Monitor hookup?

[gospel]

Just bought some new monitors. The first I've ever had. I want to hook them to my PC. My question is how do I get two 1/4" plugs into one 1/8" hole????? I figured since so many folks are using their PCs now to record and mix that the monitors would be made to be hooked up to PCs. I guess not??

[Gidge]

what monitors?what soundcard?

[gospel]

M-Audio Studiophile SP-5Bs. The soundcard is what came with the Dell PC. To my knowledge it only has one 1/8" speaker hook-up.

[joshua m.d.]

i have seen a 1/8th inch stereo plug which goes to two 1/4th inch mono plugs... i wish i had the webbie for ya... but you gotta just search like crazy with those parameters, if i remember it was listed as a y-cable or something... it can be found.

[scottboyher]

You will need a Stereo 1/8" that splitts to 2 1/4" mono. I don't know where you are but these items aren't hard to find.

[KevinTran]

Doesn't it depend on whether the monitors are active or passive? Perhaps I missed something.

But any radioshack will have the 1/8" stereo to two 1/4" monos.

Isnt' it better to run the LINE OUT from the soundcard to a mixer/amp then to the speakers? Perhaps I'm showing my ignorance here.

[Robert D]

Your half right Kevin. Those are active monitors, so no power amp is necessary, but taking a line out as opposed to a speaker out is definetly a good idea, if there is one. If there isn't, Gospel, make sure you turn the soundcard volume all the way down when you hook it up, and slowly and carefully turn it up when you get it connected and play back some music. A speaker level input into those active monitors could be a painful experience for both you and your monitors. Either way, consider getting something like a M-Audio Audiophile card to go with those. 1/8 inch outs are pretty much never connected to a good sounding D/A converter, and you'll gain a lot of recording and playback quality by spending the $150.
Also, with active monitors it's a good idea to have a physical fader between soundcard and speakers. Beware of software mixers that can end up blasting your actives at full mega volume when you least expect it.
Regards, RD