Audio Connection Question at DVinfo.net

Steve Withers · June 19th, 2004, 05:34 PM

Well, I got my monitors and subwoofer from M-Audio. They're great, and really make a difference with video editing and audio mixing.

BUT there's a bit of a problem.

My soundcard, which is also made by M-Audio, is a 7.1 surround card. For instance, it has one output for both left and right speakers, another output for both left center and right center speakers, etc.

Example:
http://www.scifi-pics.com/images/revo_connections.jpg

The subwoofer, though, has a left input and a right input for a 2.1 setup.
Example:
http://www.scifi-pics.com/images/revo_sub.jpg

Those are 'TRS' plugs on the ends of the outputs. Those I do have, heh.

So... after reading the manual, which did not tell me anything useful, I figured I would need some kind of splitter cable. I went to Radioshack and got one. It works, sorta, but it only outputs one signal, the left (mono). So I have a mono setup.

This won't do...

I emailed M-Audio asking what the hell I should do. This is really dumb. One would think that because the soundcard and the speaker setup were made by the same company for the same purpose, they would interface.

Is there a special cable I need to buy that will split the signal, but split it into true left and right? Or do I need to have some sort of receiver? I'm really in the dark here, so any help would be appreciated =)

Harris Ueng · June 20th, 2004, 02:02 AM

Hey Steve,

I'm a bit confused with your revo_sub.jpg picture. Does your sub really have inputs for L/R/C/SR/SL/LFE? That would be the first time I've seen that on a sub for me.

Since I'm not familiar with the M-Audio system, I'll give you a generic answer for subs in general and hope that helps you out some...

Most subs will take a mono line-level signal directly as it's sole input. The ones that have stereo inputs usually sum the signal into mono internally. Keep in mind that the LFE channel of any x.1 (2.1, 5.1...) setup is mono in nature and the frequency range handled by the sub in music sources is generally panned center also. In other words, (sorry for the long answer, it's late), you can actually just run either (a) your Subwoofer line-out or (b, but not preferred) your Left line-out from your card to the (usually) Left line-in of your subwoofer.

Hope that helps a bit... Good luck!

Steve Withers · June 20th, 2004, 10:13 AM

<<<-- Originally posted by Harris Ueng :
I'm a bit confused with your revo_sub.jpg picture. Does your sub really have inputs for L/R/C/SR/SL/LFE? That would be the first time I've seen that on a sub for me.
-->>>

Yeah, that's correct. The sub is, I guess, its own amp and outputs to the monitors (satellites).

The sub at the moment is fine. There's one output on my soundcard for the sub, and one input on the sub for itself. No problem there.

The problem is when there's one output on the soundcard that's labeled "L/R satellites" and one input on the sub for both the L satellite and R satellite.

Hmmm, does someone know what this means? heh.

One annoyance is that out of the box, you won't be able to connect the LX4s to your PC. Owing to its studio monitor lineage, the LX4s have quarter-inch inputs, which is the standard connector in the pro audio studio gear market... But to route a garden-variety sound card's output into he LX4, you'll need three 1/8-inch jack-to-RCA patch cables and six RCA-to-quarter-inch converters, neither of which come with the base system or the upgrade kit.

Harris Ueng · June 20th, 2004, 12:45 PM

Ahhhh... I think I'm beginning to get the picture now. Let me see if I have this right...

Your sound card has (marked on the outputs), L/R, C/Sub, etc. You're asking how to get those signals into your sub inputs?

If that's the case, then I think you were on the right track. You'll need a stereo Y adaptor (not splitter) from your local Radio Shack or equivalent. You'll want a 3.5mm male plug on one end going to something else, often two 3.5mm female jacks or two RCA jacks. Make sure it's an adaptor not a splitter, since a splitter will split a stereo signal into two stereo signals. With an adaptor, it takes the stereo signal and puts each channel on a separate jack (mono outputs). If you use a splitter and use a mono cable on each end, you'd get two left channels.

You'll need a cable to connect your adaptor that has, on one end, the male plug for the adaptor, and a TS plug on the other. Don't get a TRS plug, because you're looking to feed a mono signal through.

Using your Center/Subwoofer channel as an example, (I'm guessing) your Center feed should be on the Left TS plug, and your Subwoofer feed should be on the Right TS plug.

Hope I'm making sense, let me know if it doesn't make sense or this doesn't answer your question.

Douglas Spotted Eagle · June 20th, 2004, 01:29 PM

One annoyance is that out of the box, you won't be able to connect the LX4s to your PC. Owing to its studio monitor lineage, the LX4s have quarter-inch inputs, which is the standard connector in the pro audio studio gear market... But to route a garden-variety sound card's output into he LX4, you'll need three 1/8-inch jack-to-RCA patch cables and six RCA-to-quarter-inch converters, neither of which come with the base system or the upgrade kit.
yeah, it means the dorks at the computer magazine that reviewed the monitors expected these to be computer monitor speaks when they're really aimed at entry level professional video folk. I was pretty surprised to read that.
You'll need to get 3.5 mm adapter cables to 1/4" cables to plug all this in. You will need SPLITTERS not adaptors, because all the inputs are mono on the back of the sub.
We travel with these on the ACID VASST tour, as they are terrific for small rooms.

Steve Withers · June 20th, 2004, 01:43 PM

Thanks, that clears it up =)

Hmm, do you know where I could find a splitter? I checked on the RadioShack site but I couldn't seem to find anything except the 1/8 to 1/4" cables and Y-Adapters.

Harris Ueng · June 20th, 2004, 05:45 PM

Steve,

Sorry, my bad, I flipped the two terms. (must not have had my morning coffee, yet) It is indeed a splitter you need, not an adaptor.

A quick search on Amazon has exactly what you need - an 1/8" male to two 1/4" males with 10' leads.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...onics&n=172282

My apologies for the mixup.

Harris Ueng · June 20th, 2004, 05:47 PM

I just noticed that the item on Amazon is not stocked or discontinued. Your local pro-audio or music store may carry these. I've even picked up similar items at the local Guitar Center.

Steve Withers · June 20th, 2004, 08:24 PM

Found a site that carries it. Thanks =)

Marty Atias · June 21st, 2004, 10:09 PM

The only connection to your sub's input is the cetner /sub output. I know this and confirmed it by reading the Revo 7.1's manual.

Connect your LF /RF speakers directly to the card, as well as your LR /RR and center surround speakers.

Like most sub's, yours has a built-in crossover for when an amplifier does not have it's own (no sub out). In that case, you send the main audio channels into the sub, it extracts the LF audio, and sends the rest to the satellites. But you do not have to use it.

Your card has separate outputs for satellites and the center channel /sub. Using the software drivers provided with the card, bring up the control panel and set up your system.

Steve Withers · June 21st, 2004, 10:15 PM

Well, ok, except for one slight problem...

Heh, but seriously, I got a response from M-Audio telling me to get the cable that I just ordered from J&R... so I should be all set =)

"Using a Stereo 1/8" to Stereo RCA 'Y' cable, you should be able to connect the ouput of the Revolution to the L and R inputs on the Sub/receiver of your 2.1 speaker setup."

Marty Atias · June 21st, 2004, 11:08 PM

Sorry, I meant preamplifier (line out), not amplifier.

Consider it. There really is no need to go through all the extra cables and adapters

June 19th, 2004, 05:34 PM	#1
Steve Withers Regular Crew Join Date: May 2003 Location: New Haven, CT, USA Posts: 59	Audio Connection Question Well, I got my monitors and subwoofer from M-Audio. They're great, and really make a difference with video editing and audio mixing. BUT there's a bit of a problem. My soundcard, which is also made by M-Audio, is a 7.1 surround card. For instance, it has one output for both left and right speakers, another output for both left center and right center speakers, etc. Example: http://www.scifi-pics.com/images/revo_connections.jpg The subwoofer, though, has a left input and a right input for a 2.1 setup. Example: http://www.scifi-pics.com/images/revo_sub.jpg Those are 'TRS' plugs on the ends of the outputs. Those I do have, heh. So... after reading the manual, which did not tell me anything useful, I figured I would need some kind of splitter cable. I went to Radioshack and got one. It works, sorta, but it only outputs one signal, the left (mono). So I have a mono setup. This won't do... I emailed M-Audio asking what the hell I should do. This is really dumb. One would think that because the soundcard and the speaker setup were made by the same company for the same purpose, they would interface. Is there a special cable I need to buy that will split the signal, but split it into true left and right? Or do I need to have some sort of receiver? I'm really in the dark here, so any help would be appreciated =)

June 20th, 2004, 01:29 PM	#5
Douglas Spotted Eagle VASST Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Stockton, UT Posts: 5,648	One annoyance is that out of the box, you won't be able to connect the LX4s to your PC. Owing to its studio monitor lineage, the LX4s have quarter-inch inputs, which is the standard connector in the pro audio studio gear market... But to route a garden-variety sound card's output into he LX4, you'll need three 1/8-inch jack-to-RCA patch cables and six RCA-to-quarter-inch converters, neither of which come with the base system or the upgrade kit. yeah, it means the dorks at the computer magazine that reviewed the monitors expected these to be computer monitor speaks when they're really aimed at entry level professional video folk. I was pretty surprised to read that. You'll need to get 3.5 mm adapter cables to 1/4" cables to plug all this in. You will need SPLITTERS not adaptors, because all the inputs are mono on the back of the sub. We travel with these on the ACID VASST tour, as they are terrific for small rooms. __________________ Douglas Spotted Eagle/Spot Author, producer, composer Certified Sony Vegas Trainer http://www.vasst.com

June 21st, 2004, 10:09 PM	#10
Marty Atias Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Silver Spring, MD Posts: 91	Hold the Phone, Keep It Simple. The only connection to your sub's input is the cetner /sub output. I know this and confirmed it by reading the Revo 7.1's manual. Connect your LF /RF speakers directly to the card, as well as your LR /RR and center surround speakers. Like most sub's, yours has a built-in crossover for when an amplifier does not have it's own (no sub out). In that case, you send the main audio channels into the sub, it extracts the LF audio, and sends the rest to the satellites. But you do not have to use it. Your card has separate outputs for satellites and the center channel /sub. Using the software drivers provided with the card, bring up the control panel and set up your system.

June 20th, 2004, 02:02 AM	#2
Harris Ueng Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Palo Alto, CA Posts: 55	Hey Steve, I'm a bit confused with your revo_sub.jpg picture. Does your sub really have inputs for L/R/C/SR/SL/LFE? That would be the first time I've seen that on a sub for me. Since I'm not familiar with the M-Audio system, I'll give you a generic answer for subs in general and hope that helps you out some... Most subs will take a mono line-level signal directly as it's sole input. The ones that have stereo inputs usually sum the signal into mono internally. Keep in mind that the LFE channel of any x.1 (2.1, 5.1...) setup is mono in nature and the frequency range handled by the sub in music sources is generally panned center also. In other words, (sorry for the long answer, it's late), you can actually just run either (a) your Subwoofer line-out or (b, but not preferred) your Left line-out from your card to the (usually) Left line-in of your subwoofer. Hope that helps a bit... Good luck!

June 20th, 2004, 10:13 AM	#3
Steve Withers Regular Crew Join Date: May 2003 Location: New Haven, CT, USA Posts: 59	<<<-- Originally posted by Harris Ueng : I'm a bit confused with your revo_sub.jpg picture. Does your sub really have inputs for L/R/C/SR/SL/LFE? That would be the first time I've seen that on a sub for me. -->>> Yeah, that's correct. The sub is, I guess, its own amp and outputs to the monitors (satellites). The sub at the moment is fine. There's one output on my soundcard for the sub, and one input on the sub for itself. No problem there. The problem is when there's one output on the soundcard that's labeled "L/R satellites" and one input on the sub for both the L satellite and R satellite. Hmmm, does someone know what this means? heh. One annoyance is that out of the box, you won't be able to connect the LX4s to your PC. Owing to its studio monitor lineage, the LX4s have quarter-inch inputs, which is the standard connector in the pro audio studio gear market... But to route a garden-variety sound card's output into he LX4, you'll need three 1/8-inch jack-to-RCA patch cables and six RCA-to-quarter-inch converters, neither of which come with the base system or the upgrade kit.

June 20th, 2004, 12:45 PM	#4
Harris Ueng Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Palo Alto, CA Posts: 55	Ahhhh... I think I'm beginning to get the picture now. Let me see if I have this right... Your sound card has (marked on the outputs), L/R, C/Sub, etc. You're asking how to get those signals into your sub inputs? If that's the case, then I think you were on the right track. You'll need a stereo Y adaptor (not splitter) from your local Radio Shack or equivalent. You'll want a 3.5mm male plug on one end going to something else, often two 3.5mm female jacks or two RCA jacks. Make sure it's an adaptor not a splitter, since a splitter will split a stereo signal into two stereo signals. With an adaptor, it takes the stereo signal and puts each channel on a separate jack (mono outputs). If you use a splitter and use a mono cable on each end, you'd get two left channels. You'll need a cable to connect your adaptor that has, on one end, the male plug for the adaptor, and a TS plug on the other. Don't get a TRS plug, because you're looking to feed a mono signal through. Using your Center/Subwoofer channel as an example, (I'm guessing) your Center feed should be on the Left TS plug, and your Subwoofer feed should be on the Right TS plug. Hope I'm making sense, let me know if it doesn't make sense or this doesn't answer your question.

June 20th, 2004, 01:43 PM	#6
Steve Withers Regular Crew Join Date: May 2003 Location: New Haven, CT, USA Posts: 59	Thanks, that clears it up =) Hmm, do you know where I could find a splitter? I checked on the RadioShack site but I couldn't seem to find anything except the 1/8 to 1/4" cables and Y-Adapters.

June 20th, 2004, 05:45 PM	#7
Harris Ueng Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Palo Alto, CA Posts: 55	Steve, Sorry, my bad, I flipped the two terms. (must not have had my morning coffee, yet) It is indeed a splitter you need, not an adaptor. A quick search on Amazon has exactly what you need - an 1/8" male to two 1/4" males with 10' leads. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...onics&n=172282 My apologies for the mixup.

June 20th, 2004, 05:47 PM	#8
Harris Ueng Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Palo Alto, CA Posts: 55	I just noticed that the item on Amazon is not stocked or discontinued. Your local pro-audio or music store may carry these. I've even picked up similar items at the local Guitar Center.

June 20th, 2004, 08:24 PM	#9
Steve Withers Regular Crew Join Date: May 2003 Location: New Haven, CT, USA Posts: 59	Found a site that carries it. Thanks =)

June 21st, 2004, 10:15 PM	#11
Steve Withers Regular Crew Join Date: May 2003 Location: New Haven, CT, USA Posts: 59	Well, ok, except for one slight problem... Heh, but seriously, I got a response from M-Audio telling me to get the cable that I just ordered from J&R... so I should be all set =) "Using a Stereo 1/8" to Stereo RCA 'Y' cable, you should be able to connect the ouput of the Revolution to the L and R inputs on the Sub/receiver of your 2.1 speaker setup."

June 21st, 2004, 11:08 PM	#12
Marty Atias Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Silver Spring, MD Posts: 91	Sorry, I meant preamplifier (line out), not amplifier. Consider it. There really is no need to go through all the extra cables and adapters