Hooking up monitors

[NickSpringfield]

I bought a pair of studiophile SP-5B monitors in june, hooked them up (wrong probably) and then got mad and stopped with em. I would have to turn the PC volume up all the way just to hear a little sound from the monitors and when I adjusted the colume on the speakers, they got all distorted and sounded robotic?!?!

I have just a regular factory sound card,
a Behringer MX602A mixer,
and the Studiophile SP-5B monitors

I hooked the mixer up to the computer using RCA cables. Then i went to radio shak (probably my first mistake) about how to hook the monitors up. So they gave me two guitar cables. So I went from the monitors with the guitar cable to each main out of the mixer, then I hoked another RCA cale from the tape outs of the mixer into the speaker jack of the computer. This doesnt seem to be working and right now.

I either sell them of find out how to really get them working. Cuz having them just sitting here isnt helping anything. SO please somebody hit me back with what I'm doing wrong and how to fix my problem. I gave u my equipment, so specific instructions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

-Springfield

 

[Barometer]

I'm not sure here, just taking a stab at it. But if you're using just a crappy factory soundcard that's probably the place to look. There are lots of threads in this forum about what soundcards to use. I suggest you take a look at those threads and replace your soundcard first. Might clear the problem up right away. But other will surely chime in and may prove me wrong. Good luck

 

[Qwerty]

Are the monitors active? ie. do they have their own power?

Sounds like an impedance problem to me - choose your solution from the list below -

1. If they aren't active monitors sounds like you need a power amp for them
2. If they are active, then it sounds like they are expecting a professional level signal +4dBU, whereas your soundcard is delivering the consumer level -10dBV

If #1 then buy a power amp, if #2 then check your sound card specs.

Ciao,

Q.

 

[pratt]

try this......

- run the guitar cables from the 'control room out' L&R on your mixer to your L&R monitors

I'm assuming that your soundcard has an 1/8inch speaker out jack - get yourself a 1/8inch to 1/4inch stereo adapter (can get this cheap at rat shack). also get a hold of a 1/4inch 'send&return' cable (hosa makes one - it's one 1/4inch stereo jack on one end and 2 1/4inc mono jacks on the other)...

now plug the stereo end into the adapter and plug that adapter into your sound card....plug the two mono 1/4" ends into one of the stereo line-ins on your mixer.

now, if make sure that the channel is un-muted and panned center and that the channel volume as well as the main mix volume are up. use the phones/control room volume to adjust the volume of your monitors....


this should work...it does for me!! (I have a behringer MX1604a, DAW, and Event PS6 monitors).....

 

[NickSpringfield]

Alright guys, thanks. I'll check it all out. I guess I do need a new soundcard. Hmmm.