a question about my S2's 1/4" outputs

[Method in chaos]

Hey guys, I'm sure this will be a very noobish question but here it goes:
I've been using a Kontrol S2 mk2 for the past couple of months with a Beats Pill plugged into the left main 1/4" output as my monitor.
I noticed that the sound quality is kinda weird, like the speaker was not sounding at it's full potential. Thought the 1/8"-1/4" adapter was bad so I bought a couple more but the sound came out the same. Thinking it was the cable I tried the Headphones connection and the sound came out "full". So then I started worrying something was working with the sound card or something. Started trying to unplug and plug everything in the back again and by dumb luck I realized that if the converter was all the way in BUT the speaker's cable wasn't plugged all the way into the converter, put "halfway" it would start sounding at its fullest. Now this "sweet spot" is a very small window and the slightest touch will make the sound stop.

So, hoping all I wrote makes sense, my question is: is there anything with my cables/adapters/soundcard? )I am using very good quality cables and have tried at least 3 different combinations)

Is it supposed to sound like that if I'm just using one speaker plugged into one input?

what do you guys recommend?

Thanks for the help!

[frankiefilth]

There's nothing wrong with your soundcard. The best way to run this setup is a phono to 1/8" stereo cable.

[SlayForMoney]

I realized that if the converter was all the way in BUT the speaker's cable wasn't plugged all the way into the converter, put "halfway" it would start sounding at its fullest. Now this "sweet spot" is a very small window and the slightest touch will make the sound stop.

Your converter/adapter is a cheap chinese plastic shit that has 3.5mm input on one end not quite suitable for your 3.5mm jack so that's why you have this problem. I have several of these adapters and each one is a little different, some 3.5mm jacks can't go full in on some and some have the problem you mentioned.

That's why a 3.5mm jack is NOT a professional audio connection.

So, hoping all I wrote makes sense, my question is: is there anything with my cables/adapters/soundcard? )I am using very good quality cables and have tried at least 3 different combinations)

As previously said: your adapter is bad and since you cannot know what will you get when ordering another one, don't bother with it.

Get a yourself a 3.5mm stereo jack -> 2x 1/4 mono jack cable.

[Method in chaos]

Your converter/adapter is a cheap chinese plastic shit that has 3.5mm input on one end not quite suitable for your 3.5mm jack so that's why you have this problem.

Yeah, that was my first guess, lol.

Get a yourself a 3.5mm stereo jack -> 2x 1/4 mono jack cable.

Will do man. Thanks for the advice. Quick question: why the 2 x 1/4 mono instead stereo?

[SlayForMoney]

Yeah, that was my first guess, lol.

Will do man. Thanks for the advice. Quick question: why the 2 x 1/4 mono instead stereo?

Because the single L & R 1/4" sockets on the S2 are mono. Or to better put it: each socket outputs L or R channel.
Mono can mean a single channel out of stereo (L or R) or a summed single channel of audio (L+R).

[Method in chaos]

Gotcha! Thanks a lot for your help man!

[Method in chaos]

Quick update. That cable fixed the problem!
BTW, (one week later) I got a good technical explanation by NI:

The 1/4" outputs on the back of the S2 are for connection to professional equipment and are balanced outputs that are meant to be used as a pair. Balanced outputs have a Positive/Negative/Common output instead of the Left/Right/Common output of Stereo outputs. So when you get the connector in just the right position in a balanced output it can sound normal but will never be in stereo.

Get a Dual RCA to 3.5mm cable and use the RCA outputs of the S2 with the Pill speaker you mentioned.

[rob2192]

Generally speaking unless you've got a long run of cable there is no need for balanced signals. It's basically a way of removing the noise picked up along the cable - the longer the cable the more noise you'll pick up - it works like an antenna.

As NI said you're better of using the RCA, unbalanced connection unless the receiving device accepts balance inputs.

The reason it sounded bad before is the balanced connection sends the signals perfectly out of phase so your speaker was receiving perfect opposite 'left' and 'right' signals which will cancel out.