Hooking Up Monitors To a Computer?

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jmath1677

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I am primarily a computer software mixer/editor, but I just recently inherited a Tascam 2488 Neo Portastudio - I like its EQ, compression, and guitar effects, and the preamps in it aren't too shabby for the kind of stuff that I record. Before, I primarily recorded to my computer through a pretty low-end mixer, but it got the job done so I never ended up getting an actual studio interface. I'm trying to upgrade my home recording studio and I'm about to purchase a pair of Yamaha HS50m monitors to use with my new recorder.
With that said, I don't like doing the post-editing/mixing on the portastudio, I'm more comfortable with my computer software for that. So after I've recorded some tracks on the recorder and I transfer them to my computer, how am I going to monitor it? Sure, first I'll unplug the monitors from the Tascam recorder and head to my computer, but the Yamaha HS50m only uses TRS 1/4" and XLR. How can I mix with my computer software then? My computer soundcard is the X-fi Titanium Sound Blaster (SB0880), it only has some optical and 3.5mm jacks from what I can tell. And if there is an adapter from TRS to 3.5mm, I've heard you're not supposed to directly connect monitors to a sound card. Do I have to buy an interface for this now? Can I somehow hook my monitors up to my mixer, then the mixer to the computer and get computer sound to come through the monitors. I'm lost. Help.
 
Just use 3.5mm to 1/4" TS adapters. It won't be a balanced signal reaching the monitors, but should be fine.
 
Alright, now that I've finally got a few bucks that I can actually spend I'll buy some adapters. Before I do so...does anyone foresee a problem with this. I mean, before I posted here I searched the entire internet and could not find one piece of information that gave me the nudge towards adapters, except for a few posts I read where they said that using adapters would ruin everything as far as sound quality and blow out my monitors (scary). And seriously, I just spent a whole lot on a computer with a supposedly kick-ass sound card anyway, I'd like to use it. After buying some decent monitors too, I don't want to have to spend another $200 on some interface that I don't really need considering that I've already got a portable recorder. And while I'm here - 3.5mm is the same as 1/8" right? Cuz I think my soundcard inputs are 1/8". Yeah, I know I suck, I'm a noob.
 
Done everyday man. No need to worry. You are just sending a line level signal to your monitors.

THIS will work, but you will probably need a longer cable.
 
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