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-- Connecting soundcard to monitors


Posted by Jimb0b on Jul-30-2008 14:18:

Connecting soundcard to monitors

Feel a bit stupid here, but im not sure how you go about doing it.

I was looking at the m-audio Studiophile BX8a monitors, and have a m-audio 2496 soundcard, and was wondering how you go about connecting them together ?

Back of monitor :
http://www.m-audio.com/images/globa...s/BX8a_Back.jpg

Soundcard :
http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_...e2496-main.html

Thanks.


Posted by Ray_Chappell on Jul-30-2008 14:33:

RCA to XLR cable, or RCA to 1/4" cable.


Posted by Acton on Jul-30-2008 14:48:

A really, REALLY tight piece of string......preferably cotton based.

It's certainly the cheaper option, but if that doesnt work very well then it is probably worth doing it the way Ray_Chappell mentioned


Posted by Jimb0b on Jul-30-2008 14:49:

Thanks!


Posted by Zak McKracken on Jul-30-2008 15:33:

btw consider ESI near 08 instead of those monitors, looks exact same, but their better. m-audio always tried to copy ESI

edit: u still probably want a volumekontroll between the soundcard and the monitors. check out this one:
http://www.smproaudio.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=64&Itemid=82


Posted by Eldritch on Jul-30-2008 23:07:

quote:
Originally posted by Ray_Chappell
RCA to XLR cable, or RCA to 1/4" cable.


RCA to unbalanced 1/4" TRS, yeah. XLR is for balanced signals.


Posted by Ray_Chappell on Jul-31-2008 12:58:

quote:
Originally posted by Eldritch
XLR is for balanced signals.


So is TRS.


Posted by Zak McKracken on Jul-31-2008 14:08:

u can run unbalanced on both trs on xlr, no problem, u just loose 3dB i think (not sure about this one).


Posted by DJ RANN on Jul-31-2008 20:03:

quote:
Originally posted by palm
u can run unbalanced on both trs on xlr, no problem, u just loose 3dB i think (not sure about this one).


Sorry palm, you are waaaaaaay of base on both your posts in this thread.

Firstly, the ESI Near 08 are exactly the same as the M-audio monitors. ESI bought them out first (they were made by a manufacturer in china) then M-audio got the same manufacturer to rebadge them about 6 years later. Both of them are crap and there are much better monitors on the market.

Second, you don't lose 3db, just the balanced aspect of the signal. There is a misconception that balanced signals operate at different line levels than unbalanced. The difference in DB is between pro (+4db) and semi pro (-10) operation levels in equipment, as nearly all unbalanced equipment is at -10db and most pro equipment is balanced at either -10 or +4db.

You are correct in that you can just run an XLR/TRS to phono just using the hot and cold connected respectively.


Posted by Ray_Chappell on Aug-01-2008 01:16:

quote:
Originally posted by DJ RANN
Second, you don't lose 3db, just the balanced aspect of the signal. There is a misconception that balanced signals operate at different line levels than unbalanced. The difference in DB is between pro (+4db) and semi pro (-10) operation levels in equipment, as nearly all unbalanced equipment is at -10db and most pro equipment is balanced at either -10 or +4db.


I'm kind of confused by your post. A true balanced connection is going to be louder than an unbalanced one. Balanced runs at +4, unbalanced at -10. Most pro equipment is balanced (+4), most semi-pro or retail equipment is unbalanced (-10). It's not a rule, but generally speaking, that is the case. That is why there is a relative variance in levels - it is balanced and unbalanced causing the variance, not necessarily pro and non-pro. Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but there is a difference between balanced and unbalanced. In this case, you are interjecting an unbalanced signal (the RCA phonos), so it won't really matter either way - the signal is only as good as its weakest link.


Posted by Zak McKracken on Aug-01-2008 01:35:

im pretty sure u loose 3dB when converting from XLR to RCA atleast (balanced or not ) from experience when i worked at a hifi-shop. dont know the theory behind it tho. i was not talking about the +4 / -10dB options around on monitors and soundcards.



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