Connecting my monitirs to my desktop computer???

J

johnhpower

New member
I have what I think is a simple question and I hope someone can answer it. I am new to home recording, I recently purchased a Zoom R16 and a pair of JBL powered monitors. I (actually we) record to the SD card. I also just purchased Presonus Home Studio 5 Artist which I want to use for my editing and final mixing/mastering. We will record the tracks dry on the Zoom and I will then put the SD card into the computer and drag and drop the files into Presonus.

Because of my room dynamics the Zoom is located in a different location than my desktop computer. I want to be able to connect a 2nd set of monitors directly to my computer so I can hear what I am doing thru the monitors and I do not know how to do it. My preference would be to install a card in my computer that I could connect the cables to but I do not know if that exists so I am guessing a simple audio interface may be what you suggest. I know the Zoom can double as an audio interface but I do not want to be moving it back and forth.

At this point I do not need an audio interface for input into the DAW. I just want to be able to hear what I am working on thru monitor speakers.

Thanks
 
I think I'm missing something? You can plug an additional set of speakers into the computer's audio out socket with the correct cable, and the results may be OK, or not depending on the quality of the motherboard audio - these range from terrible with superimposed nasty noises to rather good. If you pop a card inside - it's probably cheaper and safer to buy a cheap USB external one to get away from bus noise inside the machine. Things like the common cheaper ones are actually quite good and better than most similar priced internal ones - even the cheap behringers do a damn good job, as do Scarletts and things like that. Nowadays, there's less and less good internal cards anyway.
 
Thanks but when you say "external "one" I do not know what the "one" is. An audio interface? A soundcard? The monitors will connect with either an XLR or 1/4" jack and neither of those connections is available on the back of my computer.
 
Yes, an external USB audio interface. Anything from $50 for the cheapest Behringer choice, to $100 for a Presonus Audiobox, to $150+ for various choices from Focusrite, Tascam and others. Most of the low-end interfaces have balanced 1/4" (TRS) jacks, so you will need TRS-XLR cables to connect your monitors.
 
Maybe I have been lucky but all the computers and laptops I have had have had very decent sound coming out of the headphone* line jack so do give that a go first.

WRT to cables you obviously need to split out the two channels from the 3.5mm plug to two mono 6.35mm jacks (pretty sure the monitors have 'combi' XLRs but will check) You MIGHT find a suitable cable on the web but don't stop breathing! Actually the cable will exist but may be hard to find on long enough.

Butty, butbut. Coming straight out of a sound card can be both scary and embarrassing and if there is enough in the kitty, buy a Mackie BK monitor controller. I say the BK because I have one and it has a 3.5mm stereo jack on the back which routs to the pot and thence to TRS jacks. That solves the connection problem, mini jack to jack cables you can get at B&Q and mono 6.35mm J-J plug from any guitar shop, any length you need.

Or indeed almost any AI will serve but if you can look for one with the VC pot on top. Most handy.

*With the proviser that most don't have enough welly for some 'pro' phones.



Dave.
 
Summarising what the others have said . . .

If you are just playing back, then the simplest and cheapest option is simply to connect the extra pair of monitors to the PC. You will need to get a stereo 3.5mm cable that goes to two 6.5mm jacks (or to whatever connection the monitors have . . . could also be RCA or XLR).

If this proves to be unsatisfactory (and the main reason would be the monitors picking up computer and other noise), the next option is to get an audio interface. Connect this to computer, then to the monitors.

If you want to get more sophisticated, the next step up would be to put a monitor controller between the interface and the monitors. This gives you a range of options, such as being able to directly control monitor levels, but also to switch to different inputs or outputs.
 
Why not use the R16 as connected to the pc as and interface and run the monitors from there. No need to buy another interface, the R16 is one. It is so easy to move from recording space to desktop with it. It's designed to be used like that(mobile recording and brought back to desktop).
I understand you stated that you don't want to move it back and forth, but it'll save you a few $$.
 
You can get something like this to run to your JBLs. I've done similar coming out of my Dell to my 305s. You need to make sure it's made like basic zip cord, so you can separate the 1/4" jacks by whatever width you need. Some of the "fancy" ones only give you about 12" of separation, which isn't enough.

I actually made mine out of old microphone cable so I could make them as long as I needed.

Amazon.com: 3m 3.5mm Stereo Jack Plug to 2 x 6.35mm (1/4") Mono Plugs Cable: Home Audio & Theater
 
gecko zzed said:
Summarising what the others have said . . .

If you are just playing back, then the simplest and cheapest option is simply to connect the extra pair of monitors to the PC. You will need to get a stereo 3.5mm cable that goes to two 6.5mm jacks (or to whatever connection the monitors have . . . could also be RCA or XLR).

If this proves to be unsatisfactory (and the main reason would be the monitors picking up computer and other noise), the next option is to get an audio interface. Connect this to computer, then to the monitors.

If you want to get more sophisticated, the next step up would be to put a monitor controller between the interface and the monitors. This gives you a range of options, such as being able to directly control monitor levels, but also to switch to different inputs or outputs.
Click to expand...

The main problem with going directly from laptop 3.5mm stereo to the monitors (it looks as if they have separate XLR and jack inputs) is that OP then has only software control of level.

This is both a pain to operate and also 'dangerous'. One day the DAW will go ape ***t and slam the levels to max or output white noise at 0dBu and the only recourse is a rapid shut down.

Electrically the solution is trivially simple. A tin with a 3.5mm jack in it, a 10k stereo log pot and a pair of TRS* 6.35mm jacks. Add cables to taste and Robert's yer whatsit. But of course you need a modicum of metalworking and soldering skill and worryingly, fewer and fewer people bother to learn those these days.

*One resistor per ch' and it can be 'impedance' balanced.

Dave.
 
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