Using my monitors for a house party?

Sifunkle

Sifunkle

New member
Hi all,

Not strictly a question about home recording, but... my 2 housemates are having a joint birthday party at our house (rubik's cube party: you turn up wearing 6 different colours and have to swap items of clothing so that you end the night dressed all in one colour), and the closest thing we have to decent speakers are my KRK RP6G2s.

I'm wondering if there's some way I can rig it so I can play iTunes through them from my laptop. I figure I should be able to tweak the EQ in iTunes into some semblance of a party vibe.

The KRKs have ins for XLR, balanced TRS, and unbalanced RCA.

My laptop has 4 x USB 2.0 ports, VGA and HDMI (I have no idea what the latter two are for).

My audio interface (Lexicon Omega) has L & R line outs (how I connect my KRKs for monitoring), and has SPDIF In & Out.

Err... any ideas? Either if there's some cable I can buy to connect the monitors straight into the laptop, or if there's some way to get iTunes to play out of the audio interface? Only thing I know how to do with the interface is have it work through Cubase LE :D but perhaps there's some way to get iTunes to acknowledge the Lexicon drivers or... something...?

Any suggestions appreciated: you'll be make 2 sexy 22 year old gals very happy ;)

Cheers,

Si
 
Just for the record ..... I don't think you should be using your monitors in such a fashion. Unless it's a small party with a reasonable volume.

But there should be a 1/4" headphone jack out of your laptop and with an adapter or two from radio shack or the equivalent of what you have in OZ will do the trick.
 
Wait, aren't you using your interface as your soundcard? If you are, you should be able to connect your iPod to your laptop and simply play the songs from iTunes. The Omega works on USB right ? Just plug it in, go to your sound settings and choose the Lexicon as sound output. Connect the monitors to the Lexicon like you normally do, and everything playing on your laptop will now come through the monitors.
 
Thanks for the replies,

saads - That was actually pretty simple :) Really should have figured that out for myself :o

moresound - there was something gnawing at my conscience saying "Don't do it"... is it just a matter of leaving enough headroom not to blow the speakers? I know I don't normally have them very loud when I'm mixing...

As I see it, I can control the volume in iTunes, on my Lexicon (has a master out), and on the speakers themselves (which I usu. have set to 0 dB). Any recommendations on upper limits, if the headroom is indeed the key factor?

Cheers guys!!
 
Better find a way to protect the drivers man. Some people (especially drunk ones) have some sick need to poke at speaker cones. Especially tweeters. I'm not sure if you have something like this milk crate down under, but I would put the monitors in these from the rear so the bottom of the crate acts as a grille. And hide your pens and knives. Anything pokey. And they do make great redneck gear racks don't they? Yee haw! :D

Jimmy
 

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jimmys69 said:
Better find a way to protect the drivers man. Some people (especially drunk ones) have some sick need to poke at speaker cones. Especially tweeters. I'm not sure if you have something like this milk crate down under, but I would put the monitors in these from the rear so the bottom of the crate acts as a grille. And hide your pens and knives. Anything pokey. And they do make great redneck gear racks don't they? Yee haw! :D

Jimmy
Click to expand...

I was always curious how the GuitarMart speakers and other stores always had the cones poked in.
I found it strange because in all my life I never had an urge to poke the cones or even touch them?
No one I ever knew poked in cones, except a 2-3yr old nephew once on some floor level speakers with the cover off.

Wierd you mention "felt the sick need to poke at the speaker cones". I would recommend puttin the covers over them so these types dont see the vibrating cone, which might trigger something in their brain to want to touch and therefore stop the movement by pressing the finger on the cone, or they think its funny to mess up gear.

or put the speakers up really high so no one can touch them?

that would suck to have the speakers ruined.
 
Don't use them, go to the nearest pawn shop, online sellers, local paper classifieds and buy the biggest cheapest hifi (beer proof) speakers you can find with the loudest hifi amp you can find and use that for parties. If you have access to one a PA system would even be better.

Studio monitors are studio monitors.

Alan.
 
I got a kick ass Fisher Stereo system on Craigslist for $100 - 80 watt receiver and floor speakers, stand, dual cassette deck, and turntable! Was probably purchased in 1990 - don't think the guy ever turned it on. Anyway my pool now rocks.
 
+1 for find a different system.
My housemate asked to borrow my mackies for a houseparty. I laughed at him.

Same dude asked to borrow another guys macbook, and had no shame in saying he was worried that his own laptop might get damaged!!!

dumbass.
 
yep .......... no freakin' WAY I'd use my studio monitors for a party!

Unless you're looking for an excuse to get some new monitors of course.
 
I have found that honest-to-gosh PA's, even less-expensive ones, work much better for outdoor parties than home stereos. They sound better under the circumstances, and are much more robust.
 
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