Midiman Audio Buddy questions...

[axehead]

Just got a midiman audio buddy. Previously I was using a tascam porta 02 ministudio as a mixer, and connecting the output of that to my soundblaster live's line-in. Now I've replaced with it the audio buddy, I'm slightly confused as to how I should be setting it up. I've been testing it out by plugging my guitar straight into it, and via my Pod.

If I plug the output of the audio buddy into my line-in, then i only get sound in one speaker. If I connect it to my mic in on my sblive instead, the sound is then in both speakers, but I only have to turn the audio buddy gain up a tiny bit before it is too loud. My 'puter also seems to keep wanting to put the +20db boost on to the mic input all the time, so I have to keep switching that off.

I also don't understand the point of the clipping light on the audio buddy. The sound clips, well before it comes on. It seemed much easier to get the levels right with my tascam mixer. I could leave the line-in levels the same on my soundcard, and then use the level meter to see how loud the signal was from my POD, and then adjust the output level from the POD accordingly.

I much prefer using the line in input on my sblive. I've orderd a splitter cable that will take both inputs of the audio buddy, and plug into the line-ine socket. Will this make any difference? Does the line-in only work in opne channel unless you're using a stereo RCA cable? That can't be right, but it seems I ojnly get sound in both channels using the stereo RCA cable from my tascam mixer line out. Most people plug the POD into line-in I'm sure, and that works in stereo. There shouldn't be anything wrong with my soundcard if it works in both channels with my tascam.

Help!!

Thanks!

 

[AlChuck]

Of course you'll get only one side if you only send a mono signal to one side of a stereo TRS plug into the SB Live. That's what you want to do anyway. To make it come out of both speakers you pan the mono track right up the center.

 

[axehead]

But I'm not using one side of a stereo TRS plug - that would make sense if it was only coming out of one speaker. I'm just using a patch lead, with a stereo mini-jack adapter on one end. That should be stereo, right, or does the line-in just look at it as a mono input, and so only put it in one speaker?

And I can't see how I'd pan a mono track to both sides of the speaker - not possible on my comp. It's fine if I record it in mono, cause then it plays back fine, but I want to be able to monitor in both speakers too.

Man...my head hurts....why won't my damn cable adapters come soon, then this might all be solved.

 

[Sangram]

If you look at the stereo plug and the mono plug, you'll see the mono has two connects. The third connect on the stereo is cut out of the ground space on the mono connector. If you plug it into a stereo socket, the input gets shorted out on one channel (left, I think) and you get sound only on one channel. I think that would be more confusing than explaining.

For your situation, I suggest you use a mono to stereo cable. You might have to get this creature made for you. It basically will have a 1/4" mono connector on one end and an 1.8" stereo on the other end.

Sang

 

[Gidge]

your mic in is a mono jack and the line is is a stereo jack....for a million reasons you should be using the line in....if you feed a signal thru both inputs of the Audio Buddy and use correct stereo cable plugs, you will hear signal thru both speakers......

if you send signal thru just one side, you should be able to pan it center during playback and hear it thru both speakers.....

 

[axehead]

Thanks for the help guys. I think the problems should be solved when I get my new adapter cables, as I've got a splitter that will take both outputs from the audio buddy with a mini-jack on the other end to plug into the line-in.

 

[AlChuck]

But I'm not using one side of a stereo TRS plug - that would make sense if it was only coming out of one speaker. I'm just using a patch lead, with a stereo mini-jack adapter on one end. That should be stereo, right, or does the line-in just look at it as a mono input, and so only put it in one speaker?

Depends on how you wired it, whether you get two copies of the same signal, one to each side -- which is silly to record as stereo beacuse all you do is get twice the data and more chances for phase problems -- or just one side, which will work fine if you record it to a mono track.

And I can't see how I'd pan a mono track to both sides of the speaker - not possible on my comp. It's fine if I record it in mono, cause then it plays back fine, but I want to be able to monitor in both speakers too.

Of course it's possible in your computer, it's just basic signal routing.