Elementary question about monitor speakers

[moriddim]

Hello,

I hate to trouble you all with a post like this, but I'm looking for a way to use my old stereo speakers as monitors for my recording/mixing sessions. The speakers are Sony model no. SS-MC3AV and use what I think are called stripped or bare wires to connect to the stereo. With what little knowledge I have, I'm fairly certain that they are passive speakers powered by an amp within the stereo system. I am using the receiver they came with currently for my entertainment system with another pair of passive speakers, so I would need an alternative, but all I can find online are power amps with RCA, XLR, and S-PDIF inputs.

Would anyone have any idea of what I might be looking for and any extra info I might need to know before going to Guitar Center/Sam Ash? I like to know as much as possible before I start spending $. I'm sure you all understand.

Thank you for your time.

=pk=

[AndyH]

Speakers intended for listening to music are generally designed to sound pleasant (regardless of what the advertisements for them said) while monitor speakers are intended to be truthful, no matter how bad it sounds. However, that aside, you seem to have a basic misunderstanding about connecting things.

Those inputs you mentioned are about getting the signal into the amplifier, usually from the soundcard or mixer when dealing with computer audio (or a CD player and such devices when dealing with living room audio). The speakers are about getting power out the other end of the amplifier. The connector types are always different.

[af-sabianq]

hi there!
First, on Andy's and everyone here's behalf, welcome to audioforums.com !

I am assuming you are trying to hook up your speakers to your computer.

your computers sound card has a line output connection. (green connector) this signal that comes from your computer sound card is called an (un-balanced stereo line level signal) this is normal for consumer audio products. here is a picture of a normal sound card.



the line out connectors are a line level.

line level is different than speaker level. you need an amplifier to turn a line level signal into a speaker level signal. speaker level signals can only drive speakers.

back to the RCA vs XLR connectors.

RCA looks like this


the other side is a mini stereo or 3.5 mm TRS (tip ring sleeve) this can plug into your sound card turning your line output to an RCA connector.

the back of the amp that you plug the RCA cable into might look like this.



or this



you
plug your computers sound card into the amplifier using the RCA plugs (un-balanced)

then you plug your speakers into the Speaker Posts.

turn everything on and your all set.

[af-sabianq]

to get the best sound you would use an amplifiers internal digital to analogue processor and hook up the amp to the sound-card using the digital (orange RCA) connector. this will give you the full benefit of surround sound if you want to use a home theater receiver.

[moriddim]

You folks are great. The pictures were a fantastic touch, too.

Thank you very much for sorting me out. If you saw the tiny computer speakers I've been using to monitor, you'd shake your head.

AndyH - I'm keeping what you said in mind about the "listening to music" speakers vs. monitoring speakers. At the moment, I don't think I can invest in a couple NS-10's like I would want to, so these Sony's will do for now.

sabianq - I will also keep what you said in mind about the digital out.

I think I would have to go for something like your second picture. The "speaker posts" was the key terminology I was looking for. I'm pretty sure those are the inputs that fasten in the bare wire, as they often appear on the back of a home stereo system for this purpose.

Again, thank you all. I learned more than I expected to hear, which is great.

[ModAud]

Stay away from NS10's they are not made to be your only monitors. They are great reference to how the world will hear the it, butfor the price you can get much better monitors.

[moriddim]

See I had thought that they were the best to get because of the "if it sounds good on NS-10's..." thing. Of course, I would prefer something better, but I was really just subscribing to that...erm...adage, I suppose.

=pk=

[ModAud]

Yea, the "if it sounds good on NS-10's..." is true. But by no means should a mix be done entirely on them. You need to be able to hear more detail, and a cleaner sound. They are best used as a check, mix on good monitors then check the mix on th NS10's if it doesnt't transfer well, then you need to work on it. But mixing to make somthing sound good on NS10's will sound very bad on anything else. Thats been my experience.

[moriddim]

Interesting. I've never heard it put that way and I'm glad you shared that with me.

I wonder, are there monitor speakers that are specially made to simulate the frequency response of other speakers? Sort of like smart speakers? Maybe that's silly, but it seems like a cool idea to me.

[jmail]

Go to the Sweetwater web site and check out the JBL monitors (among others) & write-ups, that can "shape" their sound to the room - sort-of. "My, what a modern age we live in."...

Edit: Nutz. I thought they had a write-up on 'em... Oh well. They've got a buying guide at this link, which has some stuff... But not like the thingie I saw on the JBL monitors. It was Sweetwater, wasn't it? Perhaps I was dreaming...

[af-87PRS]

also Alesis has some digi speakers that simulate last I looked.

[moriddim]

Thanks.

Definitely a couple of items worth checking out.

[ecc83]

Hi Mo'

I was in the audio retail (uk) trade for 30yrs. Sony made some excellent loudspeakers and some real dogs! No idea what yours are like, make a simple test, how do they compare with real sounds i.e. voice, guitar, jangled keys.....?
One important point, pukka monitors are(should be) pretty rugged in that they will cope with bass guitar and screaming solo's."Domestics" will pop bass drivers or tweeters will fry. There is little you can do about this apart from using caution and restraint.
Last thing. When you are ready to move on, go for "actives".
Dave.