Cable problem

[Phil66]

Hello,
I hope you can help. I have one of these http://www.cakewalk.com/products/v-studio/default.aspx?Prod=vs-20 and I bought these cables http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320419935434&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT so that I can connect my PC AND the Cakewalk to my monitors. The monitors have one pair of RCA sockets on the rear of ONE speaker, the other speaker is connected by a speaker lead, see pic here http://www.m-audio.com/images/global/media_hqpics/SPAV20_Back.jpg

If I plug the cables, one into each RCA socket then the right plug from my PC and Cakewalk into the right pair of sockets and the same with the left I get full volume from the PC but extremely quiet volume from the Cakewalk. I have tried swapping them around to no avail. If I plug the cakewalk directly into the speaker I get full volume. Also if I hook up the splitter cable and only have the Cakewalk plugged in I get full volume but as soon as I plug the PC in too the Cakewalk goes near silent, oh the Cakewalk also plays a piano note when I click on any buttons!!

Any ideas?

Cheers

Phil

 

[robdean]

Isn't that a USB audio interface? So why not connect to PC via USB?

If you don't want to do that, connect the speakers to the V-Studio headphone output socket (1/4" stereo plug to 2x RCA), and free the RCA outputs for the other connection.

Splitter leads cause no end of problems - not because of the quality of the leads themselves, but when there's more than one input <-> one output in circuit the results are simply unpredictable.

 

[Phil66]

Isn't that a USB audio interface? So why not connect to PC via USB?

It is connected to the PC via USB but I thought that was just for the power.

If you don't want to do that, connect the speakers to the V-Studio headphone output socket (1/4" stereo plug to 2x RCA), and free the RCA outputs for the other connection.

Free which outputs for which other connection?

Sorry to be a dingbat but this is my first recording equipment since my old Fostec cassette 4 track

Cheers

Phil

 

[robdean]

The 'V-Studio 20' should work as an external USB audio interface. Once its driver is installed, it should be available as a sound device in the setup panel of your recording software, the audio delivered digitally via usb.

Documentation here: http://www.cakewalk.com/support/kb/reader.aspx?ID=2007012933

As for 'what other connection' - I think I misunderstood you first time round. I thought you wanted to be able to send output from the V-Studio 20 to both the speakers and the PC simultaneously. I now guess you want to use the speakers to monitor either the V-Studio or the PC without re-patching leads. That should be possible by adjusting the mixer on the PC and/or your studio software 'record input monitor' rather than by patching all the hardware. In other words, you can probably 'live monitor' the V-Studio output via the PC output to the speakers without having to patch the V-Studio direct to the speakers:
V-Studio -> USB lead-> PC -> stereo RCA lead -> speakers

If you don't want to do that, you're better doing almost anything other than using a splitter. Re-patch manually, or get a passive stereo switching box, or a little mixer. But I suggest you real be sure you've got the measure of your existing gear before you complicate things by adding more!

Good luck sorting out the USB audio and your routing, check back in if you have questions, and let us know when you get it all working...