Best connection from Mixer to LineInput - RCA or TRS

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jhughs

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Getting my home recording studio set up and am not sure what cables to buy.
What's the best connection to use from the Mixer to the line-input on the sound card?
I seem to have a choice between RCA pins rated at 316mV 600 Ohm output impedence
OR
TRS jacks rated at 1.23V and 150ohm output impedence (while I'm at it, any idea why there would be a left and right TRS jack instead of just a plain phone jack?).

Those specs are from the Yamaha MG10/2 mixer.
 
trs jacks are balanced, rca are not. one trs jack for the left channel, one for the right.
 
jhughs said:
Getting my home recording studio set up and am not sure what cables to buy.
What's the best connection to use from the Mixer to the line-input on the sound card?
I seem to have a choice between RCA pins rated at 316mV 600 Ohm output impedence
OR
TRS jacks rated at 1.23V and 150ohm output impedence (while I'm at it, any idea why there would be a left and right TRS jack instead of just a plain phone jack?).

Those specs are from the Yamaha MG10/2 mixer.
Click to expand...

Check the specs on your soundcard. The TRS outs on the mixer are +4dBu, the RCA is -10dBV. Use the output that matches your card's level. If you have an option, and the card has balanced +4dBu inputs, I would use those.
 
If it's a stock soundcard, it most likely has TRS inputs.
 
Thanks.
It's a SoundBlaster Live 5.1 Digital (Dell).
The documentation is not specific w.r.t. inputs but shows RCA connectors to stereos and televisions.
Are you all using TRS connections into miniplugs or do you have upgraded sound cards?
 
jhughs said:
Thanks.
It's a SoundBlaster Live 5.1 Digital (Dell).
The documentation is not specific w.r.t. inputs but shows RCA connectors to stereos and televisions.
Are you all using TRS connections into miniplugs or do you have upgraded sound cards?
Click to expand...
My soundcard is stock, TRS 1/8" plugs. One mic input and one line... I don't use it for recording because I didn't want to upgrade my pc since it's not a dedicated DAW, but I use my soundcard to capture analog and it works pretty good for that. For what you want, you should probably get a soundcard that is made for audio recording.
 
Thanks. I found some info in the Yamaha MG10/2 Mixer documentation that may be useful to others too:


“Consumer” gear (such as home audio equipment) usually has line inputs and outputs with a nominal (average) level of –10 dB.

Professional audio gear usually has line inputs and outputs with a nominal level of +4 dB.

You should always feed –10 dB inputs with a –10 dB signal. If you feed a +4 dB signal into a –10 dB input you are likely to overload the input.

You should always feed +4 dB inputs with a +4 dB signal. A –10 dB signal is too small for a +4 dB input, and will result in less-than-optimum performance.

Many professional and semi-professional devices have level switches on the inputs and/or outputs that let you select –10 or +4 dB. Be sure to set these switches to match the level of the connected equipment.


Either way, I figure I should just not be a cheap weasel and buy both kinds of cables.
 
jhughs said:
Thanks. I found some info in the Yamaha MG10/2 Mixer documentation that may be useful to others too:


“Consumer” gear (such as home audio equipment) usually has line inputs and outputs with a nominal (average) level of –10 dB.

Professional audio gear usually has line inputs and outputs with a nominal level of +4 dB.

You should always feed –10 dB inputs with a –10 dB signal. If you feed a +4 dB signal into a –10 dB input you are likely to overload the input.

You should always feed +4 dB inputs with a +4 dB signal. A –10 dB signal is too small for a +4 dB input, and will result in less-than-optimum performance.

Many professional and semi-professional devices have level switches on the inputs and/or outputs that let you select –10 or +4 dB. Be sure to set these switches to match the level of the connected equipment.


Either way, I figure I should just not be a cheap weasel and buy both kinds of cables.
Click to expand...
Also, check the levels on your soundcard, so it'll match.
 
Thanks. The documentation I've found w.r.t. the soundcard doesn't have those specs.
 
jhughs said:
Thanks. The documentation I've found w.r.t. the soundcard doesn't have those specs.
Click to expand...
It's probably +4....
you might try to find the website of the manufacturer and get it.
 
Hi

The SoundBlaster card will be -10. Running +4 into it will overload the inputs on this card. Best to run it from the RCA 'tape out' of your mixer, or run it from the main outs but through a pad.

Cya
Andrew
 
The Line In of the Soundblaster is unbalanced and I would assume is -10.
Use the RCA out's of the mixer and connect to the Line In of the soundcard with a cable just like this one. It'll work just fine.
 
hi

i have the mg 10/2 as well and am looking at getting an audiophile 24/96
(you can tell i've been hanging around this board!)
which connection would i use to connect to the audiophile 2496?

and what kind of lead would i need?

thanks

jim
 
Jim,
You can use either +4 or -10. The control panel for the Audiophile allows you to set your inputs at +4 or -10.

The I/O for the Audiophile is unbalanced RCA. So, if you are going to use the +4 output of the mixer, you will need two cables like these.
If you are going to use the -10 RCA output of the mixer, you will use a cable like this.
 
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