Studio monitor connecting laptop

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Studio monitor connecting laptop

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rockx
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Registration Date: 15-06-2007
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Hey, when i connect my studio monitor to my laptop trough a guitar cable to my headphones out of my laptop. It gives major static, as loud as the music itself.

Why is this, and how can i fix this??

07-09-2008 11:10

Sentinel Sentinel is a male

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Maybe because you need an ext soundcard to regulate it or whatever.

M-audio do some cheap USB ones - look them up !

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07-09-2008 15:53

djfreemc djfreemc is a male

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headphone output impedance: usually around 200 Ohm
Studio monitor input impedance: probably 8 Ohm

guitar cable: mono, unbalanced

headphone output: stereo, unbalanced
monitor input: 1xmono for each speaker, preferably balanced

Also you did not mention wether you where using active or passive monitors, that is if you do know there is a difference.

Bottomline: always make sure you know what you are doing before you connect stuff to each other, you wouldn't be the first to smoke up an amplifier or output circuit.

How do you solve it?
- Check if your monitors are active or passive
- If they are passive, you will need an amplifier capable of handling those speakers.
- A headphone output is exactly what it says: For headphones!!! Connecting normal speakers (after all we're not talking the mp3 speaker kind of crap here) to this is a no go, you may blow up the output circuit, wich will result in a repair costing about the same as a new laptop.
- As TheSentinel said: get a decent external soundcard with balanced outputs.
- Cables and connectors may look the same or similar, but there can be a lot of difference, always make sure you use the right cable for each connection.

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This post has been edited 1 time(s), it was last edited by djfreemc: 07-09-2008 20:12.

07-09-2008 20:11

rockx
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ok THX!, i got an active monitor(yeah just one).
So to solve this is to buy some external soundcard to fix it.
Any good links to any of em?

For instance would this do?

This post has been edited 1 time(s), it was last edited by rockx: 07-09-2008 21:08.

07-09-2008 21:01

rockx
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I saw online some threads about the Tascam US-122 and it sounds good only a bit pricy 130 euro's, im searching more around the budget of 50-60 euro's.

Any good links to any of em?

08-09-2008 18:23

Sentinel Sentinel is a male

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http://www.andertons.co.uk/acatalog/info_AUDIOUSB.html?utm_source=Froogle&u
tm_medium=Froogle

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

http://www.absolutemusic.co.uk/shop/view_product.php?product=mautransit

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08-09-2008 19:02

rockx
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Thx so much!

I was wondering could i record my guitar also with this? Cause i use monitors as output and recording guitar should be input right?

09-09-2008 10:07

Sentinel Sentinel is a male

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Aye should think so !!!

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09-09-2008 12:56

djfreemc djfreemc is a male

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quote:

Originally posted by rockx
Thx so much!

I was wondering could i record my guitar also with this? Cause i use monitors as output and recording guitar should be input right?

In that case I would advice the M-audio Fasttrack pro!
It has 2 inputs you can use for either microphones or guitar/instrument, and it has balanced outputs, where the audiophile or fast track have unbalanced outputs. It is a bit more expensive though, but I think you will find it is worth the extra money.

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09-09-2008 19:04

Sentinel Sentinel is a male

Mr. Grumpy

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Nice.

That would set me back about €176 as opposed to about €70 with the cheaper ones.

I'd go with the better one though too.

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09-09-2008 19:43

rockx
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So i bought the edirol UA-25. But still static noise. (guitar jack cable + headphone connector). What can i try next?? Jesus this sucks.

This post has been edited 1 time(s), it was last edited by rockx: 11-09-2008 19:49.

11-09-2008 19:48

rockx
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maybe my studio monitor is just broken, but i have hooked it up to my gameboy only device i have and there it doesnt give any noise??

11-09-2008 19:54

rockx
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ok i figured it out, its grounding or something when i unplug my laptop. The sound is perfect, only downer my laptop only goes 30 minutes, is there a way to get around this stupid phenomina?

Also my edirol audio interface isnt picking up the signal anymore? I plug it in usb, the light usb lights up from my audio interface. But no sound?

11-09-2008 20:21

Sentinel Sentinel is a male

Mr. Grumpy

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Where do you live mate ?

I had to buy a ups for my laptop to regulate the power input.
Keep it nice, steady & constant.

Otherwise without it my laptops create loads of static and usually fry within 4 months of use.

'ack.

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11-09-2008 20:42

rockx
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whats an ups? I live in Belgium. BUt i found the problem, when i unplug my laptop the problem is resolved. But my laptop only runs about 20 minutes on battery. So is there a way to fix "ground loop"?

11-09-2008 21:54

Sentinel Sentinel is a male

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UPS is a box thing that stops power surges and regulates the incoming|outgoing power supply.

Keeps it constantly level and stops it from drastically dipping and rising methinks.

I live in rural south of Spain and the power supply there ranges from 110 to 240v.

So I bought one of those ups things to stop from frying yet another computer.

This is my second laptop since moving to Spain 5 years ago.

I brought a desktop over with me from the uk and that fried on the spanish current within 6 months at the most.

Lost 4 years of programming work thanks to that and was without a computer for 2 years - Almost.

Bought a laptop and that fried in just under a year I think.

HaHa.

Look it up on google or something.

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12-09-2008 00:17

thechronic thechronic is a male

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All your audio equipment has to be earthed from the same earth point. Maybe your laptop is connected to a different outlet. Make sure all stuff that is connected to your audio gear is coming from the same power socket.

Also you need to use balanced cables, guitar cables are not suitable for connecting your speakers to your laptop. If the problem still exists with balanced cables, you need to get a pair of DI-boxes; or cut the ground on the cable. With guitar cables this is not possible.

You can recognize a balanced cable by the number of wires it has inside. A balanced cable has two wires and a shield, where a guitar cable only has one wire and shield. The jacks on both sides need to be balanced too; you can see two plastic separators on the tip of the jack. With an unbalanced guitar cable there is only one. The white wire has to be connected to the ring, the red one to the tip and the shield to the 'sleeve'.

Most cables have white and red wires, but sometimes you have different colours. The colours you use don't matter, as long as it is soldered the same on both sides and the shield is connected to the sleeve.

If you keep using guitar cables, not only will you have more chance of ground loops, but you will also have more noise being picked up by the cable.

Edit: I just read that you are using the headphone output of the UA-25. Don't use this output to connect your speakers. Instead use the two jack outputs on the back of the unit (labeled 'L' and 'R').
Also don't use the RCA (cinch)-outputs below the jacks on the back.

The only suitable outputs are the jacks on the back. The only suitable cables are balanced microphone cables with balanced (TRS tip-ring-sleeve) jacks.

You will notice a dramatic increase in sound quality, just by using the right cables and the right outputs Bigup

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12-09-2008 01:04

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