Monitors and an Audio 2?

DJ Gear & Hardware Hardware: Controllers, Mods and Gear
1

Monitors and an Audio 2?

So if I have KRK Rokit 6 monitors and an NI Audio 2, is it ok to just use an rca splitter cable to connect one output to both of the unbalanced monitor inputs, and use the other to cue with my headphones? Am I missing something here? Is that bad to split like that?

2

Nope, as far as i’m aware thats perfectly fine!

3

So what’s the point of these other cards having balanced outputs and dozens of rca outputs? Is there really no downside to splitting the out like that?

4

You can run balanced outputs over longer distances without a drop in quality.

5

Multiple RCA inputs/outputs can be used for recording, booth monitoring, split channels by deck. XLR outputs are if you need to travel long distances to get to the main system.

You are perfectly fine what you are doing. RCA left go to left speaker, RCA right go to right speaker.

6

So even though I’m splitting one 1/4" stereo output across two speakers, that’s fine?

7

yes, you are just splitting the channels to left and right. This is what you want to be doing.

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8

Oh, ok. Thanks so much for the help! I was just worried that splitting it would have been bad, since all the other cards I’d seen had separate L/R outputs. Thanks!

9

It’s because TRS (3 core jack) cables have 2 different uses:

  • One TRS can carry an unbalanced stereo signal (as is produced by the Audio 2) which is exactly the same as having 2 unbalanced mono RCA outputs like you get on an audio 4
  • Each of a pair of two TRS cables can carry a balanced mono signal (so 2 gives you balanced stereo) which requires 2 separate balanced mono outputs (like you get from an S4)

Unbalanced is generally fine for short distances.

10

Can not wait to get home and use monitors been using shitty speakers while I have been out here

11

^^what he said!

12

I really don’t mean to be a dick, and I’m sorry that I don’t know how to say this without being condescending, but…you do know what “stereo” means, right?

“Better” audio interfaces give you some combination of better quality, better features, or more options…none of which you need for a DJ set.

13

teehee.

14

Haha, of course I do. I was just trying to make sure it was fine to not use TRS cables, and that I wouldn’t degrade it at all by splitting it with my cheapo splitter cable, since every other sound card I’ve seen had seperate L/R outputs.

15

Oh. Meh.

You don’t lose sound quality in cables. At worst, you add noise. And unbalanced cables–like RCA cables–are more prone to noise than balanced cables. Whatever. If the cable runs are short (< 15 feet or so) you probably won’t hear it.

If you do hear noise, “fix” the cables before you fix anything else, because it’s probably them.