m-audio delta 66

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trane65

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I am considering purchasing a new sound card, possibly the m-audio delta 66. The reviews on this card look promising and its features are sufficient to get me by on, for now at least. This card has a breakout box with balanced 1/4" ins and outs.

That said I am wondering how I will monitor my output sound since I have no powered 1/4" monitors. I am currently using the soundMAX 5.1 integrated speaker setup (which is surprisingly accurate) and would like to monitor through that system while recording using the delta 66 or similar card.

Is there a way to route the delta card to play back through the soundMAX card or would I have to disable one to use the other?

Any help would be appreciated!
Thanks.
 
Not one single idea here? Do I need to be more specific or clarify anything?
 
It sounds like what you would do is use the Delta 66 (I have one, nice interface) for A/D conversion, and the Soundmax for D/A conversion. I don't know what the Soundmax is, but if it has line inputs available somewhere, then you could do the D/A with the delta and then output it to the Soundmax line inputs.

-RD
 
So what you're saying is this:

Mixer --> Delta 66 Inputs --> Delta 66 outputs --> 2 1/4" to 1/8" adaptor --> soundMAX input.

This would be using the Delta 66 for recording (input) and the soundMAX for playback (output). I just want to avoid going in through the soundMAX card because it has a very poor signal to noise ratio...lots of white noise.

Does this even sound like a good idea to anyone or do you know of another multi analog input soundcard that I could connect my 5.1 dell speakers to (they're 1/8" connectors by the way)?
 
trane65 said:
That said I am wondering how I will monitor my output sound since I have no powered 1/4" monitors. .
Click to expand...

...but surely you have powered PC speakers. Why not get an adaptor of some sort and use the output of the Delta thru your speakers? I'm guessing they have a 1/8" stereo plug. Just get a stereo 1/8" to dual 1/4" mono adaptor or some combination that achieves that.
 
trane65 said:
So what you're saying is this:

Mixer --> Delta 66 Inputs --> Delta 66 outputs --> 2 1/4" to 1/8" adaptor --> soundMAX input.

This would be using the Delta 66 for recording (input) and the soundMAX for playback (output). I just want to avoid going in through the soundMAX card because it has a very poor signal to noise ratio...lots of white noise.

Does this even sound like a good idea to anyone or do you know of another multi analog input soundcard that I could connect my 5.1 dell speakers to (they're 1/8" connectors by the way)?
Click to expand...

I don't know what the soundmax is, can you describe it? You don't want to send the output of the 66 back into an inferior set of A/Ds then back out of another set of D/As to get to the speakers. That's not what I'm suggesting at all.
 
The soundmax is just an integrated PC soundcard. I can't imagine why you'd need to route your outputs through that. Just send it to the speakers.
 
My speakers have an 1/8" stereo plug that then splits to all 5 speakers and the sub. So essentially I can just eliminate the soundMAX integrated audio altogether and buy a 1/8" female to 1/4" male adaptor and plug it into one of the
outs on the Delta 66. Right?
 
Well, you want to use a stereo to 2 mono adaptor, because the ouputs on the Delta will be individual left and rights. You'll use the "monitor mixer" output, which will be #1 & #2, being left and right, respectively.
 
So it'll be a two 1/4" male to one 1/8" female adaptor needed here. =-
 
Sorry to resurrect an old thread but...

I just got the Delta 66 card and I'm connecting it to my 5.1 surround speakers as described above. That is by conncting the powered 1/8" stereo speaker cable to a stereo female 1/8" to two 1/4" male and plugging the 1/4" plugs into the #1 and #2 outs on the Delta 66 breakout box. I am only getting sound out of the front and rear left speakers and the middle speaker however. Even if I only connect one of the quarter inches to either of the two outs on the breakout box , those are the only speakers that I'm getting sound from.

Any ideas?
 
trane65 said:
Sorry to resurrect an old thread but...

I just got the Delta 66 card and I'm connecting it to my 5.1 surround speakers as described above. That is by conncting the powered 1/8" stereo speaker cable to a stereo female 1/8" to two 1/4" male and plugging the 1/4" plugs into the #1 and #2 outs on the Delta 66 breakout box. I am only getting sound out of the front and rear left speakers and the middle speaker however. Even if I only connect one of the quarter inches to either of the two outs on the breakout box , those are the only speakers that I'm getting sound from.

Any ideas?
Click to expand...

The Delta 66 does not support surround sound, AFAIK. Can you post a pic of all these cables/connectors, as I'm having a hard time following your description?
 
1/8"------------to two 1/4"===================

A basic Y connector goes from the speakers to channels 1/2 out on the Delta 66.
 
Well, that sounds odd to me.

To begin with, the Delta 66 is configured as a stereo system, but it can be used to build a 5.1 system because it has four discrete outputs.

But it seems that you're describing a 5.1 speaker system that anticipates only a stereo signal to begin with.

If the only speaker input to the speaker system is a single 1/8" phone jack, then we can infer the system is virtualizing something from an ordinary stereo signal. Your speaker system may be playing hell with panning, expecting a somewhat altered signal in the first place.

How about experimenting a bit with the monitor mixer screen on the M-Audio Delta control panel? Play with the panning and see if some setting wakes up the other speakers.
 
trane65 said:
1/8"------------to two 1/4"===================

A basic Y connector goes from the speakers to channels 1/2 out on the Delta 66.
Click to expand...

Right, but is your Y-splitter receiving discreet Left and Right signals from the 1/4" jacks, or just combining them? It would have to be wired specifically to do so. You could use an insert cable (1/4" TS male x2 --> 1/4" TRS male) in reverse, perhaps.
 
Okay here is a great description of my speaker setup:
http://cgi.ebay.com/DELL-5650-6PC-5...itemZ8729591543QQcategoryZ41845QQcmdZViewItem

I am guessing that the 1/8" analog input for front rear and center/sub speakers is certainly combining the signal and for some reason not sending sound to the right side.

My original integrated audio (soundMAX) obviously could split these speakers up
for individual control over each. The Delta 66 doesn't do this.

There is another splitter in the chain coming from the sub. Three 1/8" analog cables come from the sub (guessing left, right, and sub/center) and are combined to the one 1/8" input that I'm trying to put into the Delta 66. If I use these 3 inputs individually and connect them to the Delta 66 I should have individual control over them correct?
 
Oops,, that didn't work either.

Tried sending each individual 1/8" (one for front L&R, one for rear L&R, and one for center/sub) to the Delta 66 individually and still get nothing from the right side. Time for new speakers?

Got a better idea...howsabout using the Delta card for my input/recording card and my original soundMAX integrated audio card for playback? Wouldn't that work?
 
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At this point... I would suggest monitoring from something else. You are pulling out your hair trying to get computer speakers to work as your studio monitors. It would be better to use a stereo receiver and stereo speakers(via two 1/4 to RCA adapters) than to use those speakers as monitors, or you could possibly even look into buying a set of monitors?

At this point, I would just live without the right side and save up for something better!


Simon
 
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