Mixer Aux Send + 1/4 inch cable + 1/4 to 3.5mm + speaker = noise

krishna-icm

New member
I have a working recording setup. I was trying to monitor the sound from my mixer by using my bluetooth speaker and I just hear noise.

The cabling is: From the Aux Send of my Yamaha mixer I connected a 1/4" male to male cable. Then I connected a 1/4" stereo to 3.5mm adapter that I just bought. I plugged it into the aux-in port of my bluetooth speaker. It created a loud noise. I tested the individual components and they are all working fine. Any thoughts on my issue?

The only component I couldn't test is the adapter. But I tried with 2 different adapters and the problem still remains.
 
As ever, model numbers of the two items PLEASE!

The input gain of such BT devices is fixed and could be quite high. The AUX out of the Yamaha is, I am willing to bet, +4dBu and so the internal noise could well be quite high.

You need to check the AUX out into something else. An AI (and then post a clip) or even a headphone amp.

How does the BT box work with say a feed from a phone? And lastly, "tested the individual components" How?

Dave.
 
As ever, model numbers of the two items PLEASE!

The input gain of such BT devices is fixed and could be quite high. The AUX out of the Yamaha is, I am willing to bet, +4dBu and so the internal noise could well be quite high.

You need to check the AUX out into something else. An AI (and then post a clip) or even a headphone amp.

How does the BT box work with say a feed from a phone? And lastly, "tested the individual components" How?

Dave.

Ok, stupid me. The loud noise was just feedback coming from my mic! It works when I put my speaker behind the mic. Sorry about the post. I should have tested it better and figured this out myself.

I do have another related question though. When I take the feed from my audio interface headphones out instead of the mixer, it doesn't work.

Here is my setup:
iPhone connected to Yamaha mixer 102c. Phones out from the mixer is connected to channel 2 of the audio interface MAudio Duo. My mic is connected to channel 1. Duo is connected to my mac. The bluetooth speaker is Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 5.

Test1: Mixer Aux Send to the bluetooth speaker Aux in works fine now.
Test 2: Duo Headphones out to bluetooth speaker Aux in doesn't work. It give some electric noise.
Test 3: Duo Headphones out to headphones works.

Any thoughts?
 
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You are screwing things up the way you are taking mono>stereo and stereo>mono. If you are sure your Bluetooth input is stereo, you need to use a 3 conductor (stereo) cable from the headphones to it.

The headphone output of mixer or Duo is stereo, the Duo 1/4" input is mono. Use appropriate mono>stereo or stereo>mono adapters.
 
Ok, stupid me. The loud noise was just feedback coming from my mic!

That's why elsewhere I said to use headphones. I know you are uncomfortable using headphones, but if you want to pursue recording further and get good quality results, you should get used to them.
 
That's why elsewhere I said to use headphones. I know you are uncomfortable using headphones, but if you want to pursue recording further and get good quality results, you should get used to them.

OP may like to buy the .pdf of the current Sound on Sound, good article on mixing on headphones.

Dave.
 
Thanks [MENTION=39487]mjbphotos[/MENTION], [MENTION=119528]gecko zed[/MENTION], Dave. Per your suggestions I believe I fixed up my mono/stereo mixups and using headphones to monitor. I used the mixer's Aux Send instead of Phones to feed to my AF since both are mono from what I read. I connected my headphones to the Phones jack of the mixer using a stereo 1/4" to 3.5mm adapter.

Everything is clean now minus one mystery. My headphones works great when I push the adapter half into the Phones jack. When I push it all the way in the sound is weaker. I don't understand why. I thought the Phones jack, the adapter and my headphones are all stereo and should be compatible.

Additional context: I am an Indian classical vocalist. I am using virtual tanpura and tabla instruments from an iPhone app. The iPhone is connected to the mixer. I'm trying to listen to the tanpura/tabla tracks on my headphones while I record my voice in the mic.
 
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Phew, finally figured out. My iPhone connection to mixer is using a 2 conductor 3.5mm on the iPhone end. Using a 3 conductor 3.5mm on the iPhone side and dual mono on the mixer input side fixed it. I learnt a lot about mono vs stereo and balanced vs unbalanced in this entire process!
 
Phew, finally figured out. My iPhone connection to mixer is using a 2 conductor 3.5mm on the iPhone end. Using a 3 conductor 3.5mm on the iPhone side and dual mono on the mixer input side fixed it. I learnt a lot about mono vs stereo and balanced vs unbalanced in this entire process!

Yes, this catches a lot of people out. Note too that a very great deal of AIs, mixers and other hardware these days uses 'impedance balanced' outputs and thus there is no signal on the 'cold' conductor. Ring for TRS, pin 3 for XLR*.
There is also a bit of a fashion now for 'zero' impedance headphone outputs. These SHOULD be short circuit proof but I advise caution. Lot of AIs now have DC coupled outs. Not really a problem but beware of serious thumps through monitors!

*'Pin two hot' is not absolutely universal I understand so still might catch you out.

Dave.
 
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