headphone amp hookup

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starsxandxslits

New member
i own a tascam fw-1082 and i just bought a rolls 6 channel headphone amp. i was going to get the 4 channel version but i decided i needed to provide more monitoring outs. the 4 channel amp had a stereo input that would logically be connected to the stereo headphone out on the console.

my question is this: since the 6 ch. amp has a balanced trs left and right input and what looks like a rca/spdif digital left and right, how would i connect this to my board without using my monitor left and right? i don't know if this is relevant info but my board supports direct asio monitoring. thanks.

matt
 
starsxandxslits said:
i own a tascam fw-1082 and i just bought a rolls 6 channel headphone amp. i was going to get the 4 channel version but i decided i needed to provide more monitoring outs. the 4 channel amp had a stereo input that would logically be connected to the stereo headphone out on the console.

my question is this: since the 6 ch. amp has a balanced trs left and right input and what looks like a rca/spdif digital left and right, how would i connect this to my board without using my monitor left and right? i don't know if this is relevant info but my board supports direct asio monitoring. thanks.

matt
Click to expand...

If you have spdif ins/outs available, use those. If not, you could use a a/b switching device, patch bay, or y cables.
 
starsxandxslits said:
i own a tascam fw-1082 and i just bought a rolls 6 channel headphone amp. i was going to get the 4 channel version but i decided i needed to provide more monitoring outs. the 4 channel amp had a stereo input that would logically be connected to the stereo headphone out on the console.

my question is this: since the 6 ch. amp has a balanced trs left and right input and what looks like a rca/spdif digital left and right, how would i connect this to my board without using my monitor left and right? i don't know if this is relevant info but my board supports direct asio monitoring. thanks.

matt
Click to expand...

I don't know of any headphone amp with spdif ins, you sure those just aren't RCA analog ins?
 
i guess they are rca...can you use a y cable out of the stereo out to the left and right inputs on the headphone amp...the model is a rolls ra62c. i have no idea what to do. i really wish it just had a cue mix l and r out. i like the a/b switching device...say on the main outs, having just the headphone amp, he control room monitors or both on via a little piece of hardware...but i don't know if this board works like that...i've never been able to test to see if the "input's only" selection in monitor mode is fed thru the mains...i figure it would, but i'm not 100%
 
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starsxandxslits said:
i guess they are rca...can you use a y cable out of the stereo out to the left and right inputs on the headphone amp...the model is a rolls ra62c. i have no idea what to do. i really wish it just had a cue mix l and r out.
Click to expand...

You would connect a pair of y cables from your Tascam, the split going to your headphone amp and monitors. I think that would be the most economical way to go. You'll be splitting the 2 outputs from the Tascam to 4 outputs, 2 for the headphone amp inputs and 2 for the monitor inputs.
 
that wouldn't load the signal down? and does anyone that has a tascam 1082 know if the mon outs are active in input only mode? is there a able on the market that is 1/4'' male stereo to dual 1/4'' mono(left and right). keep em coming. i really appreciate it. or i found a male 1/4''trs to dual rca...would the rca legs be left and right...so i could run out of the stereo headphones input into the rca l/r of the headphone amp
 
starsxandxslits said:
that wouldn't load the signal down? and does anyone that has a tascam 1082 know if the mon outs are active in input only mode? is there a able on the market that is 1/4'' male stereo to dual 1/4'' mono(left and right). keep em coming. i really appreciate it. or i found a male 1/4''trs to dual rca...would the rca legs be left and right...so i could run out of the stereo headphones input into the rca l/r of the headphone amp
Click to expand...

The way it was explained to me, the signal will not be noticeably degraded unless you split it more than a few times. I've tried it and haven't had any issues. Assuming your headphone amp and monitors have balanced inputs, each y cable would have all trs 1/4" connections.
 
starsxandxslits said:
http://www.zzounds.com/a--2676837/item--HOSYPP117

would something like this work...out of the headphone stereo out split into the headphone amp left and right?
Click to expand...

That would split it but you'll still need individual trs cables to connect to the female plugs of that splitter. I wouldn't buy that particular one because the plugs are molded and not repairable if it develops a bad connection. Look for something with all metal plugs.
 
I was going to start a new thread, but I saw this...

Anyway, I think I've painted myself into a corner. I used to go from my soundcard outputs to a home stereo amp. I recently 'upgraded' to a Crown power amp, but I didn't realize that the volume knobs controlled both the monitors AND the headphone jack simultaneously without the ability to mute the monitors. This makes no sense to me, but that's what I'm stuck with.

So what I need is to figure out a way to send the outs from my soundcard to both the monitor amp AND a headphone amp. I'd rather not have to buy a friggin' Big Knob or Central Station to do that. A 'Y' sounds like a kinda clunky solution to me.

If I ran my soundcard into my aforementioned home stereo amp, and took the tape outs from that to my Crown for the monitors, do you think that would degrade the signal by any appreciable amount? It's got to be better than running it through my Behri board, right? I mean, tape outs on a stereo are unaffected by levels or eq, so it ought to be OK, don't you think?
 
TravisinFlorida said:
That would split it but you'll still need individual trs cables to connect to the female plugs of that splitter. I wouldn't buy that particular one because the plugs are molded and not repairable if it develops a bad connection. Look for something with all metal plugs.
Click to expand...

well, it's only 7 bucks so i'll prolly buy a couple of spares, and the headphone amp is going to be out of the way from my console a little, so i planned on running longer cables out of those fem. jacks...but this will work for what i'm trying to do right?
 
notCardio said:
Anyway, I think I've painted myself into a corner. I used to go from my soundcard outputs to a home stereo amp. I recently 'upgraded' to a Crown power amp, but I didn't realize that the volume knobs controlled both the monitors AND the headphone jack simultaneously without the ability to mute the monitors. This makes no sense to me, but that's what I'm stuck with.

So what I need is to figure out a way to send the outs from my soundcard to both the monitor amp AND a headphone amp. I'd rather not have to buy a friggin' Big Knob or Central Station to do that. A 'Y' sounds like a kinda clunky solution to me.

If I ran my soundcard into my aforementioned home stereo amp, and took the tape outs from that to my Crown for the monitors, do you think that would degrade the signal by any appreciable amount? It's got to be better than running it through my Behri board, right? I mean, tape outs on a stereo are unaffected by levels or eq, so it ought to be OK, don't you think?
Click to expand...

Only your ears can tell you what is appreciable. If it works for you then that's all that matters. It would be hard to A/B quickly for comparison. You could measure frequency response which may tell you something. Maybe not. Y cables might be more clunky but at the same time, it's less circuitry for your signal to pass thru.
 
starsxandxslits said:
well, it's only 7 bucks so i'll prolly buy a couple of spares, and the headphone amp is going to be out of the way from my console a little, so i planned on running longer cables out of those fem. jacks...but this will work for what i'm trying to do right?
Click to expand...

It will work. I just hate to see you spend ANY money on molded cables. As long as the adapters will be stationary, they should hold up ok. I'd like to see you spend your money on something that is serviceable though.
 
haha. it will be very stationary, and i'm somewhat anal retentive and ocd about my gear...i go hru alot of enviroduster, but i do appreciate your concern...thank you guys so much, again for all your help. i read this forum for a year before i came close to buying a piece of gear and all of your knowlage has been priceless. this is what it's all about. *sniff sniff* i love you's guys, man!
 
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starsxandxslits said:
well, it's only 7 bucks so i'll prolly buy a couple of spares, and the headphone amp is going to be out of the way from my console a little, so i planned on running longer cables out of those fem. jacks...but this will work for what i'm trying to do right?
Click to expand...

Why not just get an all male Y-Cable. Single TRS to dual TS. Also known as an Insert cable. That you don't need extra 1/4" cables to run from the splitter cable to the headphone amp.

Also stricly speaking, a headphone amp Input is looking for a line level signal, and you're talking about feeding it from the Tascams headphone out. I'm sure this will work, but it may be too hot.

Also, whenever you see two RCA inputs (usually red and white), that's always stereo analog. S/PDif (usually yellow) carries both channels over 1 connection. It's also called Coaxial, which is what you have on your Tascam.
 
RAK said:
Also stricly speaking, a headphone amp Input is looking for a line level signal, and you're talking about feeding it from the Tascams headphone out. I'm sure this will work, but it may be too hot.
Click to expand...

I think he was planning to split the Tascam's stereo line out. At least that's what I thought we were talking about.
 
starsxandxslits said:
the 4 channel amp had a stereo input that would logically be connected to the stereo headphone out on the console.
Click to expand...

starsxandxslits said:
would something like this work...out of the headphone stereo out split into the headphone amp left and right?
Click to expand...

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