Monitoring

[blacksummerrain]

I have an Alesis RA-100 power amp hooked up to my computer soundcard going into some Alesis monitors for monitoring purposes. However, the Alesis amp does not have a headphone jack.

How do you all set up your computer recording systems so that you can utilize headphones and switch between headphones and your speaker monitors?

Thanks.

[grinder]

Do you have a phone jack on the sound card?If not you could split the signal coming out of the 'puter and run it to a headphone amp.Actually, I think I've seen a headphone amp that would hook up between the sound card and the monitor amp that would A/B the signals.

[lost studios]

You don't happend to have an old small mixer laying around, do you? If so... they come in real handy as a monitoring board! Run the outputs of you sound card into it, then the outputs of the board to the power amp. You can feed a headphone distribution amp with the board as well. You'd also have the flexibilty of having people plug into the monitoring board and play along with whomever is tracking.

Good luck
ls

[blacksummerrain]

If I was to purchase a small mixer like a Behringer UB-100, would I also need to purchase a small headphone amplifier or would the Behringer be able to amplify the signal from the computer for the headphones?

Thanks.

[lost studios]

If you got a small mixer... and you only needed one set of headphones, then of course the behringer would be able to power them... You'd have your main outputs that went to your monitors, then a separate volume control for your headphones. (which you just plug into the headphone jack). Just line the soundcards outputs into a stereo channel's inputs...(you might need RCA to 1/4" adapters. Bring signal into the channel and your golden. You also probably would have 3 band of EQ to play around with...

good luck
ls

[blacksummerrain]

Lost Studios,

Thanks for your info. I read your previous reply when I was in a hurry and didn't thoroughly re-read it until after I had posted on the other thread. You had already given me most of the information I was looking for. I screwed up and should have followed up with you there, first.

Sounds like the mixer approach is the way to go. I have a 1/8" stereo jack in the back of my soundcard which I've split going into the back of my RA-100. I don't think it will be difficult to reproduce
the setup you are recommending. I just need to get my hands on a cheap mixer like the UB-1002.

Thanks, again.

[lost studios]

Yeah... go to radioshack and pic up a 1/8"stereo to RCA adapter and plug it into the soundcard line out....Plug an RCA into it and then run the RCA to a stereo channel on the board....the end of the RCA plugs into the board will need RCA to 1/4" adapters.

Good luck
ls

[tkingen]

I use a Presonus 4 channel headphone amp between the soundcard and monitor amp. You can mute the signal to the amp if so desired, or switch between stereo and mono. It's a good solution and sounds much better than an inexpensive mixer! Their usually less than $100.00.