XLR-Jack-Speaker-thingamajig question

philbagg

Just Killing Time
Ello people :)

Hope this is the right forum...

Just wondering... Gonna be gettin me some krk rokit 5's pretty soon...
XLR inputs on them.

I gots an MBox2, only has mono 1/4" jack outputs for the monitors.

As we know, XLR = balanced, mono 1/4" = unbalanced.

I was thinking of getting two xlr cables and two mono 1/4" adapters for em...

Will the signal be unbalanced? Or am I talkin sh#@~? (long day :p )

Cheers,
the tired guy
 
I have no problem running TRS-to-XLR cables between my 003 rack and rokit 6's.

Just check with the music store before you buy cables that you impedance match the output of the MBox to your rokits.
 
Im browsing around now and all I've come across is stereo 1/4" to xlr cables...

I'm a little confused considering the mon outs on an mbox is 2 mono (L + R)

:confused::confused::confused:
 
Sorry to bump this thread, but Im just looking now and discovered the outputs of the MBox 2 are unbalanced 1/4"... Would buying balanced connectors to go to my speakers be pointless?
 
Sorry to bump this thread, but Im just looking now and discovered the outputs of the MBox 2 are unbalanced 1/4"... Would buying balanced connectors to go to my speakers be pointless?

Well ya but I believe they would still work it's just that you've broken your balanced signal line and your going to get or be apt to get hums and buzzes from like florescent lights / power supplys etc.
 
best off just to go with mono 1/4" to mono 1/4"?

Ya gotta love how digi market the mbox as "pro" yet the outputs are unbalanced...
 
I'll check it out when I go to the studio tomorrow we have a xbox lying around somewhere and Ill get back to you.
Now are you sure that it's not one of those new connectors that are duel XLR and 1/4"
 
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Ello people :)

Hope this is the right forum...

Just wondering... Gonna be gettin me some krk rokit 5's pretty soon...
XLR inputs on them.

I gots an MBox2, only has mono 1/4" jack outputs for the monitors.

As we know, XLR = balanced, mono 1/4" = unbalanced.

I was thinking of getting two xlr cables and two mono 1/4" adapters for em...

Will the signal be unbalanced? Or am I talkin sh#@~? (long day :p )

Cheers,
the tired guy

Just go from 1/4" TS to XLR. Will the signal be unbalanced? Yes. It's an unbalanced signal to begin with. Does that matter? not really. The world used to be entirely unbalanced and it did not come to an end. Unless your monitors are more than 20 feet from the interface, you lose about 6db of gain, which in the greater scheme of things, doesn't make a rat's ass bit of difference. I use an Avalon AD2022 every day with an RNC, which is an unbalanced unit, and the world has not come to an end. Be happy and stop worrying about it. Balanced connections are not necessary.-Richie
 
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I'll check it out when I go to the studio tomorrow we have a xbox lying around somewhere and Ill get back to you.
Now are you sure that it's not one of those new connectors that are duel XLR and 1/4"

The outputs of the mbox2 are 1/4" only, but the KRK's have 2 separate balanced input connections for both TRS and XLR, and one unbalanced for RCA.

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/aug04/images/krkrear.l.jpg

Just go from 1/4" TS to XLR. Will the signal be unbalanced? Yes. It's an unbalanced signal to begin with. Does that matter? not really. The world used to be entirely unbalanced and it did not come to an and. Unless your monitors are more than 20 feet from the interface, you lose about 6db of gain, which in the greater scheme of things, doesn't make a rat's ass bit of difference. I use an Avalon AD2022 every day with an RNC, which is an unbalanced unit, and the world has not come to an end. Be happy and stop worrying about it. Balanced connections are not necessary.-Richie

Thank you.
 
best off just to go with mono 1/4" to mono 1/4"?
1/4" is not necessarily always mono. You're better off using the terms TS and TRS. The signal itself determines whether it's mono or stereo.

Ya gotta love how digi market the mbox as "pro" yet the outputs are unbalanced...

Just because something is unbalanced doesn't mean it's "unprofessional"
A guitar output is unbalanced...but you wouldn't say a professional guitarist is using an unprofessional guitar.
 
Bit of a noob question but whats the difference between TS and TRS?

like moresound said....almost
;)

I'm being picky, but there is a difference.
What we have is three different things. A mono/stereo signal...a balanced/unbalanced signal...and a type of connector. All of these are matched up in different ways.

You can have a mono signal that is balanced and being sent through a TRS connector.
You can have a stereo signal that is unbalanced and being sent through a TRS connector.
You can have a mono signal that is unbalanced and being sent through a TS connector.
You can have a mono signal that is unbalanced and being sent through a TRS connector.
etc. etc.

It really all depends on what your gear is doing...NOT the cable. If a) you're sending out a mono or stereo cable and b) if you gear is physically making that signal a balanced signal (or leaving it unbalanced). Then you just plug in the correct cable in order to keep that connection between gear A and gear B.
 
like moresound said....almost
;)

I'm being picky, but there is a difference.
What we have is three different things. A mono/stereo signal...a balanced/unbalanced signal...and a type of connector. All of these are matched up in different ways.

You can have a mono signal that is balanced and being sent through a TRS connector.
You can have a stereo signal that is unbalanced and being sent through a TRS connector.
You can have a mono signal that is unbalanced and being sent through a TS connector.
You can have a mono signal that is unbalanced and being sent through a TRS connector.
etc. etc.

It really all depends on what your gear is doing...NOT the cable. If a) you're sending out a mono or stereo cable and b) if you gear is physically making that signal a balanced signal (or leaving it unbalanced). Then you just plug in the correct cable in order to keep that connection between gear A and gear B.

Thats what I thought ;)

Says I have to spread some rep? I dont think i've ever given you any?
 
like moresound said....almost
;)

I'm being picky, but there is a difference.
What we have is three different things. A mono/stereo signal...a balanced/unbalanced signal...and a type of connector. All of these are matched up in different ways.

You can have a mono signal that is balanced and being sent through a TRS connector.
You can have a stereo signal that is unbalanced and being sent through a TRS connector.
You can have a mono signal that is unbalanced and being sent through a TS connector.
You can have a mono signal that is unbalanced and being sent through a TRS connector.
etc. etc.

It really all depends on what your gear is doing...NOT the cable. If a) you're sending out a mono or stereo cable and b) if you gear is physically making that signal a balanced signal (or leaving it unbalanced). Then you just plug in the correct cable in order to keep that connection between gear A and gear B.

Like what bennychico11 said exactly.
 
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