Can you go from a 3.5mm dual L/R mono connection to a 3.5mm stereo male connection?

mcduke

New member
I know you can use an adapter to split a stereo signal into two mono signals, but can you use that same adapter and do the reverse of that. In other words combining two mono signals into a stereo signal?

The reason I'd like to try this is that I have a computer that I'm using to record music with, but i really don't want to purchase studio monitors for it. Instead I have a dual speaker system that's pretty good and has a 3.5mm stereo input for the one speaker (primarily for CD connection, or anything that can use the 3.5mm input). Then that one speaker splits the signal between it and the other speaker. So, I'd like to connect the left / right output of the computer sound card using an adapter ( 3.5mm dual mono male connectors to a 3.5mm stereo connector ). Then I'd simply connect the 3.5mm stereo male connector into the 3.5mm stereo input of the one speaker (which would split the stereo signal mono for each speaker. It sounds like it would work, but I'm hoping someone would know for sure if it's worth a try or not since I have no idea.:D
Thanks.
 
Yeah, it's the same cable. I guess I'm curious what souncard/interface you're using that has two 1/8" holes for stereo output...
 
When I go TO MONO, it has to be MONO on that end. When you put a MONO plug on a stereo cable, both signals go to tip

"I know you can use an adapter to split a stereo signal into two mono signals"
A stereo signal is two MONO signals. What we would look to(speak of) as "Stereo", in this case, are the three-conductor plugs and jacks.

Normally, what you are looking for is a 3.5mm stereo plug on each end. The general computer sound cards only have 3.5mm stereo in and out Often labeled headphones and MIC. If your soundcard does have left and right out, then the mono to stereo Y-cable is what you want
 
I have the Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi SB0460 7.1-Channel PCI Sound Card and after looking at the manual, well duh, I don't know what I was thinking about mono outs from it. Geez, it doesn't say much for my powers of observation.:facepalm: Thanks for the info and simplifying what I need to do. All I need then is a 3.5mm stereo cable to go from the sound card to the speaker. I guess I was just over thinking the problem. :D
 
Does the speaker have a volume pot on it? If not you will be forced to control level from DAW software, never a good idea.

A 10k stereo log pot in a tin is beer into water to make and gives you control when (not if!) the digital system goes White Noise Ape Shit at 3am.

Dave.
 
I have the Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi SB0460 7.1-Channel PCI Sound Card and after looking at the manual, well duh, I don't know what I was thinking about mono outs from it. Geez, it doesn't say much for my powers of observation.:facepalm: Thanks for the info and simplifying what I need to do. All I need then is a 3.5mm stereo cable to go from the sound card to the speaker. I guess I was just over thinking the problem. :D

We've all done it!
Just make sure you use a TRS 3.5mm. If you don't know, that means three silver or gold contacts separated by two coloured (usually black) bands.
 
hah. I don't have a lot of luck reading the symbols found sound blasters, and now, you got 7.1 to decipher. Of course, they may expect you to have the Creative speakers with all the right colors on the leads
 
Isn't that noise just cheap amp circuits. I've never had it : )

No, it is a digital sound system going nuts. You can also get the level slammed to 0dBFS and most of us will have plugged around and gotten feedback?
It is for THESE times that you need an analogue volume pot to dive for especially if Mr Grumpy next door has a retraining order out on you for being a noisy illegitimate in the wee smalls!

Dave.
 
Ya, like I said, cheap amps circuits : ) But, I do appreciate the 2-3 inch level knob, for sure.
 
There's nothing wrong with cheap amps! The components are ubiquitous and there are some very good chips today that cost almost nothing. The technology is not new or mysterious, and the circuits are not novel. The basic example circuit in the chip's data sheet is all you need for audio applications. The power supply is important, and board layout can make a difference, and in AD/DA work the stability of the clock is important, but again none of this is cutting edge anymore. If you're looking for clean, quiet, and flat, it really doesn't have to cost much. It's when you don't want clean, quiet, and flat but rather want color and distortion which sounds pleasant that things start to get more expensive.

Both of my Tascam interfaces put out intermittent blasts of horrible noise when they are powered on but not connected to a working computer. IDKWTF it is, but if I leave it on, and turn off the computer, it starts sending out some kind of distress call. It's not fun in the mix room and it's really not fun when it comes through the PA in the basement!

Anyway... Stereo on TRS is always left and right on two separate wires, and you can always get away with splitting those two wires to two separate mono plug/jacks no matter which direction you're going. As long as you're keeping them separate, it's not an issue. I have a strange case where I'm running a headphone output to a 2.1 set of computer speakers. When I first wired it up, I didn't have a good 1/4" TRS > 1/8" TRS that would reach. What i did have was a 1/4" TRS > dual RCA and an 1/8" equivalent and a pair of female>female RCA coupling adapters. So it just occurred to me now that I bought exactly the cable I need for that about a month ago (so I could connect to the speakers in the TV for yet another perspective), and probably should have bought two...

...but now when you don't want to keep the two wires separate, that is a different issue. If you have a single mono source, and need to split that to two destinations (mono > stereo or whatever), you can get away with a simple y-cable. You can also go TS > TRS in this direction as long as your cable actually connects the T on one side to the T and R on the other.

You cannot - well should not cause it probably won't sound very good and might damage something - use that same cable in the other direction. When you have a stereo source, and want to go to a single mono input and still hear everything from both sides - to mix the two signals down to one - you really need something more than straight wire. That would have the effect of connecting the outputs of the two amps to each other. They will load each other down and fight each other and you could have signal loss, frequency loss, distortion, in worst case even smoke or flame. All it needs is a resistor in series with each wire before they get connected. A simple project if you've ever soldered before, and actually pretty good for a first project if you're looking to learn, but there aren't too many cheap off-the-shelf alternatives that I'm aware of.
 
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Well, the stereo to MONO adapter plug has been around for decades. Ya, I've still got adapters from before plastic.

Surface mount is about as cheap as they can make it. hahah Witness the birth of outlet strips to protect the snowflake electronics.
 
Yeah, it's the same cable. I guess I'm curious what sound card/interface you're using that has two 1/8" holes for stereo output...

After you pointed that out I realized I was over thinking what I wanted to do. All I had to do was use a 3.5mm stereo cable with male ends, plug one end into the sound card front speaker stereo out to the 3.5mm aux stereo input of the speaker. The sound card can do up to 7.1 channels and for some reason I kept thinking I had to go from the front speaker and rear speaker output of the sound card.

It's connected up and works fine, and the speakers do have separate volume control and they even have an output for a subwoofer. Thanks for the info guys :listeningmusic:
 
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