Hooking up monitors/speakers?

[Grilled_Cheese]

How would I hook up monitors/speakers to an M-Audio 24/96?

I have decent desktop speakers that I'll be using for monitors, since I'm just mainly recording ideas for now and I don't need quality monitors.

They use the standard 1/8" jacks that hook into most PC soundcards.

I also have a pair of headphones that I'll want to use while tracking and/or adding effects. These have (one) 1/8" jack.

How would these hook up to the 24/96?

 

[RAK]

How would I hook up monitors/speakers to an M-Audio 24/96?

I have decent desktop speakers that I'll be using for monitors, since I'm just mainly recording ideas for now and I don't need quality monitors.

They use the standard 1/8" jacks that hook into most PC soundcards.

I also have a pair of headphones that I'll want to use while tracking and/or adding effects. These have (one) 1/8" jack.

How would these hook up to the 24/96?

For outputs it looks like the 24/96 only has stereo RCA outputs and S/PDif (digital) outputs. Do the computer speakers you want to use have 1 1/8" male end for the two of them? Or does each speaker have an 1/8" female jack? Basically you need a connector to go from the Stereo RCA outputs on the 24/96 to the 1/8" inputs on the speaker. This is easy to find.

Doesn't look like you can hook up headphones directly to the 24/96, but one option is to split the 24/96 outputs to your monitors and a headphone amp, and monitor that way.

 

[Grilled_Cheese]

Well, I don't need the speakers & headphones hooked up at the same time, I could switch out between the two, for tracking and then for monitoring, even though it's a pain.

The speakers I have each have a 1/8" jack, so that's 2, one for left & one for right.

So I would need 2 1/8"-RCA cables to hook into the Digital outs of the 24/96?

And what about the headphones? They only have 1 1/8" jack which is stereo, does the 24/96 have a stereo digital out?

Or would I need a special cable that can go from 2 RCA to 1 1/8"?

 

[Grilled_Cheese]

Anyone?


.

 

[RAK]

Well, I don't need the speakers & headphones hooked up at the same time, I could switch out between the two, for tracking and then for monitoring, even though it's a pain.

The speakers I have each have a 1/8" jack, so that's 2, one for left & one for right.

So I would need 2 1/8"-RCA cables to hook into the Digital outs of the 24/96?

And what about the headphones? They only have 1 1/8" jack which is stereo, does the 24/96 have a stereo digital out?

Or would I need a special cable that can go from 2 RCA to 1 1/8"?

You're not using the digital (S/PDif) out at all, so don't worry about that. What you need really need are two seperate, mono, RCA -> 1/8" cables, one from the 24/96 L Out to one speaker, and the other from the 24/96 R Out to one speaker.

You can't really hook up headphones directly to those RCA line outs (I mean you can, but the level will be too low, try it out and see. You'd need a stereo RCA to stereo Female 1/8" jack) But really you need a headphone amp. You can get a single channel headphone amp for relatively cheap.

 

[Dr Biscuits]

Also, if your speakers aren't powered, you'll need an amplifier for them as well...

 

[Grilled_Cheese]

Ok, so what's a good headphone/speaker amp that I could get to power my headphones and speakers?

If I'm going to get one, I might as well get one that powers both the speakers and the headphones so I don't have to switch out between the two when tracking/monitoring.

Thanks for the help.

 

[RAK]

Ok, so what's a good headphone/speaker amp that I could get to power my headphones and speakers?

If I'm going to get one, I might as well get one that powers both the speakers and the headphones so I don't have to switch out between the two when tracking/monitoring.

Thanks for the help.

Specifically, what kind of desktop speakers are you using? Are you sure they're not powered?

I'm trying to picture a power amp you'd use for passive speakers, that also has a headphone out, but I can't. Rolls makes some simple headphone amps, but they usually have at least 4 headphone outputs.

You might want to take a look at something like the Edirol MA-7A. They're simple powered desktop speakers that you can hook directly via RCA from your soundcard. They also have a built-in 1/8" headphone out. I've never heard them, but something like that would solve all your issues.
I think they go for about $100

http://www.rolandus.com/products/productdetails.aspx?ObjectId=747&ParentId=114