Mixing desk speaker setup

[downonthestreet]

I have some very old but excellent quality and pretty accurate Spendor hifi speakers set up on either side of my computer to act as monitors when recording and mixing down, and also as computer speakers.

They are much larger than the average computer speaker and way less efficient, and can't be properly driven by the amping mechanism within the computer, so I've got them connected to an 80W hifi amp. The hifi amp is connected via its Line In to the computer.

Something is not working as it should, however, because I can't hear any panning through the Spendors when adjusting the panning of tracks within CEP - I CAN hear the panning clearly through earphones.

I have checked that the Spendors are in phase by moving the balance on my hifi amp from left to right etc...the speakers respond as they should. So, the speakers behave perfectly with the amp - they just don't seem to be responding to what I am doing on the computer. I can adjust the volume of sound on my computer using the hifi amp, or the Master control on my soundcard module (Creative Audigy 2 Platinum Soundblaster)...so the speakers are responsive this far.

Obviously, there is something wrong with the way I have set up my speakers/amp. It's no doubt something extremely basic that is wrong, but as you'll have noted by now, I am not very savvy technically. Can anyone see what I am doing wrongly here?

[Megaman]

The hifi amp is connected via its Line In to the computer.

Is the connection stereo? A lot of people who do this seem to get a mono 1/4" instead of a stereo connector without even noticing. If your jack is stereo then I don't know what would cause it

[downonthestreet]

Megaman

The connection from the amp is via L and R RCA plugs that go down to a single jack into the back of the computer. I would have thought that the fact that there are L and R RCAs coming out of the hifi amp would have automatically meant that the connection was stereo - is this not necessarily correct?

(NB: the single plug that goes into the back of the computer has 2 black circles of plastic or whatever on its shaft...think this denotes stereo, doesn't it?)

If my connection plugs are stereo, there is no other reason I am not hearing the panning accurately when mixing in CEP, then? ie: my setup is ok?

Cheers

[Megaman]

Yes you are correct on the stereo jack. I was just double checking since it's easy to miss.

I can't hear any panning through the Spendors when adjusting the panning of tracks within CEP - I CAN hear the panning clearly through earphones.

Are you plugging your headphones into the amp or an aux headphone jack on the computer? If you're running them through the amp and getting the pans I'm not sure what would be the problem

[downonthestreet]

Hi again, Megaman

I'm listening through earphones plugged into the earphone socket on my Audigy 2 soundcard module. Any further clues from that info?

This has got me stumped.

[Megaman]

Well if you're going from the line out on the sound card to the amp's line in, the only thing I'm guessing is the amp is overiding your CE panning and using it's own.

I guess you might try to use the headphone out into the amp and see if you can pan with CE.

[thajeremy]

make sure your amp is in stereo mode and not bridged.

[downonthestreet]

thajeremy

Thanks for the suggestion, but I'm using an old Kenwood integrated hifi amp, and I don't suppose it's been bridged - such an amp would automatically be in stereo, wouldn't it? When I play CDs through it, they are in stereo, so I guess that means the amp can't be bridged?

Megaman

I'm a bit iffy about going from the earphone out on the soundcard module into the amp - but thanks for the idea, and I will probably give it a tentative go (and rip the cords out quickly if I smell anything burning!). What would cause the amp to override the CEP panning anyway? This shouldn't happen, should it? Bloody annoying.

[thajeremy]

Using the headphone out wouldnt be too much power. It should work just fine. I think that if the amp plays stereo from CD's that the amp isnt the problem. The problem has to be in CEP...or maybe its a bad soundcard???

[Smurf]

I know this is an old thread, but are you comming out of the FRONT line out on the card and not one of the REAR line outs? Just a thought...................