Do I have my cabling correct?

[lovingdvd]

OK I'm going to pick up everything I need to use REW with BFD. Here's my understand of what I need. Am I missing anything?

- Sound Blaster Live USB (if anyone can recommend a cheaper product known to work available at most retail stores please let me know).

- BFD device itself

- Two phone to mono adapters "accepts RCA-type phono plug and fits 1/4" mono phone jack" This is for connections into and out of the BFD. Radio Shack 274-884.

- Radio Shack SPL (have this already, about 7+ years old - I'll have to check - don't remember it having any analog output on it)

- one STEREO 1/8 mini jack to two prong RCA jacks, quantity 2. This will be used to go from the output of the sound card into the CD input on my A/V receiver. Radio Shack 42-2540

- one "Accepts two RCA phono plugs and fits 1/8" stereo phone jack" Radio Shack Part# 274-883 . This will be used to go from the RCA cable coming from the sound meter to plug into the USB sound card.

- Any thing else?

[JohnM]

The 42-2540 stereo 1/8 to RCA cables are fairly short, so you'll need to make sure your soundcard is close to your receiver. You can also use this cable for the connection to your SPL meter, but the same caveat about the cable length applies - soundcard needs to be close to your usual listening position. If you use these cables for both those connections then you'd need 2 as you've listed (and your receiover would need to be close to your usual listening position), otherwise just one for whichever of the receiver/SPL meter connections is the short one. The 2-RCA to 1/8 adaptors can be a little bulky to easily plug in sometimes, but have the advantage that you can then run regular RCA - RCA cables to get from your soundcard to your receiver and SPL meter.

[lovingdvd]

JohnM wrote:

The 42-2540 stereo 1/8 to RCA cables are fairly short, so you'll need to make sure your soundcard is close to your receiver. You can also use this cable for the connection to your SPL meter, but the same caveat about the cable length applies - soundcard needs to be close to your usual listening position. If you use these cables for both those connections then you'd need 2 as you've listed (and your receiover would need to be close to your usual listening position), otherwise just one for whichever of the receiver/SPL meter connections is the short one. The 2-RCA to 1/8 adaptors can be a little bulky to easily plug in sometimes, but have the advantage that you can then run regular RCA - RCA cables to get from your soundcard to your receiver and SPL meter.

My plan is to use a 1/8" extension cable that is male->female. I'll plug the male of the extension cord into the sound card, run that over to the receiver, and then plug the 42-2540 into the female part of the extension. Then I can use a rather short set of RCA to RCA cables to go from the extension cord into the receiver. Am I correct to assume this is ok and will not mess up the measurements?

[JohnM]

Sounds fine.

[lovingdvd]

JohnM wrote:

...The 2-RCA to 1/8 adaptors can be a little bulky to easily plug in sometimes, but have the advantage that you can then run regular RCA - RCA cables to get from your soundcard to your receiver and SPL meter.

I was concerned that the adapter may be too bulky. So I purchased a different adapter that has a 1/8" mono pin and just one RCA on the back. My plan is to run a RCA from the sound meter to that adapter and into the sound card that way.

Will that work? Logically it seems it would. However I seem to recall reading something about needing to input this as a stereo signal even though the RCA is only plugged into one side of the adapter. And I also seem to recall needing to tell REW whether the signal is coming in from the left or right channel. Perhaps this mono plug can be used and means that the signal is coming always from say the left?

Thanks.

[brucek]

Will that work?

No, as you state, it has to be stereo..............