Facilitating Headphone or Speaker Monitoring

[blacksummerrain]

Posted this basic question on another thread and am looking for additional input.

I have an RA-100 reference amplifier powering two Alesis Monitor One Mk2 speakers. I want to be able to switch between my speaker monitors and a set of headphones when recording on my computer. I have a headphone jack and volume control on the front of my CD Rom player but can't get any volume out of it when I try to play back anything I've recorded or when playing a CD.
Therefore, I need to have some sort of external controller.

Someone mentioned perhaps a mixer might work. Can I run my line out, which is currently going to my RA-100, to a mixer and then run from the mixer to the RA-100? A small mixer, such as a Behringer UB-1002 has a headphone jack. Or, would I run from my RA-100 to a mixer and then run from the mixer to my speakers?

Is there a better way? Also, would appreciate additional input and specific mixer or headphone amp suggestions if you have any.

Thanks, all.

 

[lost studios]

Well... I'm the one who responded to your thread in the Recording Techniques channel. We don't really like it when you post the same question in two different places... I did respond again in your other post.....but anyway.

First off... your definately not going to be able to use the headphone jack (which is probably muted in the audio ctrl panel) to monitor stuff that your recording in an audio app... so rule that out.

Secondly... yes, the mixer scenario will work fine for you and I recommend that strongly as it will give you additional flexibility than just using the soundcard>amp>speakers configuration....

What is the output of your soundcard like? Is it RCA? a single 1/8" stereo? What ever it is, you will input the left and right channels into a stereo channel on the mixer. Bring the channel level up to unity gain (0dB) on the mixer. Plug your headphones into the headphone jack and use the headphone knob on the mixer to control your headphone level which will be INDEPENDENT of the master out level which will be connected to the INPUT of your Alesis amp. Then obviously from the amp to speakers. You now can use the master out slider (I think its called 'main mix' on that mixer) to control the amount of signal feeding your amp.

DO NOT PLUG THE OUTPUT OF AN AMP INTO THE INPUT OF A MIXER!!! Unless you like destroying perfectly good gear..

good luck
ls