Cabling w/ MP3+

Hey I am new to the forum and new to REW. I just won an auction for an MP3+ and am looking to get the cables necessary to start figuring this room out.

I have been reading up on the help files and also the cabling basics sticky, but I still have a few Qs.

The MP3+ has RCA(pair) line in and line out. Bruce wrote "An adapter is required to separate out the left and right channels of both the line-in and the line-out jacks of the soundcard. " I guess I don't understand if I need this considering it appears that the MP3+ has RCA L/R jacks for both line in and out already. Or do I need to seperate the Right jack of both the Line in and line out? It does look like the R line needs to be separated at the receiver aux in.

Confused,

Matt

[brucek]

Yes, you need to seperate the line-out and line-in jacks, since they're stereo, you require a stereo plug to insert in the jack. Then you need to 'break out' the right and left channel of both of them since you are only going to use the right channel of both line-in and line-out. So, you need adapters or premade cables for that as explained in the cables sticky.

brucek

brucek wrote:

Yes, you need to seperate the line-out and line-in jacks, since they're stereo, you require a stereo plug to insert in the jack. Then you need to 'break out' the right and left channel of both of them since you are only going to use the right channel of both line-in and line-out. So, you need adapters or premade cables for that as explained in the cables sticky.

brucek

Thanks Bruce.

Just to make sure I'm on the right page with everything. The left channel of the soundcard's line in/out is left empty always, and an optional loopback would be used in the "broke out" channel's left input, am I tracking alright?

I guess what throws me off is the 2 pics in the cabling guide. In one pic (the drawing), it appears that the loopback is used to connect the Left channels on the soundcard, whereas the other pic (the real pic of the cables) shows the loopback used in the L channel of the adapter (which is plugged in the right channel.

[brucek]

The left channel of the soundcard's line in/out is left empty always, and an optional loopback would be used in the "broke out" channel's left input, am I tracking alright?

Yep.

guess what throws me off is the 2 pics in the cabling guide. In one pic (the drawing), it appears that the loopback is used to connect the Left channels on the soundcard, whereas the other pic (the real pic of the cables) shows the loopback used in the L channel of the adapter (which is plugged in the right channel.

I guess I don't understand what you mean by (which is plugged in the right channel. What is plugged into the right channel of what?

I am always interested in any confusion on these diagrams so I can fix them.

brucek

Thanks for the help Bruce!



In the image on the left, it appears the loopback goes into the left lines directly on the soundcard, whereas the image on the right, the loopback goes into the left channel on each adapter. And these adapters are in the right line in/out.

I am very new to this hobby, so I guess maybe I was looking into it too much.

Again thank you for the help.

[brucek]

In the image on the left, it appears the loopback goes into the left lines directly on the soundcard, whereas the image on the right, the loopback goes into the left channel on each adapter.

I haven't drawn the adapters themselves on the diagram, since you are allowed to use breakout cables in lieu of the adapters. I do explain about the two cases and show pictures of adapters or breakout cables.

And these adapters are in the right line in/out.

There's really no such thing? There is a line-out plug and a line-in plug on a soundcard. They are stereo plugs with a left and right channel.

brucek

edit: I did some text editing and also changed the functional diagrams to reflect a stereo adapter or splitter cable situation... Is it more clear?

Thanks Brucek, it's crystal clear to me now.

[JohnM]

Bruce, note that the MP3+ does not have stereo jacks, it has 4 separate RCA connectors for the line in and out.

[brucek]

Bruce, note that the MP+ does not have stereo jacks, it has 4 separate RCA connectors for the line in and out.

Yeah, I know, and I considered it and the other high-end card boxes that M-Audio sells (that use seperate 1/4" plugs). It's so hard to get the information written down so that everyone understands. I guess I will add a note, but I think it may add confusion.

brucek

Edit: changed the wording a bit to note that some cards use mono separate jacks on their soundcards. Hopefully it's clear.