Recording from a Headphone out into Konnekt 8 and Audacity

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Chef W

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Hi there,

I am really confused about Mono vs. Stereo, but I'll give you the gist of my problem:

I have a Roland Digital VS840 that has songs I've recorded in it. When I listen to these songs via the headphone jack, all of the panning is there and everything sounds great.

Now, when I try to run a balanced stereo cable out of the 1/4 inch headphone jack and into a Konnekt 8 external sound card I get one of the two problems:

1) Recording into a 1/4 inch Line In seems to just "equalize" (term?) what I assumed was a stereo signal but only comes out as mono. Hence, I still get a stereo recording in Audacity, but my pans are not right. Instead, I get everything sort of centered. Note: I am recording into a mono track in Audacity, but the recording comes out as stereo anyways.

2) When I try another option of recording into a Line in 1/2 with my one cord. I do two takes. One for the left channel and one for the right channel (1 and 2). This gives it a much fuller sound in Audacity, but my pans are still not as good as they are when I'm listening to my tracks straight from my Headphone jack on the Roland.

What is going on? Is it that my headphone jack only gives a mono signal to my Konnekt (which is then "neutralized" in Audacity to make a sort of centered mono track that loses my panning), while it gives a stereo signal to my headphones?

Or is it that my balanced cables is "neutralizing" the signal from the headphone jack and making a "centered" mono track before reaching my Konnekt?

How can I get what I hear on my headphones from the Roland (stereo and with panning) to record into Audacity exactly as is? Do I have to use two cables (L/R), if so this isn't an option as there is only one headphone out?

I am really lost. Please help! Thanks!
 
I don't know the specifics of the Roland or Audacity, but I think I know what you need to do. There should be a left and right LINE OUT on your Roland. Connect these to the respective left and right AUX IN on the back of your Konnekt. Normally, you would use the LINE IN on the connect, but since you've already done panning that you want to preserve, use the AUX instead. If you use the LINE IN, make sure you set the right and left input volumes the same. In Audacity, you will need to record these as separate tracks (but simulataneously, not one track then the other), or preferably, there's more than likely a way to record a STEREO track in Audacity. You might need to ask someone who uses Audacity on how to do this, but I imagine it should be pretty simple.

I hope this helps somewhat.
 
product:
http://www.rolandus.com/products/productdetails.php?ProductId=444
manual:
http://media.rolandus.com/manuals/VS-840_840S_OM.pdf
page 18:
Item #7 - master out - RCA Left and Right.

That's your best bet there. You can use the headphone out too, but you've got to put the volume to like 10% maybe less depending on the receiving end. Assuming that you're going into a stereo Line Level Input (with Y cable), or T(R)S inputs x2 or RCA inputs.


other product:
TC Electronic | Konnekt 8
specs:
TC Electronic | Konnekt 8 Tech Specs
manual:
http://www.tcelectronic.com/media/Konnekt_US_v120.pdf
page 14:
item #7 are your line inputs.

It looks like line inputs 1,2,3,4 are there. All MONO channels of input. And balanced which is good. So RCA to RCA with a 2x TS adapters, and use two of those inputs. Which is technically an unbalanced cable, but as long as your cell phone is off and other precautions... If you want to do it in one pass. Or get ahold of a functional ZIP drive and store you raw data there and some Model T type computer to pull it from there. Not likely candidates, but if you're a tech packrat perhaps possible. Both of those audio devices are discontinued though.
 
Thanks for all of your advice, guys.

Unfortunately, my Roland only has RCA capability for MASTER OUT, and my Konnekt 8 has only 1/4inch jack ins (this is why I was trying to shortcut and do a balanced 1/4inch cable from the Roland Headphone Out into one of the line ins on the Konnekt).

I tried lining into the Auxiliary ins on my Konnekt (with only one balanced cable as there is only one headphone output on the Roland), but unfortunately nothing is even registering in Audacity (I get sounds out my speakers, however, but just either L or R, depending which AUX 1/4 inch jack I plug into on the Konnekt). Hence, I am still only able to get a Mono signal into my Konnekt (registering in Audacity is another issue).

Remember: I want to preserve all my panning from the Roland. Is there some kind of cable where I can go from a L/R Master Out into two 1/4 inch L/R ins on the Konnket? I.e. an rca cable to two 1/4 inch heads?

Thanks for your help.

Kyle.
 
1/4" headphone adapter to 1/8" Y cable that splits (to RCA?). two double female adapters there if you need extra reach with an RCA to RCA cable. And an RCA female to 1/4" TS connector x2. Basic stuff that you can get from Radio Shack. But you have RCA outputs on the 840 thing. So just run the RCA to the adapters and into the konnekt. Your 1/4" inputs on the konnekt are MONO inputs. The problem with headphone out is that it's NOT line level. You have to run it near 10% (or less) to get a level roughly equivalent to line level. Which might take a couple of attempts to get just right. And may not be an optimal setting for said hardware.

There's also a 1/4" TRS (male) to 1/4" TS (female) and 1/4" RS (female) adapter, where you could just run two TRS to TRS cables. More contact area, so probably a better option. But it's still headphone out, NOT line out. Master outs should (in theory) be sending the same signal, just at different levels (line level). Or I could be wrong, and there might be some configuration needed depending on the device.
 
Wow.

I somehow got something to work. I had to use a RCA y-cable out of my Roland Master out L/R. This went to a stereo jack, to which I then added a 1/4 inch adapter on the end and went in to the Line 1 in on the back of my Konnekt.

I had to only plug in one side and record the left Master out (Roland) to the Left Line in on my Konnekt. I then had to record the Right Master out into the Right Line in channel on the back of my soundcard. A lot of plugging in and plugging out!!! And then I had to line everything up in Audacity.

Tedious process! I don't think I'll be using this Roland VS840 to record anymore. It's a pain in the *ss!

Thanks for all of your tips! I appreciate them. I've also
 
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