would this work?

[corban]

I would like to send signal to my monitors from the headphone jack on my MOTU 24i. I'll explain why, but would this work? I haven't been able to find any kind of quarter-inch Y adaptor that will separate the L from the R of a stereo signal. Even if I could I don't know if

The 24i only has a main L and R output, as well as a headphone jack. The volume knob can be set to control just the headphone output, which right now with my limited hardware and routing options is the only way I could turn down my monitors without turning down my headphones. My only other option for tracking would be turning off the monitors to track, and I'm worried that will damage them if I'm turning them on and off too often.

 

[Massive Master]

I'd just assign two outputs to a headphone amp.

But if you really need to do it, it's just an insert cable.

 

[corban]

I appreciate the reply. Keep in mind from my post that I have only three possible outputs from my interface: left, right, and headphones. So I can't do any assigning of outputs. Unless I'm misunderstanding what you're saying.

An insert cable will work hey? Sweet. The sentence I somehow left unfinished in my original post was supposed to say that i don't know if the level from a headphone jack will be appropriate to run into powered monitors. I've heard rumours that I may be running into an impedance mismatch or some such thing that I don't fully understand.

 

[Massive Master]

True - And I have no idea if the headphone output is calibrated on the 24I/O.

ASSUMING you're using the 24IO (your original post said 24-I --

If that's the case, you have 24 outputs. You can always assign one or two of them as an aux to a headphone amp. That's what's generally done.

 

[Farview]

The 24i is just 24 inputs and control room outs...

I hate how manufacturers have the headphone output attached to the control room output. It's just stupid. Either disconnecting them or turning them on and off is really your only two options short of getting a small mixer or switch.

 

[MCI2424]

The 24i is just 24 inputs and control room outs...

I hate how manufacturers have the headphone output attached to the control room output. It's just stupid. Either disconnecting them or turning them on and off is really your only two options short of getting a small mixer or switch.

If the manufacturers were smarter, this post would not exist. This post now exists forever. You have been validated.......................

Good Job!

 

[corban]

True - And I have no idea if the headphone output is calibrated on the 24I/O.

ASSUMING you're using the 24IO (your original post said 24-I --

If that's the case, you have 24 outputs. You can always assign one or two of them as an aux to a headphone amp. That's what's generally done.

yes, confusion often happens over that. it's the 24I. not I/O.

 

[corban]

True - And I have no idea if the headphone output is calibrated on the 24I/O.

ASSUMING you're using the 24IO (your original post said 24-I --

If that's the case, you have 24 outputs. You can always assign one or two of them as an aux to a headphone amp. That's what's generally done.

massive what do you mean about the headphone output being calibrated? I'm just trying to figure out if a headphone output can drive powered monitors.

 

[Whale Bone]

I'd just assign two outputs to a headphone amp.

I only have 2 analog outs as well, so I run them into a Presonus HP4 headphone amp/monitor control which gives me independent volume controls for 4 different headphones and my monitors. There's a monitor mute switch also. It's very handy and works well. $99.


Edit: headphone amp/monitor control - Sorry, I didn't mean to suggest before that it is an amplifier for passive monitors.

 

[corban]

damn, by then I knew better than to buy behringer, but i figured, it's just a headphone amp, it doesn't matter. I'm pretty sure I don't have an option like that but I'm scouring the manual as we speak.

 

[dementedchord]

i wouldn't do this... the HP jack is an amplified signal... it will most likely overdrive the input of the monitors (powered monitors right?)

 

[Whale Bone]

i wouldn't do this... the HP jack is an amplified signal... it will most likely overdrive the input of the monitors (powered monitors right?)

I feed the line out, not a headphone out, from the sound card into the HP4 which is a headphone amp that also has a line-level output with a volume and mute that is intended to drive powered monitors, a monitor amp or other HP4's.

Actually, in my case, I feed a tape return on my mixer and use the main out on that to feed the HP4, but before I had this mixer I did exactly as described above.