Recording and listening to playbacks

[flowerdoodle]

Hello,
I need help. I use an M-Audio fasttrack interface into a macbook and garageband to record. So, my problem is: Say Im recording a song with a friend-- Im recording a part, earphones on, listening to the track, playing my bass part, lets say. And say after 3 or 4 attempts I like the take and I want to hear it in the monitors (out loud) so that my buddy can hear it too. How do I make that a fluid transition?? I dont have proper monitors, so instead I use a p.a. and its speakers or a pair of small computer speakers (Im poor).

Is it possible to transition between "recording w/ headphones" and "playback on monitors" without having to "unplug my headphones from the interface, look around the floor for the speaker cable and then plug that in" etc ????

Please help. Do I need monitors that will plug into the back of the interface and then I just use the A/B button? Do I need an amplifier?

 

[RaiderPenguin]

Does your PA or computer speaker have a headphone jack on it? Many of them do, and in that case you can simply plug the headphones in when you're monitoring and unplug to hear the sound through the speakers.

Alternately (and really a better solution) it looks like the Fasttrack has a headphone output on the front and stereo RCA output on the back, you can easily get an adapter to convert that stereo RCA into the 1/4 or 1/8 plug that your speakers use. Then you have both plugged in at the same time and can use either as needed.

 

[Chili]

Can't you just turn off the PA while using the headphones and turn it back on when you want to playback?

 

[flowerdoodle]

I was hoping to eliminate the plugging and unplugging process--I know it sounds like Im being lazy (and in fact I am ) but it does get to be a drag, as I like to play it aloud as I record, for either my friend (so we can both hear what each other has done) or to "mix as I go" sort of approach.
Thanks for your replies--it means a lot

 

[ErichS]

If we are talking about the FastTrack (and not Fastrack Pro or other more advanced model) you should not need to unplug your monitors when using the headphones because when the headphones are plugged in, the line outs are disabled.

You would have to unplug the headphones to hear the monitors though.
If you need a headphone and monitor mix simultaneously you would have to use an external mixer or similar.

 

[flowerdoodle]

Ok, thanks ErichS. So with the ext. mixer, Ill hear the playback through the cans and the monitors? And what is the value of this, particularly?

 

[Papanya420]

Does your interface have a knob labeled mixer?

If it does then turn the knob tp playback when ready to hear what you recorded. While recording the knob should be between inputs and playback on this dial.