What I love about your videos is that, even if they are not necessarily addressing my current specific issue, I always learn something that will be very useful in the future.
you are the only one that knows how to explain things. everyone else i saw is not good at explaining. you don't waste time, get right to the point, but you cover all pertinent information. you're gooooooood!! thanks!
Thank you. This is the second of your videos that I've watched, and I will work my way through many of them. This is an odd things to say, but besides your clarity, ability to pick the right level of detail, and your graphics, I (as a former English teacher) really like your diction and grammar.
Thank you for your simple explanations. I am a church worship leader and I am hoping to connect my PC to my church PA system to supplement our band. Your video is helping me to understand what I need. I especially liked that you gave some explanation of balanced and unbalanced audio.
Glad to hear that Curt - being able to connect a computer to your audio system opens up a lot of possibilities for worship and also other things like showing videos, movies, sermons etc in church. Let me know if you need any more help!
- Thank you, glad the video was helpful. When connecting one mixer to another it is treated like any other line level source, so you would plug the output of the submixer into the line level inputs of the main mixer, usually using two channels - one for left and one for right. Set the output level of the submixer to 0dB and set the gain on the main mixer appropriately.
One note, I've worked on computers and audio equipment for years. Bruno says here to turn the volume on your PC to maximum. I am only slightly going to disagree with him. His reasoning is sound, however many laptops and audio devices will themselves distort if volume is ALL THE WAY up. I tend to set it to 95-98% of maximum to try to reduce this 'built in' distortion. If you have a fairly high end device 100% may be fine, but usually bumping it down 2-5% will get you a better result. If your device does present this mild distortion, you will then be amplifying the noise along with the signal. Always try to reduce noise as early in the audio chain as you can. Great job Bruno, love your work.
Thanks for the comment! In the years since this video was published I have discovered the above to be true in a number of situations - depending on the quality of the headphone amp in the device and the way it relates to the mixer's input section, sometimes you get distortion when the volume is set to 100%. In such cases, I will usually set the device output to 75 or even 50 percent and raise my channel gain accordingly. I've always found a happy medium somewhere 😄
- Thanks for the question, there are various names for this cable: some call it a minijack to quarter inch cable, others call it a minijack to 2 x jack cable, or even a 3.5mm phone plug to 2 x 6.35mm phone plugs.
WOOW I MUST SAY I LIKE THE WAY YOU ARE EXPLAINING VERY CLEAR AND ANYBODY CAN UNDERSTAND KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK AM GLAD TO HAVE STUMBLED ON YOUR CHANNEL I WILL LEARN A LOT.
Bruno, much thanks for a great instructional video. I just started my solo guitar gigs, got my first PA system and was really in the dark as far as hooking everything together but you made it all so simple! Thanks again and God Bless.
patrick rocco You're welcome Patrick - it can be very daunting when you are first starting out but like everything else these things can be learned. Feel free to get in touch here or on Facebook if you have any questions about any aspect of your system :)
- Yes you have it figured out! You would need a minijack to RCA cable to connect the laptop to the amplifier, and then you're all set. 5m would be fine.
You're welcome. If you shop on Amazon consider using my buying links, they support the channel: glbproductions.com/index.php/amazon-links-direct-boxes/
Your video has been SO helpful! Thank you so much! We have been trying to get our tablet to work at church through the sound system from the front but have been running them through the wrong direct box. We had no idea there was such a thing as a pc direct box. We have been struggling with all kinds of distortion issues. You have (hopefully!) set us on the right course! Thanks!
Thank you so very very much. I'm so happy you referred me to this video. It did, indeed, answer my questions. I'm so glad to know how to correctly use my dual DI box with other devices. I purchased a dual DI box because I play keyboard and wanted to make sure I had the option to do stereo. I'm also very happy to see that I would not have to go and purchase a dedicated PC DI box to use with my laptop. : - )
+Luoyisi Shimisi You're welcome, glad the video answered your questions! Connecting and keyboard and connecting a computer are very similar in that they are both stereo, unbalanced, low impedance, line level devices. There are some keyboards which have balanced XLR outputs, but most do not. Let me know if you have any other questions!
We don't have any issues with our mic on our karaoke unit but I haven't had the opportunity to test it on the PA.. I'll pick up a XLR cable for use with the PA system. The Vocopro doesn't have XLR inputs at all. Thanks for all your help. I am very technically minded and not only do I like doing things right but I have a thirst for knowledge.
- Thanks for the question! The HA60 is a mono system which means that there is only one amplifier feeding both speakers, so you're correct on that point. I would say the best way to connect in your case would be to use a minijack to 2 x 1/4" cable as described in my video, and use two channels on the amp - this would ensure that both left and right channels of the stereo signal are reproduced correctly.
@PassThisOn123 Thanks for the question. There are several things you could try: 1. Try using another cable - it's possible that the one you have is damaged. Make sure the plug is fully inserted into your laptop. 2. Use some electrical contact cleaner on your laptop headphone output - these connectors are notorious for getting dirty and then they won't pass a clean signal. 3. Try using another input on your PA system. How are you connecting to the PA system? Through the 'tape in' connectors?
- You're welcome, glad it was educational :) You generally will not connect the laptop directly to the speakers, you will connect to an amplifier first. This amplifier may be inside the speakers themselves (ie active speakers) or a separate unit, ie passive speakers with an external amplifier. Is this the setup you have?
You're welcome! If you would like to support the channel please consider signing up to become a patron at www.patreon.com/glbproductions?ty=h Every little bit helps!
- You're welcome, glad you could order the right cable. Minijack to XLR cables often cause more problems than they solve, and it's best to run the output from a device like an iPod into a line input rather than risk overloading the more sensitive mic input. The 'link' connector is for daisy-chaining as you said, and it will be wired in parallel. However in this case, since the system is mono, daisy-chaining the speakers results in the exact same load as connecting them directly to the amp :)
- From the looks of it you'll need to use two of the line inputs, via a minijack to 2 x 1/4" cable. Alternatively you could use the 'amp in' connector on the bottom right of the front panel, and run mono using only one side of the ipod output, either left or right.
- There are many names for this cable: in my part of the world It's called a minijack to 2 x jack cable, a minijack to 2 x TS cable or a 3.5mm stereo to 2 x 6.35mm mono cable.
- Yes, you can plug a laptop directly into your power amp using a minijack to 2 x 1/4" cable. The connection is unbalanced through, so keep the cable as short as possible and no more than 3 metres.
@PassThisOn123 It's possible that the mixer's power supply is causing the buzz, so try and move the laptop around to see if the noise goes away. The buzz could also be caused by lighting ballast or a problem with your AC power. Try running the laptop on battery to see if that improves things. Have you tried using a different cable?
Thanks for the info. Last night I tried to run a cable from a cd player into a pa system, with two rca's on one end and a 1/4" stereo plug on the other, into a line input on the pa system. Didn't work, as you can imagine.
Thanks for sharing. May I know specifically what kind of problems we will face when using the connector (that you showed at the end of the video) with two RCA channels convert into single channel 1/4 jack connector and plug into the normal DI box?
It depends on your source material and the type of DI you connect to but in some cases you will lose whatever is panned centre in the mix such as the lead vocal. This type of adapter also shorts the outputs of the two channels together, which can damage the output of the laptop or CD/DVD player.
@@GLBProductionsthanks. Wow I didn't know how serious the problems are. Thanks very much and I have learned a lot from you. Keep up the good work and God bless you:)
- Sure - in this case you would use RCA to RCA cables to connect your CD player and a minijack to 2 x RCA connector to connect your laptop. Make sure that the selector switch on the back of the mixer is set to AUX LINE and you're all set.
- If you use active speakers (ie with built in amplifiers) you may have noise issues as the unbalanced connection between the laptop and the speakers will be quite long. You could use a DI box like the one shown in the video to deal with this problem though.
Hi Bruno, Much respect for you and appreciate the videos. I see you recommend against using stereo to mono adapters to sum the channels together. Well I agree these adapters are usually exceedingly poor quality and tend to create noise from poor connectivity. I have even had an RCA male connector pull the shield ring off these adapters which just goes to show that they are just press fitted separate bits of metal, not a continuous conductor. In my experience with single point audio, interconnect noise, buzz etc usually comes down to poor shield continuity, high resistance, even just inadequate shield gauge compared to signal gauge for the run length. I suspect that when these Y connectors are noisy, it's more likely due to the quality of manufacturing than anything else. However I am well aware that the usual recommendation is a resistive network and many people say there is a signal level issue if you tie L&R signals directly together. However I got to thinking about this in terms of it essentially being a parallel connection, where say you connect 2 DC cells in parallel, the voltage remains unchanged and that is the same as 2 channel peaks in phase. Now I understand the out of phase signals give destructive interference such as +1v -1v = 0v but all this is essentially what happens when we assign 2 channels to the same group or output channel of a mixer. So next, I decided to do a test and setup a stereo pink noise signal on 2 RCA outputs, measuring around 250-260 mV RMS. Then I bridged the 2 RCAs in parallel, just the same as one of those cheap converters and measured exactly the same signal levels, 250-260 mV RMS. So what's the problem not using a resistive network? There doesn't appear to be one at all. I have made up and used Y connections many times before with no issues at all. I get exactly the same phase issues and exactly the same audio quality summing to mono with a desk as I do with a DIY Y connection into 1 channel, no distortion at all and no gain issues. I had assumed that was due to the lower domestic signal standard and the pro desk headroom but no, my multi-meter says the channel signal level is unchanged by this. So, am I to assume all this talk about having to do resistive networks to sum stereo to mono is an industry myth to sell product? Have you tested this yourself, if so what is your opinion? Hmm, using resistive networks to sum to mono is just so ingrained but I see little evidence of a real need, no damaged equipment, no measurable difference in sum signal voltage and no obvious difference in sound at equalised output level unless the connections are faulty. Maybe I'll do a null test just to satisfy my own curiosity.
Thanks for the comment Ken. I'm going to direct you to the seminal article on this topic on the Rane website: www.rane.com/pdf/ranenotes/Why_Not_Wye.pdf The other issue which is not directly addressed in the article is summing two unbalanced outputs together into a single balanced input using a minijack to XLR or minijack to TRS adapter wired incorrectly - this typically results in the loss of whatever information is panned to the center in a stereo mix, often the lead vocal! I have seen this problem time and again in live sound, which is another reason why I give this warning. You seem to know what you are doing and have tested setups for your particular application, so if all is well do carry on.
Wow that's a pretty old model - hope you got a good one! You can either connect directly to the 1/4" inputs 2 & 3 or use a DI box to connect to the XLR input.
- You're welcome, I'm always happy to help if I can. In this case it sounds like the issue is with your DVD player. If you give me the make and model of your DVD player I might be able to give you more specific advice.
- You'll need to find a way to connect your laptop to the karaoke machine - you'll need a minijack to 2 x RCA cable. Look on the back of your karaoke machine for a pair of RCA connectors labelled 'aux in' or 'external in' or something like that. After that you'll need to work out how to select the external input of your karaoke machine and you should be all set.
@PassThisOn123 It might be better, but first I would try another cable of the same type, if you have one, and also try cleaning the headphone output on your laptop as described above. A loud buzz suggests some sort of grounding issue, which could be caused by a bad connection. Also, how long is the cable that you are using to connect your laptop to the PA system? Does it run across any sort of power cable or power transformer on its way to the mixer? This can also cause buzzing.
How would you hook up a portable cd player to a Bose T1 Tonematch Audio engine? What kind of cable would I need? Would it be in stereo? thanks so much. Sales people just tell you yeah, buy this but you have a real understanding of how things work. much appreciated.
- The best cable to use would be a 2 x RCA to 2 x 1/4" cable, and connect to the 4/5 line in channels on the tonematch. I'm assuming the outputs on your CD player are RCA. This would be in stereo, and running into the line inputs should provide a good sensitivity match.
Hi Bruno, wonderful videos. We use them to train our novice sound volunteers in our church. I have a question: We hook a laptop to the PA and are currently using 1/8" stereo out of the laptop (headphone jack) which splits to two mono XLR cables which we plug straight in to a 2 channel DI box. The problem I've noticed is quite a bit of hiss coming from the laptop channels. Any ideas?
+Zstanman Glad to hear the videos have been useful! If you or your church would like to support the channel please consider signing up to become a patron at www.patreon.com/glbproductions?ty=h Every little bit helps! In answer to your question, there are several things you can try: 1. Make sure that the volume on the laptop is set at maximum, this generally gives the best signal to noise ratio. 2. Try a different, passive DI box - if the DI is active it may be the one that is causing the noise. 3. Try a different laptop - laptop audio outputs are not designed for hi quality sound and some are very noisy indeed. 4. Plug the laptop directly into the mixer's line inputs using a minijack to 2 x 1/4" jack cable and see what the results are. This will bypass the mixer's mic preamps which are another possible source of noise.
Hello Bruno, very clear video, thanks. I record video and have recently decided on recording separate sound on an Olympus LS12. Can you tell me the best way to hook up a mixer to the Olympus? I have minijack inputs for both line in and mic sockets on it.
- Hi there, I suggest using a minijack to 2 x RCA cable and connecting the mixer's 'tape out' or 'record out' outputs to your recorder's line in input. This usually gives very good results.
Thanks for sharing this. I was able to plug my laptop’s 3.5mm to a budget passive Laptop to balanced XLR converter slim DI (Rapco /Tough Tour), and to a standard instrument DI->Mixer. Sounds good but I have to dial gain by about 2-3’oclock to get right volume peak in meter. Is that a problem- gain being dialled pass 12’oclock? Is there any do’s and don’ts to how far a trim knob would go?
Thank you for I didn’t really understand about pa speakers and other things in this video however is it possible to connect pa speakers passive or active to a home theatre receiver using surround sound or stereo
Yes it's possible as long as you have the appropriate connectors. Passive speakers can be driven off the receiver's speaker level outputs and active speakers can be connected to the receiver's line level outputs. Don't confuse the two 😅
- Glad the video was helpful! I'm not sure I understand your setup: are you saying that your laptop is connected to the input of your DVD player and you are trying to play sound from the laptop through the DVD player and thence to the speakers?
Hello!! First thing I want to do is Thank You.. for taking time out of your day to make these videos. They are extremely helpful. I just have a question. I have all of our media players ( laptops, iPads and iPhones ) set to mono output. I use the 3.5mm TRS to 2 6.5mm TR R&W cable. I normally connect that to the stereo/mono unbalanced inputs like line 5/6. I have the pan set at center. Is this the correct way? Should I be forcing our media players to output a mono signal? We mostly do mobile DJ with just media playback.
Great to hear from you! Yes your method of connection is correct - if your PA system is stereo, there is no need to force the media players to mono output, unless your left and right speakers are so far apart that most of the audience is effectively only hearing one of the speakers.
- Mic inputs are generally designed to handle input levels of between 0.01 and 0.1 volts. Line levels are able to handle up to 10 times that level, ie around 1 volt. There are also impedance differences, with mic inputs being low impedance and line inputs generally being high impedance. However, some karaoke mics use a 1/4" connnector because it is cheaper to produce. Do you have any issues with low volume on the mic you are using?
You mentioned "sensitive" mic input? Is there a difference between the "line" vs. "mic"? We have a microphone we will be using from our Vocopro Karaoke system off our Home Theater but it has the standard 1/4 connection. Should be get a XLR to XLR cable for the mic to use the "Mic" connection for that channel?
A question. My limited understanding, as I start learning about the world of audio technology, is that for sending signals long distances XLR cables are best. Is that correct? Are balanced TRS cables also good for sending clean signals long distances? If this is the case, I am wondering about this possible scenario. I only have a small 10-channel mixer with 4 mono combo jacks and then 3 stereo pair channels for 1/4" TS or TRS plugs. If, I have used all the XLR inputs when trying to bring in a laptop from a long distance using what you have advised, can I use 2 XLR to TS adapters at the end of the XLR cables to input them into one of the stereo pair channels on my mixer?
The key here is whether the signal is balanced or unbalanced - for runs of over 5m/15 feet it is best to use a balanced connection. This can be XLR or TRS - in terms of noise rejection they are identical, the only difference is the physical connector used. So the answer to your question is yes most definitely, assuming the stereo inputs on your mixer are balanced - check that first 😉
Hello glbpro, I had made a cable myself with a red and white cable and a mini jack on the other side, all the cables are working but when i put in my laptop it won't play any music. when i put just a normal CD it plays it through the speakers but as i sad it's doing nothing when my laptop is on... is the problem that the cable made by my self can't bring the signal to my dvd player? But thanks a lot for the video it really worked fot connecting the speaker to my dvd player.
Thanks for all your videos. Very informative. You mentioned that the laptop computer volume should be set to maximum. Would this also be the case for phones, mp3 players, etc (assuming their output is not too 'hot' for the mixer input). I wondered if setting at maximum would risk distorted output from the phone, etc, if the little internal amp went into clipping, or does that not happen with these little devices?
Thanks! I was able to cancel my order for the minijack to XLR and ordered the cable you talk about in your video. Do you know what the "Link" connector is on the back of my passive speakers that came with my PA kit? I would guess it's to daisy chain speakers off one another. But is that connection in series or parallel? If it's parallel it will drop the load on my amp down.
thanks for your help but i found my other dvd player and made it again on that dvd player is a special input for 4 - 8 speakers so it's working now. i geus the problem was the cable to ( sorry i'm dutch so the dvd player outputs are not in the same language... ) the volume in that it did not know my laptop when it was plugged in. But really thanks for helping me out with some suggestions!
Thanks for the video. What's the phantom power is for in some DIs? e.g. Behringer Ultra DI20. is that juice going to the headphone output of my laptop or is it going to mixer? Does it have the potential of damaging my internal sound card and motherboard if it is used when not needed?
Phantom power is used to power some active DI boxes. It comes from the mixer and is applied to the output of the DI box, it does not pass through to the input of the DI box. So your computer is safe unless there is some fault with the DI box.
Thank you for your fast response. In my church we have some video presentation. we run video footage from computer and connect to dlp projector. i want to take audio source from projector to pa system, instead of taking audio source from computer. could you pls make a video of different kinds of connections( different options) pls.
That is not recommended - you are adding an additional step in the signal chain and also the possibility of additional analog to digital conversion. I strongly recommend taking the audio from the laptop and not from the projector.
what could happen if accidentally someone turned on the phantom power from the mixer? it could damage the computer or smartphone connected to the DI Box?
Hello Bruno....thanks for posting these videos....they are a great resource. I have searched extensively at Radio Shack, and several on-line suppliers for the cable in situation 1 which you describe in a previous reply as an, "S/PDIF audio output - basically 2-channel unbalanced digital audio", and have had no luck in finding anything more than puzzled looks on the face of the store associate. Can you give any specific brand name of the cable you use and possibly where it can be purchased?
- Hi Matthew thanks for getting in touch. The standard for S/PDIF connections is 75 ohm unbalanced co-axial cable, typically with RCA connectors on either end. In an pinch you can use 75 ohm composite video cable (the type with yellow RCA connectors). If you are drawing a blank with the salespeople try asking for 75 ohm co-axial cable, or even 75 ohm composite video cable. I use cables from a Japanese company called Daiyo which are widely available in Singapore.
At 1:02, did you put the Neutrik 6.35mm jack connector on those headphones? Because if so, it must have hurt to cut the cable (they seem like good headphones, maybe Sennheiser) haha... Great video.
MinecraftReviews1 Actually that jack was put on by our church technician - these headphones used a snap fit 1/8" to 1/4" adapter and they were always going missing so he decided to convert them to 1/4" permanently :)
Nice! Ah, I thought you were the technician since you know a lot and also you're always talking about the equipment in your church haha... I 've never had god luck with those snap fit adapters(probably because I buy the cheap chinese ones ) but yeah, nice permanent fix and thanks for the reply :D
Hi Bruno, you have been by far the best instructor I have found, love your attention to detail. I have trouble connecting an laptop and two Iphones to my mixing console. I am using a TRS mini jack to stereo 1/4 TRS. Strange thing is sometimes it works but then t does not and the LED signal meter jumps up then fades out as I plug it in and try making micro adjustments and I have the same problem with two different cables. I am currently not using any type of pcDI box, could that be the problem and am I better off with an RCA connectors at one end of the cable? Thank you, Chris
Hi Chris if you are using a minijack to balanced quarter inch cable that cable is public enemy number one in my book. I have seen so many problems caused by that cable and its evil cousin the minijack to XLR cable! What you want is either a minijack to 2xRCA or minijack to 2xTS (unbalanced quarter inch) cable as shown in the video. Use a stereo channel for each source and all will be well.
I was also thinking about connecting my Home Theater sub to my Harbinger HA60. There is a "Main Insert" on the back which I have no idea what that's for. The "REC OUT" would be a line level out...I could probably send that to my sub.
I am trying to avoid running a cable across the floor and wondered if there is a way to connect to the jack wirelessly in the same manner as a wireless microphone
Yes, you could use a wireless system similar to those used for guitars - however these are typically only a single channel so the signal would need to be converted to mono. There are also ProAV systems for this that work well but are not cheap.
Hi again. In your opinion, would having stereo XLR outs be better than having a mono XLR out? I will be using this for sound tracks played off an iPhone or iPad . Will stereo make a big difference in sound quality? Thanks for answering my last question and your time on this question. Eric
- It would definitely be more versatile, and can also function as a splitter, ie you go into the unit in stereo and have the function of coming out dual mono, meaning that you can send your signal to more than one destination. Stereo is also preferred if you are working with any sort of in-ear monitor system. Otherwise mono is adequate, especially in live sound where most of the audience does not sit centred between the left and right speakers.
What I love about your videos is that, even if they are not necessarily addressing my current specific issue, I always learn something that will be very useful in the future.
Thanks Craig, that is definitely one of my objectives in making these videos 😊
you are the only one that knows how to explain things. everyone else i saw is not good at explaining. you don't waste time, get right to the point, but you cover all pertinent information. you're gooooooood!! thanks!
Thank you. This is the second of your videos that I've watched, and I will work my way through many of them. This is an odd things to say, but besides your clarity, ability to pick the right level of detail, and your graphics, I (as a former English teacher) really like your diction and grammar.
Thank you for helping me understand something that NOBODY talks about!
You're welcome, thanks for watching!
Thank you for your simple explanations. I am a church worship leader and I am hoping to connect my PC to my church PA system to supplement our band. Your video is helping me to understand what I need. I especially liked that you gave some explanation of balanced and unbalanced audio.
Glad to hear that Curt - being able to connect a computer to your audio system opens up a lot of possibilities for worship and also other things like showing videos, movies, sermons etc in church. Let me know if you need any more help!
- Thank you, glad the video was helpful. When connecting one mixer to another it is treated like any other line level source, so you would plug the output of the submixer into the line level inputs of the main mixer, usually using two channels - one for left and one for right. Set the output level of the submixer to 0dB and set the gain on the main mixer appropriately.
One note, I've worked on computers and audio equipment for years. Bruno says here to turn the volume on your PC to maximum. I am only slightly going to disagree with him. His reasoning is sound, however many laptops and audio devices will themselves distort if volume is ALL THE WAY up. I tend to set it to 95-98% of maximum to try to reduce this 'built in' distortion. If you have a fairly high end device 100% may be fine, but usually bumping it down 2-5% will get you a better result. If your device does present this mild distortion, you will then be amplifying the noise along with the signal. Always try to reduce noise as early in the audio chain as you can. Great job Bruno, love your work.
Thanks for the comment! In the years since this video was published I have discovered the above to be true in a number of situations - depending on the quality of the headphone amp in the device and the way it relates to the mixer's input section, sometimes you get distortion when the volume is set to 100%. In such cases, I will usually set the device output to 75 or even 50 percent and raise my channel gain accordingly. I've always found a happy medium somewhere 😄
Whatever I learned is watching ur video's now I m handling professional audio mixer and high end sound systems in mini theatre thank you sir 👍👍
That's great! Congratulations and thanks for watching 😊
- Thanks for the question, there are various names for this cable: some call it a minijack to quarter inch cable, others call it a minijack to 2 x jack cable, or even a 3.5mm phone plug to 2 x 6.35mm phone plugs.
Thank you! You are explaining the whirlwind DI Box in a perfect way. Thank you and Greetings from Austria. Bless you
You're welcome and thanks for watching :)
One of the better videos I've seen. Really breaks things down and makes it easy to follow.
Tom Damiani Thanks for watching, I find that the step by step approach is very important, especially when teaching via video.
WOOW I MUST SAY I LIKE THE WAY YOU ARE EXPLAINING VERY CLEAR AND ANYBODY CAN UNDERSTAND KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK AM GLAD TO HAVE STUMBLED ON YOUR CHANNEL I WILL LEARN A LOT.
- You're welcome, glad you like the videos!
EXACTLY the answer I was looking for regarding the reason for the phase cancellation. Thank you!
You're welcome - a lot of people don't understand why this happens and it can be a real bummer.
Bruno, much thanks for a great instructional video. I just started my solo guitar gigs, got my first PA system and was really in the dark as far as hooking everything together but you made it all so simple! Thanks again and God Bless.
patrick rocco You're welcome Patrick - it can be very daunting when you are first starting out but like everything else these things can be learned. Feel free to get in touch here or on Facebook if you have any questions about any aspect of your system :)
- Yes you have it figured out! You would need a minijack to RCA cable to connect the laptop to the amplifier, and then you're all set. 5m would be fine.
Very helpful video, i'm going to find now where to buy that pc DI box. Thanks a lot!
You're welcome. If you shop on Amazon consider using my buying links, they support the channel: glbproductions.com/index.php/amazon-links-direct-boxes/
Your video has been SO helpful! Thank you so much! We have been trying to get our tablet to work at church through the sound system from the front but have been running them through the wrong direct box. We had no idea there was such a thing as a pc direct box. We have been struggling with all kinds of distortion issues. You have (hopefully!) set us on the right course! Thanks!
+CherylzaLoufan You're very welcome. It's important to have the right tools for the job. Let me know if you have any other questions :)
Thank you so very very much. I'm so happy you referred me to this
video. It did, indeed, answer my questions. I'm so glad to know how
to correctly use my dual DI box with other devices. I purchased a dual
DI box because I play keyboard and wanted to make sure I had the option
to do stereo. I'm also very happy to see that I would not have to go
and purchase a dedicated PC DI box to use with my laptop. : - )
+Luoyisi Shimisi You're welcome, glad the video answered your questions! Connecting and keyboard and connecting a computer are very similar in that they are both stereo, unbalanced, low impedance, line level devices. There are some keyboards which have balanced XLR outputs, but most do not. Let me know if you have any other questions!
+GLB Productions Will do, and thanks, again.
We don't have any issues with our mic on our karaoke unit but I haven't had the opportunity to test it on the PA.. I'll pick up a XLR cable for use with the PA system. The Vocopro doesn't have XLR inputs at all. Thanks for all your help. I am very technically minded and not only do I like doing things right but I have a thirst for knowledge.
- Thanks for the question! The HA60 is a mono system which means that there is only one amplifier feeding both speakers, so you're correct on that point. I would say the best way to connect in your case would be to use a minijack to 2 x 1/4" cable as described in my video, and use two channels on the amp - this would ensure that both left and right channels of the stereo signal are reproduced correctly.
Excellent!! I love your explanation... Also will like to know how to connect a mixer ( Phonic 220) to a CDMX console, Laptop and PA systems.
@PassThisOn123 Thanks for the question. There are several things you could try:
1. Try using another cable - it's possible that the one you have is damaged. Make sure the plug is fully inserted into your laptop.
2. Use some electrical contact cleaner on your laptop headphone output - these connectors are notorious for getting dirty and then they won't pass a clean signal.
3. Try using another input on your PA system.
How are you connecting to the PA system? Through the 'tape in' connectors?
- No problem, glad it's working for you now.
Very helpful. Thank you so much for posting this. I have scoured the internet and couldn't find this info anywhere.
You're welcome Jonathan 😊
- You're welcome, glad it was educational :) You generally will not connect the laptop directly to the speakers, you will connect to an amplifier first. This amplifier may be inside the speakers themselves (ie active speakers) or a separate unit, ie passive speakers with an external amplifier. Is this the setup you have?
Thank you Bruno. Once again a very informative and clear video.
+Rahul Rane You're welcome, glad the video was helpful.
This is a helpful video, thanks very much for taking the time to make it.
+Richard Hurst You're welcome, thanks for watching and supporting the channel :)
Excellent! I could not have done any better if I tried. I will pass this on to a friend. Thank you.
You're welcome! If you would like to support the channel please consider signing up to become a patron at www.patreon.com/glbproductions?ty=h Every little bit helps!
- You're welcome, glad you could order the right cable. Minijack to XLR cables often cause more problems than they solve, and it's best to run the output from a device like an iPod into a line input rather than risk overloading the more sensitive mic input. The 'link' connector is for daisy-chaining as you said, and it will be wired in parallel. However in this case, since the system is mono, daisy-chaining the speakers results in the exact same load as connecting them directly to the amp :)
- From the looks of it you'll need to use two of the line inputs, via a minijack to 2 x 1/4" cable. Alternatively you could use the 'amp in' connector on the bottom right of the front panel, and run mono using only one side of the ipod output, either left or right.
Your video explained a lot and helped me understand what i was doin. It was great, Thank you so much
You're very welcome Camila!
- You're welcome, glad it helped! I'm sure the the Lord is pleased when his word is preached, amplified or not ;)
- There are many names for this cable: in my part of the world It's called a minijack to 2 x jack cable, a minijack to 2 x TS cable or a 3.5mm stereo to 2 x 6.35mm mono cable.
Thanks. I am so thankful for people like you that take the time help others. :o)
Tom Damiani You're welcome, hope it resolves the situation.
- Yes, you can plug a laptop directly into your power amp using a minijack to 2 x 1/4" cable. The connection is unbalanced through, so keep the cable as short as possible and no more than 3 metres.
@PassThisOn123 It's possible that the mixer's power supply is causing the buzz, so try and move the laptop around to see if the noise goes away. The buzz could also be caused by lighting ballast or a problem with your AC power. Try running the laptop on battery to see if that improves things. Have you tried using a different cable?
Thanks for the info. Last night I tried to run a cable from a cd player into a pa system, with two rca's on one end and a 1/4" stereo plug on the other, into a line input on the pa system.
Didn't work, as you can imagine.
+Dave Meeks Yup, that type of cable is typically used to split a headphone output into its component left and right signals. Hope it's working now!
- You're welcome, I'm a teacher by training so like explaining things!
Thanks for yet another superb tutorial.
Thanks for sharing. May I know specifically what kind of problems we will face when using the connector (that you showed at the end of the video) with two RCA channels convert into single channel 1/4 jack connector and plug into the normal DI box?
It depends on your source material and the type of DI you connect to but in some cases you will lose whatever is panned centre in the mix such as the lead vocal. This type of adapter also shorts the outputs of the two channels together, which can damage the output of the laptop or CD/DVD player.
@@GLBProductionsthanks. Wow I didn't know how serious the problems are. Thanks very much and I have learned a lot from you. Keep up the good work and God bless you:)
Excellent video.i'm having a quick , accurate and concise lesson.thank you very much
You're welcome Jonard, glad the video was helpful.
@@GLBProductions very helpful,specially for me. With no musical equipment background. More power to you
- Sure - in this case you would use RCA to RCA cables to connect your CD player and a minijack to 2 x RCA connector to connect your laptop. Make sure that the selector switch on the back of the mixer is set to AUX LINE and you're all set.
thanks so much your awesome i was panicking thinking i was unable to connect them.. thanks again..
- If you use active speakers (ie with built in amplifiers) you may have noise issues as the unbalanced connection between the laptop and the speakers will be quite long. You could use a DI box like the one shown in the video to deal with this problem though.
Hi Bruno, Much respect for you and appreciate the videos. I see you recommend against using stereo to mono adapters to sum the channels together. Well I agree these adapters are usually exceedingly poor quality and tend to create noise from poor connectivity. I have even had an RCA male connector pull the shield ring off these adapters which just goes to show that they are just press fitted separate bits of metal, not a continuous conductor. In my experience with single point audio, interconnect noise, buzz etc usually comes down to poor shield continuity, high resistance, even just inadequate shield gauge compared to signal gauge for the run length. I suspect that when these Y connectors are noisy, it's more likely due to the quality of manufacturing than anything else.
However I am well aware that the usual recommendation is a resistive network and many people say there is a signal level issue if you tie L&R signals directly together. However I got to thinking about this in terms of it essentially being a parallel connection, where say you connect 2 DC cells in parallel, the voltage remains unchanged and that is the same as 2 channel peaks in phase. Now I understand the out of phase signals give destructive interference such as +1v -1v = 0v but all this is essentially what happens when we assign 2 channels to the same group or output channel of a mixer. So next, I decided to do a test and setup a stereo pink noise signal on 2 RCA outputs, measuring around 250-260 mV RMS. Then I bridged the 2 RCAs in parallel, just the same as one of those cheap converters and measured exactly the same signal levels, 250-260 mV RMS. So what's the problem not using a resistive network? There doesn't appear to be one at all. I have made up and used Y connections many times before with no issues at all. I get exactly the same phase issues and exactly the same audio quality summing to mono with a desk as I do with a DIY Y connection into 1 channel, no distortion at all and no gain issues. I had assumed that was due to the lower domestic signal standard and the pro desk headroom but no, my multi-meter says the channel signal level is unchanged by this. So, am I to assume all this talk about having to do resistive networks to sum stereo to mono is an industry myth to sell product? Have you tested this yourself, if so what is your opinion?
Hmm, using resistive networks to sum to mono is just so ingrained but I see little evidence of a real need, no damaged equipment, no measurable difference in sum signal voltage and no obvious difference in sound at equalised output level unless the connections are faulty. Maybe I'll do a null test just to satisfy my own curiosity.
Thanks for the comment Ken. I'm going to direct you to the seminal article on this topic on the Rane website: www.rane.com/pdf/ranenotes/Why_Not_Wye.pdf
The other issue which is not directly addressed in the article is summing two unbalanced outputs together into a single balanced input using a minijack to XLR or minijack to TRS adapter wired incorrectly - this typically results in the loss of whatever information is panned to the center in a stereo mix, often the lead vocal! I have seen this problem time and again in live sound, which is another reason why I give this warning.
You seem to know what you are doing and have tested setups for your particular application, so if all is well do carry on.
Insightful. I just bough ONE PA JBl EON 15 G2 SPEAKER and I'd really appreciate it if you'd recommend the best way to connect via laptop
Wow that's a pretty old model - hope you got a good one! You can either connect directly to the 1/4" inputs 2 & 3 or use a DI box to connect to the XLR input.
Definitely a good old classic. It was a bargain for the price and quite in good condition
- You're welcome, I'm always happy to help if I can. In this case it sounds like the issue is with your DVD player. If you give me the make and model of your DVD player I might be able to give you more specific advice.
- You'll need to find a way to connect your laptop to the karaoke machine - you'll need a minijack to 2 x RCA cable. Look on the back of your karaoke machine for a pair of RCA connectors labelled 'aux in' or 'external in' or something like that. After that you'll need to work out how to select the external input of your karaoke machine and you should be all set.
Moja Krsna Slava je Sveti Đorđe . Thanks bro!
You're welcome!
As always great video Bruno and God bless you ,you helped me a lot !!!
+Maribel Rodriguez You're welcome, thanks for watching!
Thank you for showing me the video
@Lpnez Thank you, glad it was helpful to you.
Thank you. I learned a lot today 👍
You're welcome J!
@PassThisOn123 It might be better, but first I would try another cable of the same type, if you have one, and also try cleaning the headphone output on your laptop as described above. A loud buzz suggests some sort of grounding issue, which could be caused by a bad connection.
Also, how long is the cable that you are using to connect your laptop to the PA system? Does it run across any sort of power cable or power transformer on its way to the mixer? This can also cause buzzing.
How would you hook up a portable cd player to a Bose T1 Tonematch Audio engine? What kind of cable would I need? Would it be in stereo? thanks so much. Sales people just tell you yeah, buy this but you have a real understanding of how things work. much appreciated.
- The best cable to use would be a 2 x RCA to 2 x 1/4" cable, and connect to the 4/5 line in channels on the tonematch. I'm assuming the outputs on your CD player are RCA. This would be in stereo, and running into the line inputs should provide a good sensitivity match.
Hi Bruno, wonderful videos. We use them to train our novice sound volunteers in our church. I have a question: We hook a laptop to the PA and are currently using 1/8" stereo out of the laptop (headphone jack) which splits to two mono XLR cables which we plug straight in to a 2 channel DI box. The problem I've noticed is quite a bit of hiss coming from the laptop channels. Any ideas?
+Zstanman Glad to hear the videos have been useful! If you or your church would like to support the channel please consider signing up to become a patron at www.patreon.com/glbproductions?ty=h Every little bit helps!
In answer to your question, there are several things you can try:
1. Make sure that the volume on the laptop is set at maximum, this generally gives the best signal to noise ratio.
2. Try a different, passive DI box - if the DI is active it may be the one that is causing the noise.
3. Try a different laptop - laptop audio outputs are not designed for hi quality sound and some are very noisy indeed.
4. Plug the laptop directly into the mixer's line inputs using a minijack to 2 x 1/4" jack cable and see what the results are. This will bypass the mixer's mic preamps which are another possible source of noise.
Hello Bruno,
very clear video, thanks.
I record video and have recently decided on recording separate sound on an Olympus LS12.
Can you tell me the best way to hook up a mixer to the Olympus?
I have minijack inputs for both line in and mic sockets on it.
- Hi there, I suggest using a minijack to 2 x RCA cable and connecting the mixer's 'tape out' or 'record out' outputs to your recorder's line in input. This usually gives very good results.
GLB Productions Thanks Bruno,
Wasn't certain between using line in or mic in. Thanks again for the info.
- No problem, all the best with your videos!
GLB Productions Thanks Bruno, I just ordered some cables so I'm keen to get going them.
Thanks for sharing this. I was able to plug my laptop’s 3.5mm to a budget passive Laptop to balanced XLR converter slim DI (Rapco /Tough Tour), and to a standard instrument DI->Mixer.
Sounds good but I have to dial gain by about 2-3’oclock to get right volume peak in meter. Is that a problem- gain being dialled pass 12’oclock? Is there any do’s and don’ts to how far a trim knob would go?
No that sounds perfectly normal. There is no 'correct' setting for the gain/trim knob, it depends on the level of the input signal.
Very Informative, nice job on your video!
Thanks Ron, much appreciated.
Thank you
Quick question
I have a active pa speaker do I need a passive or active DI ?
👍🏼
The type of PA speaker that you have has no bearing on what type of DI you need, as both active and passive DIs output a mic-level signal 😄
thanks Bruno for a great work done, very insightful, contact you later, need more
+Opoku Apau Charles No problem, feel free to get in touch.
Thankyou your videos are great and help me to hook up my mixer for my band thanks Tom /Black leather outlaw
That's great Tom, very glad the videos have been helpful 😊
This was just what I needed. Thank you so much!
+Dave Robson You're most welcome, thanks for watching!
P
Thank you for I didn’t really understand about pa speakers and other things in this video however is it possible to connect pa speakers passive or active to a home theatre receiver using surround sound or stereo
Yes it's possible as long as you have the appropriate connectors. Passive speakers can be driven off the receiver's speaker level outputs and active speakers can be connected to the receiver's line level outputs. Don't confuse the two 😅
Ok thanks for the help 👍
- Glad the video was helpful! I'm not sure I understand your setup: are you saying that your laptop is connected to the input of your DVD player and you are trying to play sound from the laptop through the DVD player and thence to the speakers?
Hello!! First thing I want to do is Thank You.. for taking time out of your day to make these videos. They are extremely helpful.
I just have a question. I have all of our media players ( laptops, iPads and iPhones ) set to mono output. I use the 3.5mm TRS to 2 6.5mm TR R&W cable. I normally connect that to the stereo/mono unbalanced inputs like line 5/6. I have the pan set at center. Is this the correct way? Should I be forcing our media players to output a mono signal? We mostly do mobile DJ with just media playback.
Great to hear from you! Yes your method of connection is correct - if your PA system is stereo, there is no need to force the media players to mono output, unless your left and right speakers are so far apart that most of the audience is effectively only hearing one of the speakers.
- Mic inputs are generally designed to handle input levels of between 0.01 and 0.1 volts. Line levels are able to handle up to 10 times that level, ie around 1 volt. There are also impedance differences, with mic inputs being low impedance and line inputs generally being high impedance. However, some karaoke mics use a 1/4" connnector because it is cheaper to produce. Do you have any issues with low volume on the mic you are using?
You mentioned "sensitive" mic input? Is there a difference between the "line" vs. "mic"? We have a microphone we will be using from our Vocopro Karaoke system off our Home Theater but it has the standard 1/4 connection. Should be get a XLR to XLR cable for the mic to use the "Mic" connection for that channel?
Very helpful. Thank you for posting!
You're welcome, thanks for watching!
Thanks, now I can go around the bus loop playing camp granada
A question. My limited understanding, as I start learning about the world of audio technology, is that for sending signals long distances XLR cables are best. Is that correct? Are balanced TRS cables also good for sending clean signals long distances? If this is the case, I am wondering about this possible scenario. I only have a small 10-channel mixer with 4 mono combo jacks and then 3 stereo pair channels for 1/4" TS or TRS plugs. If, I have used all the XLR inputs when trying to bring in a laptop from a long distance using what you have advised, can I use 2 XLR to TS adapters at the end of the XLR cables to input them into one of the stereo pair channels on my mixer?
The key here is whether the signal is balanced or unbalanced - for runs of over 5m/15 feet it is best to use a balanced connection. This can be XLR or TRS - in terms of noise rejection they are identical, the only difference is the physical connector used. So the answer to your question is yes most definitely, assuming the stereo inputs on your mixer are balanced - check that first 😉
Thank you for this video clearly instructions to understand to fellow very helpful
love the vid. "Q" for you you said the pc's volume should be up fully. is this the same for my tablet please ?????
Yes, volume should be at 100% for all devices, unless you hear distortion, in which case it can be set lower.
@@GLBProductions thanks very much for the info love your videos so much just basic info im getting through them all slowly cheers for them pg
Thank you very much I have learned so much from you and I appreciate you video
You're welcome!
Hello glbpro,
I had made a cable myself with a red and white cable and a mini jack on the other side, all the cables are working but when i put in my laptop it won't play any music.
when i put just a normal CD it plays it through the speakers but as i sad it's doing nothing when my laptop is on...
is the problem that the cable made by my self can't bring the signal to my dvd player?
But thanks a lot for the video it really worked fot connecting the speaker to my dvd player.
Thanks for all your videos. Very informative. You mentioned that the laptop computer volume should be set to maximum. Would this also be the case for phones, mp3 players, etc (assuming their output is not too 'hot' for the mixer input). I wondered if setting at maximum would risk distorted output from the phone, etc, if the little internal amp went into clipping, or does that not happen with these little devices?
Hello David, it's usually not an issue :)
nice teaching
Thanks! I was able to cancel my order for the minijack to XLR and ordered the cable you talk about in your video. Do you know what the "Link" connector is on the back of my passive speakers that came with my PA kit? I would guess it's to daisy chain speakers off one another. But is that connection in series or parallel? If it's parallel it will drop the load on my amp down.
thanks for your help but i found my other dvd player and made it again on that dvd player is a special input for 4 - 8 speakers so it's working now.
i geus the problem was the cable to ( sorry i'm dutch so the dvd player outputs are not in the same language... ) the volume in that it did not know my laptop when it was plugged in.
But really thanks for helping me out with some suggestions!
- Glad the video was helpful :)
I think I watched a video of you discussing rack mounted amplifiers. Pretty cool stuff dude! Keep it up!
Thanks for the video. What's the phantom power is for in some DIs? e.g. Behringer Ultra DI20. is that juice going to the headphone output of my laptop or is it going to mixer? Does it have the potential of damaging my internal sound card and motherboard if it is used when not needed?
Phantom power is used to power some active DI boxes. It comes from the mixer and is applied to the output of the DI box, it does not pass through to the input of the DI box. So your computer is safe unless there is some fault with the DI box.
Brilliant tutorial. Thank you much!
HI Bruno , could you pls make a video on "how to connect projector audio to pa system".
Projector audio? Please clarify.
Thank you for your fast response. In my church we have some video presentation. we run video footage from computer and connect to dlp projector. i want to take audio source from projector to pa system, instead of taking audio source from computer. could you pls make a video of different kinds of connections( different options) pls.
That is not recommended - you are adding an additional step in the signal chain and also the possibility of additional analog to digital conversion. I strongly recommend taking the audio from the laptop and not from the projector.
Thanks so much for the Info. It is priceless and will solve many of the problems I've
been having connecting to my PA System. {:-)
- You're most welcome, that's the whole reason I started doing videos in the first place :)
brilliant video
+Asphalt Ricky Thanks for watching :)
At what length of distance will you recommend to start using the PCDI to conserve the best sound?
5m or 15 feet :)
what could happen if accidentally someone turned on the phantom power from the mixer? it could damage the computer or smartphone connected to the DI Box?
Not in this case - passive DI boxes block phantom power.
@ thanks
Hello Bruno....thanks for posting these videos....they are a great resource. I have searched extensively at Radio Shack, and several on-line suppliers for the cable in situation 1 which you describe in a previous reply as an, "S/PDIF audio output - basically 2-channel unbalanced digital audio", and have had no luck in finding anything more than puzzled looks on the face of the store associate. Can you give any specific brand name of the cable you use and possibly where it can be purchased?
- Hi Matthew thanks for getting in touch. The standard for S/PDIF connections is 75 ohm unbalanced co-axial cable, typically with RCA connectors on either end. In an pinch you can use 75 ohm composite video cable (the type with yellow RCA connectors). If you are drawing a blank with the salespeople try asking for 75 ohm co-axial cable, or even 75 ohm composite video cable.
I use cables from a Japanese company called Daiyo which are widely available in Singapore.
Thanks for the info Bruno...very helpful!
Thank you! Very useful!
You're welcome, thanks for watching!
At 1:02, did you put the Neutrik 6.35mm jack connector on those headphones? Because if so, it must have hurt to cut the cable (they seem like good headphones, maybe Sennheiser) haha... Great video.
MinecraftReviews1 Actually that jack was put on by our church technician - these headphones used a snap fit 1/8" to 1/4" adapter and they were always going missing so he decided to convert them to 1/4" permanently :)
Nice! Ah, I thought you were the technician since you know a lot and also you're always talking about the equipment in your church haha... I 've never had god luck with those snap fit adapters(probably because I buy the cheap chinese ones ) but yeah, nice permanent fix and thanks for the reply :D
MinecraftReviews1 I got my start in sound reinforcement many years ago doing sound in church, and still help out there as a volunteer.
Hi Bruno, you have been by far the best instructor I have found, love your attention to detail. I have trouble connecting an laptop and two Iphones to my mixing console. I am using a TRS mini jack to stereo 1/4 TRS. Strange thing is sometimes it works but then t does not and the LED signal meter jumps up then fades out as I plug it in and try making micro adjustments and I have the same problem with two different cables. I am currently not using any type of pcDI box, could that be the problem and am I better off with an RCA connectors at one end of the cable? Thank you, Chris
Hi Chris if you are using a minijack to balanced quarter inch cable that cable is public enemy number one in my book. I have seen so many problems caused by that cable and its evil cousin the minijack to XLR cable! What you want is either a minijack to 2xRCA or minijack to 2xTS (unbalanced quarter inch) cable as shown in the video. Use a stereo channel for each source and all will be well.
I was also thinking about connecting my Home Theater sub to my Harbinger HA60. There is a "Main Insert" on the back which I have no idea what that's for. The "REC OUT" would be a line level out...I could probably send that to my sub.
I am trying to avoid running a cable across the floor and wondered if there is a way to connect to the jack wirelessly in the same manner as a wireless microphone
Yes, you could use a wireless system similar to those used for guitars - however these are typically only a single channel so the signal would need to be converted to mono. There are also ProAV systems for this that work well but are not cheap.
Hi again. In your opinion, would having stereo XLR outs be better than having a mono XLR out? I will be using this for sound tracks played off an iPhone or iPad . Will stereo make a big difference in sound quality?
Thanks for answering my last question and your time on this question.
Eric
- It would definitely be more versatile, and can also function as a splitter, ie you go into the unit in stereo and have the function of coming out dual mono, meaning that you can send your signal to more than one destination. Stereo is also preferred if you are working with any sort of in-ear monitor system. Otherwise mono is adequate, especially in live sound where most of the audience does not sit centred between the left and right speakers.
I love your channel :)
- Thank you for your support, much appreciated :)
- You're most welcome.
i enjoy your lecture but if i dont have interface can i connect directly to my laptop with the mixer
Sure just use a minijack to 2 x quarter inch cable.
Great instructions!