KRK Rockit 5 and headphones question

A

acoustichris

New member
Hey guys,
I finally bought a set of monitors. I am running them through a Presonus Inspire 1394 Firewire with a set of RCA cables. I have been noticing some buzzing sounds. Shouldn't the monitors be absolutely dead silent when there is nothing being played through them?

Also, when I am recording, I like to have my headphones on so I can hear what I am playing. The way I have it set up, the sound comes through both the headphones AND the monitors. I am using GargeBand. How can I make it so I can hear either just the headphones or just the monitors?

Thanks for helping this newb.
 
acoustichris said:
Hey guys,
I finally bought a set of monitors. I am running them through a Presonus Inspire 1394 Firewire with a set of RCA cables. I have been noticing some buzzing sounds. Shouldn't the monitors be absolutely dead silent when there is nothing being played through them?

Also, when I am recording, I like to have my headphones on so I can hear what I am playing. The way I have it set up, the sound comes through both the headphones AND the monitors. I am using GargeBand. How can I make it so I can hear either just the headphones or just the monitors?

Thanks for helping this newb.
Click to expand...

The Presonus comes with a control panel function that is installed when you run the installation program. Open it and you'll find the controls you need to do this. It's covered pretty well in the manual (pg. 17)
www.presonus.com/media/manuals/inspire1394manual10.pdf
 

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TeyshaBlue said:
The Presonus comes with a control panel function that is installed when you run the installation program. Open it and you'll find the controls you need to do this. It's covered pretty well in the manual (pg. 17)
www.presonus.com/media/manuals/inspire1394manual10.pdf
Click to expand...

Thanks but I think when I turned down the speakers knob, it turned down the headphones as well. Is this possible?

Also, any help with the buzzing I hear? I have the PreSonus plugged into the computer and am also using the power cable. I just read that that might be a cause of buzzing in the monitors because they are all plugged into the same power strip so I will unplug the power cable and just use the power from my PowerMac G5. Hopefully this will work?
 
where do you have the headphones plugged in? IIRC, the inspire does let you adjust the headphones-out and the monitors-out separately using the control panel.

My Inpsire had noisy/buzzy preamps. The phono input also seemed noisy. When you turn down the preamps all the way in the software control panel, does the buzz in the monitors stop or decrease? I've got the KRK Rockit 5's also, and they should be pretty quiet unless they're getting the buzz fed to them.

Bus power is one thing to try, but if they're all plugged into the same outlet (strip) then actually I think that's *less* likely to cause a buzzing problem then if, say, you had the computer and the monitors and the inspire all plugged into different circuits. I could be wrong about that. I only ever used bus power for my Inspire, btw, and I never hooked the KRKs to it.

For the KRK's, I think I've only used the balanced inputs (coming from a balanced source, of course), but perhaps I've used them as computer speakers and gone with the RCA before - I don't ever remember thinking they were noisy.
 
antichef said:
where do you have the headphones plugged in? IIRC, the inspire does let you adjust the headphones-out and the monitors-out separately using the control panel.

My Inpsire had noisy/buzzy preamps. The phono input also seemed noisy. When you turn down the preamps all the way in the software control panel, does the buzz in the monitors stop or decrease? I've got the KRK Rockit 5's also, and they should be pretty quiet unless they're getting the buzz fed to them.

Bus power is one thing to try, but if they're all plugged into the same outlet (strip) then actually I think that's *less* likely to cause a buzzing problem then if, say, you had the computer and the monitors and the inspire all plugged into different circuits. I could be wrong about that. I only ever used bus power for my Inspire, btw, and I never hooked the KRKs to it.

For the KRK's, I think I've only used the balanced inputs (coming from a balanced source, of course), but perhaps I've used them as computer speakers and gone with the RCA before - I don't ever remember thinking they were noisy.
Click to expand...

Should I be using other cables beside RCA's?

The headphones are plugged into the Inspire next to where the monitors are plugged in.

I have not tried anything you mentioned. I will when I get home from work later. I don't really know what you mean by balanced and un balanced source either. Sorry. total newb.

Thanks for the help though!
 
The inspire does have mini TRS outputs for a balanced line out signal. You may want to ditch the RCA and use those to the Rokits. You will need to make or buy cables that go from mini trs to 1/4" trs or xlr
 
acoustichris said:
Thanks but I think when I turned down the speakers knob, it turned down the headphones as well. Is this possible?
Click to expand...

No, not if you have the headphones plugged into the correct outlet. There are 2 mini plug outlets on the back of the Inspire. One is for headphones, the other for monitors. It sure sounds like you have the phones plugged into the Monitors mini out instead of the phone mini out.

acoustichris said:
Also, any help with the buzzing I hear? I have the PreSonus plugged into the computer and am also using the power cable. I just read that that might be a cause of buzzing in the monitors because they are all plugged into the same power strip so I will unplug the power cable and just use the power from my PowerMac G5. Hopefully this will work?Should I be using other cables beside RCA's?

The headphones are plugged into the Inspire next to where the monitors are plugged in.

I have not tried anything you mentioned. I will when I get home from work later. I don't really know what you mean by balanced and un balanced source either. Sorry. total newb.

Thanks for the help though!
Click to expand...
If the buzzing is the typical 60 cycle hum, then you might have a bad cable. Try another set of cables and see if it persists. What are you using for lights? Fluorescent lighting can often induce this kind of noise.
 
Washburn100 said:
The inspire does have mini TRS outputs for a balanced line out signal. You may want to ditch the RCA and use those to the Rokits. You will need to make or buy cables that go from mini trs to 1/4" trs or xlr
Click to expand...


Would Guitar Center carry something like this? Do I just say I need a "mini TRS" cable or is there a better name for it?
 
How long are the cables you are using? Try to keep your cables as short as possible. Long cables create noise. Your cables could also be picking up noise if they are rubbing up against other cables.

For me, the easiest way to turn off my monitors so I can just hear through my headphones is to, believe it or not, hit the off switch on each monitor.
 
Washburn100 said:
They might. Mini TRS would look exactly like the plug on a set of ear buds, but the way it's wired is different. Here would be mini trs or mini stereo or might be called 1/8"TRS or 1/8" stero plug going to an xlr:

http://www.audiogear.com/cgi-bin/shopper.cgi?key=AdptFxMsm&preadd=action

The other option is to 1/4"TRS to mini TRS which would look like this:
This is probably your best bet for price and availability
http://www.audiogear.com/cgi-bin/shopper.cgi?key=AdptQsmMsm6ft&preadd=action
Click to expand...

I only have one mini TRS slot though so I would need them split to go into each monitor right?

Which will give me the best sound? RCA, TRS or XLR?
 
acoustichris said:
I only have one mini TRS slot though so I would need them split to go into each monitor right?

Which will give me the best sound? RCA, TRS or XLR?
Click to expand...

My mistake.
I looked at it again and it is not balanced mini TRS. It is just mini TRS or actually 1/8" stero. There would be no difference from using this or the RCA plugs you are using.
 
Washburn100 said:
My mistake.
I looked at it again and it is not balanced mini TRS. It is just mini TRS or actually 1/8" stero. There would be no difference from using this or the RCA plugs you are using.
Click to expand...

Ok. So RCA is my best bet afterall? Should I look to upgrade my Firewire when I have the money to do so or am I ok?
 
acoustichris said:
Ok. So RCA is my best bet afterall? Should I look to upgrade my Firewire when I have the money to do so or am I ok?
Click to expand...

That one's not so easy and you will have to decide. Is there anything inparticular you don't like about the 1394? Is it lacking something you need? Is there something you need your interface to do that it can't?

Upgrading for the sake of it usually just leads to buyers remorse. Not to say you shouldn't, but ask yourself why you should?

Boy that sounds like esoteric bullshit, but you get what I mean.;)
 
Washburn100 said:
That one's not so easy and you will have to decide. Is there anything inparticular you don't like about the 1394? Is it lacking something you need? Is there something you need your interface to do that it can't?

Upgrading for the sake of it usually just leads to buyers remorse. Not to say you shouldn't, but ask yourself why you should?

Boy that sounds like esoteric bullshit, but you get what I mean.;)
Click to expand...
Nope, that sounded like good sense and bloody good advice. This is esoteric

"As breathing is my life, to stop I dare not dare".........
 
grimtraveller said:
Nope, that sounded like good sense and bloody good advice. This is esoteric

"As breathing is my life, to stop I dare not dare".........
Click to expand...

ESOTERIC (The meaning of Life) Amin-sus4

"Life is just one long sexually transmitted disease with a 100% mortality rate!"

Maybe I should try this in G:D
 
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