Connecting studio monitors for the first time?

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clntgn

New member
Hi, all. I recently bought a pair of Event 20/20p (powered) online and just got them today. For the first time I realized, I really have no idea what I'm doing connecting them!

I know that I need TRS cables to connect them to the balanced outs of my interface, but what do I do with this weird cable the seller sent me that has two exposed wires on each side? One is copper, the other is silver. Also there's a switch on the back that says "PUSH TO RESET" and has a "4 amp" running down the side.

Thanks in advance! And most of all I'm surprised at how large and heavy they were compared to what I thought they were going to be.

EDIT: OH! And one last thing. There's all of these spot that look like they should have knobs on them for the HF and LF filters, but instead have what look like flathead screws on them. How would I get these into the 0Db position, or at least how would I know?
 
I did a quick google on the speakers. What I can gather is that one of them houses the amplifier section, and into which you take a line out of your interface and plug into channels A & B.

The 'weird cable' connects the speaker level output from this unit to the terminals on the other (black and red).

The HF and LF filters that have "what look like flathead screws on them" are adjusted with a small screw driver. They're designed that way to prevent accidental position changing. Once you set them, there's no need for further adjustment.
 
clntgn said:
Hi, all. I recently bought a pair of Event 20/20p (powered) online and just got them today. For the first time I realized, I really have no idea what I'm doing connecting them!

I know that I need TRS cables to connect them to the balanced outs of my interface, but what do I do with this weird cable the seller sent me that has two exposed wires on each side? One is copper, the other is silver. Also there's a switch on the back that says "PUSH TO RESET" and has a "4 amp" running down the side.

Thanks in advance! And most of all I'm surprised at how large and heavy they were compared to what I thought they were going to be.

EDIT: OH! And one last thing. There's all of these spot that look like they should have knobs on them for the HF and LF filters, but instead have what look like flathead screws on them. How would I get these into the 0Db position, or at least how would I know?
Click to expand...

Ummmm...
Did you buy these speakers new? (Although I'd suggest avoiding buying any mixing monitors that advertise themselves as "Big Ass Sound" lol). Judging from pics I'm looking at, the 0Db position should be 12 o'clock. Not sure what that other cable would be for...maybe someone else can help you out with that.
 
how can you achive the flat freaquecy sound or two speakers with out have to spend hundreds of dallors on exsenive amplified speakers.
i have a stereo with a built in eq set to the flat preset would that be concider flat cause my computer's ran through my usb audio interface and my 16'in head phone jack is ran from the audio stereo out put into a
16in to a RCA L & R cable jack in to my Aux inputs connection in my stereo. Would this be a way to get flat freaqucy sound and if not can some one please tell me thanks

myspace.com/treofspades
 
I figured the weird cable was for the exposed part, but which end goes to the red and which to the black?

No, they were not new unfortunately, but from pictures online it appears that the small eq parts were supposed to be that way, as gecko zzed said. I think once I get some TRS cables I'll adjust them to get them to sound flat.

Also, I think the one that advertises itself as "Big Ass Sound" might be the bas, the next step up. I don't really know though, since I'd bought them online.

Thanks for all the help, everyone!
 
treofspades said:
how can you achive the flat freaquecy sound or two speakers with out have to spend hundreds of dallors on exsenive amplified speakers.
i have a stereo with a built in eq set to the flat preset would that be concider flat cause my computer's ran through my usb audio interface and my 16'in head phone jack is ran from the audio stereo out put into a
16in to a RCA L & R cable jack in to my Aux inputs connection in my stereo. Would this be a way to get flat freaqucy sound and if not can some one please tell me thanks

myspace.com/treofspades
Click to expand...

I am going to attempt to translate this into English and guess you are asking if you set your stereo with EQ sliders all to the center will that give you a flat EQ sound.
The answer is no. The amp in the stereo will color the sound enhancing different frequencies - studio monitors are built to have no color at all - to play the audio exactly as it sounds. If you play a CD in 10 different home stereos, you will get 10 different sounds - monitors try to give you an accurate sound so your mix will be well balanced.
 
clntgn said:
I figured the weird cable was for the exposed part, but which end goes to the red and which to the black?
Click to expand...

It doesn't matter, so long as whatever you have going into the red at one end goes to the red at the other. So you can, for example, plug the silver into the red and the gold into the black at both ends.
 
Alright, thank you for the all the help, but I have another question.

So, I know the order for turning on is everything else first, then you turn on the monitors. And then its the opposite for turning them off.

But I still get a loud sort of clicky poppy noise every time I turn off the monitors, even if I turn it off before everything else. I don't get this on power-on though, although I do get a sort of moderate thump. Am I doing something wrong?
 
clntgn said:
Alright, thank you for the all the help, but I have another question.

So, I know the order for turning on is everything else first, then you turn on the monitors. And then its the opposite for turning them off.

But I still get a loud sort of clicky poppy noise every time I turn off the monitors, even if I turn it off before everything else. I don't get this on power-on though, although I do get a sort of moderate thump. Am I doing something wrong?
Click to expand...

Exactly how loud is it? Some noise is not unusual, but you don't want it to wear down your monitors over time!
 
It's moderately loud. Not so loud that it hurts my ears, but enough to be noticeable to maybe someone just outside the room (small room). That's what I was worried about was wearing down the monitors. I'd already bought them used, so I'm trying to get as much life as I can out of them.
 
clntgn said:
It's moderately loud. Not so loud that it hurts my ears, but enough to be noticeable to maybe someone just outside the room (small room). That's what I was worried about was wearing down the monitors. I'd already bought them used, so I'm trying to get as much life as I can out of them.
Click to expand...

Yeah, sounds too loud to be healthy. Does turning down your monitor send button work?
 
Well, I turned the output of my audio interface all the way down, but that didn't help. Do you mean the input level knobs on the back of the monitor?
 
I think I've tried turning down everything that I can turn down on both the interface and the monitors. I think the pop only comes out of the right (master) speaker, if that means anything. I think that's where the amp is. Could something in the speaker need replaced?
 
clntgn said:
I think I've tried turning down everything that I can turn down on both the interface and the monitors. I think the pop only comes out of the right (master) speaker, if that means anything. I think that's where the amp is. Could something in the speaker need replaced?
Click to expand...

Possibly, or it could be a part in the amp. I don't think I'll be much help with that stuff though :(
 
Hm :( Well, thank you. I hope I can get this figured out without having to pay for a tech or have any one go in and repair it.

Wait. I just turned off now, and it seems like the click/pop was only a little louder than the sound of the switch. Is that still bad, or is that an alright sound? I mean, overtime of course anything is probably damaging, but is this a relatively normal amount? It's near instantly after I flip the switch.
 
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