

Here's some links to a couple of the usb models.

http://www.andertons.co.uk/acatalog/info..._medium=Froogle

http://www.stuff-uk.net/?s=ST-8250-10000-11

http://www.absolutemusic.co.uk/shop/view...duct=mautransit

Dirt cheap !

eZ.

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28-08-2008 22:55

Binary Havoc Binary Havoc is a male

Binary Havoc

Registration Date: 25-07-2007
Posts: 730

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i used the m audio firewire audiophile external card for a couple a years man, totally happy with the performance and can recommend. Getting a soundcard to feed those HR824s is an absolute must dude, why would you even consider feeding a direct output from a 1/8 mini jack output into them??

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28-08-2008 23:19

Sentinel Sentinel is a male

Mr. Grumpy

Registration Date: 05-04-2008
Posts: 845

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I wouldn't HaHa.

It's just an alternative cheaper method for people who are strapped for cash.

I can't afford a firewire card so I'm gonna get a usb m-audio ext instead and maybe some rokit 5's.

Besides for some reason this laptop didn't come with a firewire port which is a bit shit really.

A decent firewire hub costs about €80+ over here.

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29-08-2008 01:00

Phalanx Phalanx is a male

Chronologic

Registration Date: 13-09-2007
Posts: 333

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quote:

Originally posted by Binary Havoc
i used the m audio firewire audiophile external card for a couple a years man, totally happy with the performance and can recommend. Getting a soundcard to feed those HR824s is an absolute must dude, why would you even consider feeding a direct output from a 1/8 mini jack output into them??

You're right man I just bankrupted my account for the monitors but I'm getting paid for a freelance art job so tomorrow I'm buying a used M-Audio Firewire Solo interface. I would assume it's around similar quality to your Audiophile. I'm lucky because this job is just paying for the monitors and sound card.

Does it matter what kind of 1/4" TRS cords I use, or are they all pretty much the same?

Thanks.

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This post has been edited 1 time(s), it was last edited by Phalanx: 29-08-2008 11:15.

29-08-2008 10:51

Phalanx Phalanx is a male

Chronologic

Registration Date: 13-09-2007
Posts: 333

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Got everything hooked up, thanks for all the help guys!

Bigup

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30-08-2008 04:19

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