Hooking up Sub with Monitors

[UNGER]

I'm using M-Audio Studiophile BX-5 Monitors with an MBox and a Powerbook G4. I have an active Samson Resolv Sub 88 Subwoofer. How do I hook the subwoofer up to work with the monitors? Right now I have a 1/4" splitter from one of the outputs in the MBox to both of the monitors...would I use the other 1/4" output on the MBox to go directly to the sub, or would i connect cables from the monitors to the sub?

[ssscientist]

Riiiight. We get it.

Rather than reading any manuals you want to bother us with every single little question.

RTFM. It stands for 'read the foolish/forking/frolicking/frumpy manual'. And sometimes a different 'f' word is used...

[UNGER]

I have read the instructions fool--why else would I ask these questions. I have an MBox and am in a special situation considering the MBox only has 2 outs. Read into the posts.

[mshilarious]

Well, I don't have the manual, but the Samson site says:

Originally Posted by Samson Audio

Gold plated XLR inputs and high pass outputs for satellite speakers

So you send the stereo outs from the MBox to your sub, and the high pass outs from your sub to your monitors.

[UNGER]

I heard all of my wires should be mono wires first of all? And a friend suggested I use a splitter in one of the MBox's outs, one end going to a monitor, the other to the sub, and the other out straight to the other monitor...what about this setup?

[mshilarious]

Originally Posted by UNGER

I heard all of my wires should be mono wires first of all? And a friend suggested I use a splitter in one of the MBox's outs, one end going to a monitor, the other to the sub, and the other out straight to the other monitor...what about this setup?

No, because then the signal wouldn't go through the sub's crossover, which could seriously screw up your response at the crossover frequency.

As for cables, you need two 1/4" TRS - male XLR cables. They each carry a single channel (left or right) balanced signal.

[Richard Monroe]

Sorry, but as far as I understand it, your friend is dead wrong. The left and right outs of the Mbox (or anything else, for that matter) go to the left and right inputs of the sub, by balanced connections. Then the left and right outs on the sub go to the mains. The crossover in the sub, usually frequency adjustable, sends all frequencies below the set point to the sub, and all frequencies above the set point to the mains. A good set point for most music production is usually about 100-120hz. Good luck, and I wouldn't ask that guy for too much recording advice. It sounds like he's describing a setup for a PA, not a studio monitoring system.-Richie

[shackrock]

ha, actually he asked me...BUT, this is before he told me his sub had any outs.

If you wanted to hook up the sub without buying an outboard crossover, and no outs on the sub, with the mbox, what I said would be the only way to do it.

however, I agree completely that it'd not be the good setup.

ha.
so there!
haha

[mshilarious]

Originally Posted by shackrock

ha, actually he asked me...BUT, this is before he told me his sub had any outs.

In that case, it could work, but you'd have to nail the crossover frequency to mesh with the rolloff from the monitors. It would take an RTA to get that right. And in an untreated room, all bets are off.

[shackrock]

agreed. haha.