Recording connections

[esiegel]

Hello, all:

I just bought a Blue Sky ProDesk 2.1 used from a friend http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ProDesk21/.

It is a 2.1 powered speaker system with only balanced xlr inputs. My outputs right now are my computer with 1/8 " stereo trs and a Zoom r16 recorder/interface/controller with separate right and left outs on unbalanced phono plugs.

I want to be able to use the monitors with either, but don't mind a little cable swapping now and then.

So, there are a few choices.

1) A Rolls DB24 Stereo Direct Interface Balanced XLR Outputs, Ground Lift for Each Channel. kind of a swiss army knife...but will it have an adverse effect on the sound? Is there another similar box I should consider?

2) various cable adapters...for example, putting an xlr to 1/4 adaptor at the speaker side of the connection so I could just run phone cables to it and have a y stereo adaptor from the laptop out. But then it would all be unbalanced. Its only a few foot run, so it shouldn't be a big deal.

Which seems like a better idea?

Thanks in advance

Eric

[txfrc]

1/8" trs is a headphone jack.
best bet is to buy a soundcard for your computer that will have multiple outputs and will let you send your source to things with either line or mic level inputs.

[Marcocet]

You should be able to just use cables out of the rca outputs on your zoom. Doesn't matter if it's falling unbalanced, you're just going to lose a little signal. If you're having noise problems then I would invest in a balanced to unbalanced converter like the one you link to.

Always try the cheapest / simplest thing first!


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[MichaelK]

I think that Rolls device is good for keeping noise out of long unbalanced cable runs, but that's it. I don't think using it for just a few feet will be much of an improvement in your situation, if any improvement at all. You might lose a little noise, but you might not. Either way, the signal won't be amplified, as far as I can tell, so the next question is whether the speakers have enough gain.

I'd definitely try the adaptors first, they're dirt cheap. If that's no good, look for an active device that would also change the signal to +4 line level – though any noise already in the signal will just be made louder, too.

Eventually you'll probably want an audio interface with line-level balanced outputs.

Nice score on those monitors!