Is this possible??? - Spare speakers

A

ab5150

New member
Hi guys,

I've acquired four different sets of old bookshelf/hifi style speakers - all varying in size - ALL passive

The biggest being about this size: eBay - Page Not Found

And the smallest being about this size:
http://www.paragontech.com.au/wp-con...n-speakers.jpg

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I wanted to use these four sets of speakers on my desk as a 'second' set of reference speakers to check my mixes on - to save me having to bounce my mixes to do a thousand car checks, etc.

My main setup - Connected to my PC is a Line 6 UX2 which functions as my interface and soundcard - which feeds my main monitors (equator D5's).

I was looking to have a setup where i can unplug the Equators (my main monitors) from my UX2 interface and (temporarily, when needed) feed the ux2 to a small amplifier, which will run through a speaker switcher - connected to the four sets of speakers i've acquired.

This is the amp i was looking at:
http://www.daytonaudio.com/index.php...er-15-wpc.html

And this is the speaker switcher:
http://www.selby.com.au/av-distribut...box-a1043.html

Preferably I dont want to spend a fortune - as I simply thought it would be a good use for the unused speakers lying around. I'm not too concerned about the amp or the switcher coloring/affecting the sound - as i will just be referencing/A-B'ing with commercial mixes. Just looking for a different perspective than from my main monitors every now and then.

Not sure if this is practical, possible, safe.. Any help, info or advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you in advance,

Aaron
 
It shouldn't be any problem using the speaker switcher, I used to use one that I bought from radioshack and it worked just fine.

There are also Line level switchers that you could use to toggle between your active speakers and the power amp.
 
Awesome, thanks guys.

Ive attached a pdf diagram that hopefully will make it even easier to visualise.

my main concerns –
1) Will the 30w Dayton be able to give me enough power to listen on each set of the passive reference speakers (individually – not simultaneously) at direct low to moderate volumes? (speaker set 1 is 2x20w, set 2 is 2x30w, 3 & 4 - I’m not sure – but they are bigger in size.) Ill be listening from less than a meter away at my desk.

2)Please see point ‘A’ in the attached diagram – I guess this is what Farview is talking about - it’s a question of either manually unplugging the analogue outs of the UX2 to switch between listening to either the equators (mains) or the Dayton (which feeds the passive reference speakers) / OR / buying some sort of device such as the Behringer MON800 or a 'line level switcher' to control the destination instead of manually unplugging – and whether such a device will have a detrimental effect on the sound, particularly when I’m mixing for the majority of the time on my main equators – which I obviously don’t want any change or colouring of the sound.

Hope I’ve explained things a little better,
I really appreciate your time and advice
Aaron
 

Attachments

  • Speaker Setup.pdf
    938.2 KB · Views: 3
Just something to think about that I have found in the past.

I have a 5 pair speaker selector from a car stereo store install. I have 5 pairs hooked up.

What I realized is that was really not doing me much good as all of them were in the same room. Yes each pair sounded different, but the idea is more of getting out of the room you are recording in so that you are not fooled by what your room is telling you. Not necessarily the speakers themselves.

I don't use them at all anymore...
 

Attachments

  • Wall of sound.jpg
    Wall of sound.jpg
    46.9 KB · Views: 84
Thanks man, thats a great point, I hadn't thought of that - i still will be testing final mixes in other rooms, but just throughout the mixing process it would be nice to be able to quickly switch between speakers when i'm struggling to make decisions or losing perspective.
 
I myself do that with one pair of bookshelf speakers and two pairs of monitors at my desk in control room.
 
As I replied on your post on the Line6 forums, yes you could use the headphone out on the UX2, however be careful of overdriving the input section of the power amp - keep the volumelevel low.
Or just use 2way adapters from the 1/4" monitor ouputs on your uS2, one to th eEquators and one to the power amp.
Also, as I said, if your room has acoustic treatment, the Equators are going to give you the best translatable sound, and running the sound through a bunch of cheap speakers in the same room won't help you too much.
 
Last edited:
I may have a different train of thought on the whole thing, but Imma put it out there --

Firstly, as has been mentioned, the room. The greatest speakers on the planet are fairly worthless in a room that can't support them.

But the speakers -- ONE SET of speakers that you're intimately familiar with. *Maybe* ONE other set -- and that would usually be a contrast -- I have a "small" set here (well, small by comparison but larger than a lot of popular "studio monitors" out there), manufactured by the same company that made my mains, using similar drivers and design concepts, just to hear what something would sound like on "normal" speakers.

That said, I almost never power them up. There's no need, as I'm familiar enough with the mains to *know* what the smallies will sound like.

Otherwise, it's like trying to learn to throw darts with six different darts. Toss them all and hope you get a bullseye. If you want to be consistent, you have to use have constants & controls. You can experiment with different weights and different flights, but once you find a preference, you practice with one set.
 
All very good points, thanks guys, i will take all of this into account. Thank you for your time and input :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top