I need help getting headphone output.

[Rick540]

New forum member here. I asked this question on another forum but didn't get any answers so I figured I'd ask here...

Here's a picture of how I have things set up:

As you can see, it's guitar > preamp > sound card > studio monitors. The empty RCA plug on the sound card is the second input and isn't needed in my case. I have Guitar Rig 4 on my computer and use that for my amp/effects. This setup works and sounds great. The only problem is that it can get pretty loud. The monitors I have are 75 watts LF and 45 watts HF. I need some way to output things to headphones but I'm not exactly sure what the best (and cheapest) way to do it would be.

My PC has on-board audio and I can get headphone output using ASIO4ALL drivers and the on-board sound card, but the problem with doing it that way is that I can only run Guitar Rig and nothing else. I use an app called Amazing Slow Downer to change the speed/pitch of songs when I'm learning them and when I use the on-board sound and ASIO4ALL I'm unable to get sound from both Guitar Rig and Amazing Slow Downer at the same time.

I'm thinking maybe I can just get some Y splitters an put them on the output of the sound card and run the output signal to both the headphones and the speakers. Would that work? I disconnected the speakers and plugged the headphones directly into the card and the volume in the headphones was more than enough.

Any advice or guidance is greatly appreciated.

 

[AlanSwenson]

I would say upgrade to a new "sound card" but outboard not inside the cpu that has a headphone out. Out you could get a mixer, small mixers would run you about $50 or less. I am assuming those monitors are powered. so rca to tape in on mixer then monitor or main out from mixer to speakers or plug your headphones in the headphone jack on the mixer.

 

[TheChikenMaster]

I would would go either the new sound card rout or cheap mixer but avoid behringer at all costs!!

 

[moresound]

That is correct lets start a new I hate Behringer club

 

[AlanSwenson]

That is correct lets start a new I hate Behringer club

I'm in!! +1 for hating behringer

 

[Washburn100]

If the OP has little to no funds available, getting new gear no matter how inexpensive may not be an option at least for a while.

I agree the best solution is an new soundcard/interface but some other solutions are:

1) splitter would work. I guess you would just power off the speakers when using headphones. From your test, that sounds like the cheapest and easiest solution. You could also look at radio shack or similar for a simple audio a/b box. Headphones on A, monitors on B then switch as needed.
2) If you are comfortable opening your computer, you may be able to take the wire/plug for the headphone jack that plugs into the on board audio and move it to the soundcard. Most soundcards will have pins for a headphone plug, and this usually disables the outputs on the back so the headphones will turn off the output to the speakers.
3) You can check into a headphone amp. They can get expensive, but even a dirt cheap radio shack model may get you going until you can afford the better soundcard. Just make sure it has pass through for the speakers.

A few solutions I can think of. Now start saving for the new interface!
Good Luck

 

[AlanSwenson]

If the OP has little to no funds available, getting new gear no matter how inexpensive may not be an option at least for a while.

I agree the best solution is an new soundcard/interface but some other solutions are:

1) splitter would work. I guess you would just power off the speakers when using headphones. From your test, that sounds like the cheapest and easiest solution. You could also look at radio shack or similar for a simple audio a/b box. Headphones on A, monitors on B then switch as needed.
2) If you are comfortable opening your computer, you may be able to take the wire/plug for the headphone jack that plugs into the on board audio and move it to the soundcard. Most soundcards will have pins for a headphone plug, and this usually disables the outputs on the back so the headphones will turn off the output to the speakers.
3) You can check into a headphone amp. They can get expensive, but even a dirt cheap radio shack model may get you going until you can afford the better soundcard. Just make sure it has pass through for the speakers.

A few solutions I can think of. Now start saving for the new interface!
Good Luck

NO splitter-- RCA to headphone-- that's obnoxious, by the time you buy all those adapters you could have got a small mixer.

Headphone amps are $50 at the cheapest, the $25 one at radio shack take a headphone in. If he had that we wouldn't have a problem. And do not wire anything to your motherboard, I imagine if you were that tehcnically apt you would not have asked this question, plus I wouldn't do that and I do know how, just not a good idea.

Cheapest solution is used small mixer or headphone amp.

 

[Washburn100]

NO splitter-- RCA to headphone-- that's obnoxious, by the time you buy all those adapters you could have got a small mixer.

Why is this obnoxious? See my links at the end of this post.

Headphone amps are $50 at the cheapest, the $25 one at radio shack take a headphone in. If he had that we wouldn't have a problem.

If you read his post, he's is asking for a cheap way to solve his problem.

plus I wouldn't do that and I do know how, just not a good idea.

Why is this not a good idea. Do the makers of soundcards put headphone connectors on the board just for the hell of it?

Cheapest solution is used small mixer or headphone amp.

Actually these 2 items will work and cost about 6 bucks.

http://www.audiogear.com/cgi-bin/shopper.cgi?key=Adpt2RCMMSF&preadd=action
http://www.a1components.com/itemdisplayn.aspx?item=11559

Maybe you can sell him YOUR mixer for 6 bucks, I'll take 2.

 

[AlanSwenson]

OK you found some cheap adapters but you need 2 of the second one so you're talking 7.50 plus shipping at 2 different companies. Granted that is still cheaper.
I still stand by not soldering a headphone jack in your computer though.
And in my opinion 3 adapters chained together is obnoxious. - but it would work, sacrifices a little volume but will work.

 

[Rick540]

Thanks for the replies everybody. I finally decided to just go the splitter route. The sound card is an M-Audio Audiophile 24/96 and I checked for pin headers to connect the front panel audio cable but it has none. That way would have been nice (and free), but the next cheapest route was just a few splitters.

I ended up ordering a couple single male RCA to dual female RCA y-cables and a 10 foot dual male RCA to single female TRS cable. (Basically what the user above me posted in the links). What I'm thinking is that I can put the male end of each RCA cable into the left and right output of the sound card which should essentially give me two left and two right female outputs. I can connect the studio monitor cables (which are male RCA to XLR) from each studio monitor into the left channel on one y-cable and the right on the other. On the remaining female left and right RCA plugs from the two y cables I'll connect the male ends of the dual RCA to TRS cable and finally connect my headphones into the TRS jack. I went with a 10 foot cable so I can run the cable around to the front of my PC and unplug the headphones when I'm not using them and won't hear output from the monitors and headphones at the same time.

All in all with free shipping it all ran me about 12 bucks from Sweetwater.

 

[dodgeaspen]

So I guess we were your last choice?

 

[Rick540]

So I guess we were your last choice?

I had asked this question on a guitar players forum, but that forum is about 90 percent kids so I wasn't able to get any sort of a decent answer. I ended up going to Google and typing "home recording forum" and this forum came up. Judging by the fact that the people who answered me here appeared to have actually read my post (versus just the title and then rambling off some useless response like on the other forum), there's clearly a group of more mature people that frequent this forum versus the one I'd previously tried.