jackcu
I am thinking about updating my ancient laptop to enable me to gig without lugging my desktop PC around with me. The question I have is this:
How do you hook up the external mixer?
My existing laptop only has one soundcard output. I know I can get a splitter cable but is there another way of doing it? A multi output card for a laptop? An external box of sorts?
Many thanks,
Jack.
How do you hook up the external mixer?
My existing laptop only has one soundcard output. I know I can get a splitter cable but is there another way of doing it? A multi output card for a laptop? An external box of sorts?
Many thanks,
Jack.
Posted Wed 18 Dec 02 @ 4:21 pm
DJ Rick
Sometimes I use the splitter, and other times I use a USB audio device as a 2nd sound card. Either way works fine!
(using a sony laptop)
(using a sony laptop)
Posted Wed 18 Dec 02 @ 5:22 pm
jackcu
Thanks for the quick response. I am slightly confused (OK, very confused) about the sound I will get with a splitter.
Here are what I think the options are:
1. Will I only get one channel (left OR right) playing through the PA?
2. Will I get mono through the PA?
3. Will I get stereo when playing and something else when cueing?
4. err.........something else?
Many thanks,
Jack.
Here are what I think the options are:
1. Will I only get one channel (left OR right) playing through the PA?
2. Will I get mono through the PA?
3. Will I get stereo when playing and something else when cueing?
4. err.........something else?
Many thanks,
Jack.
Posted Wed 18 Dec 02 @ 5:26 pm
jukesy
Use the left channel as one deck and the right channel as another deck then split each channel in two again and feed this into your pa/mixer. You wont get any stereo effects but at least you have both left and right speakers working.
Posted Wed 18 Dec 02 @ 5:32 pm
jackcu
Many thanks jukesy,
I tried this last night and worked out what happens. When the playing deck is highlighted, then the sound of it comes out both left and right channels. When the non playing deck is highlighted, the playing deck comes out of the left channel and the cueing deck out of the right.
As you suggest, if I were to split the signal and route to my mixer I would get the 2 decks available but they would be in mono. That was the bit that I couldn't find any information about - thanks for your help.
Obviously, in a live situation with people dancing, moving around, etc., the stereo image would be all over the place, so a mono output shouldn't be a problem to the listeners.
Cheers,
Jack.
I tried this last night and worked out what happens. When the playing deck is highlighted, then the sound of it comes out both left and right channels. When the non playing deck is highlighted, the playing deck comes out of the left channel and the cueing deck out of the right.
As you suggest, if I were to split the signal and route to my mixer I would get the 2 decks available but they would be in mono. That was the bit that I couldn't find any information about - thanks for your help.
Obviously, in a live situation with people dancing, moving around, etc., the stereo image would be all over the place, so a mono output shouldn't be a problem to the listeners.
Cheers,
Jack.
Posted Thu 19 Dec 02 @ 10:39 am
DJ Rick
Use the splitter. (a cable with the mini jack on one end, and 2 rca plugs on the other end) Plug the mini jack into your laptop sound output. Plug one of the rca ends into one mixer input, and plug the other rca plug into another mixer input. Set your mixer to MONO. (if you mixer doesn't have a mono switch, then you have to get a Y connector for each of the 2 rca ends) This configuration will give you full output of each channel. Both sides of the stereo sound are condensed into a full range mono output, which will play through both speakers.
good luck!
good luck!
Posted Thu 19 Dec 02 @ 5:09 pm
behemoth
i just use a ACER ASPIRE 1204 laptop , with a "line out to jack" - cable... this i connect to one of the auxiliary port of my mixing panel...
Works great, no preview though
Works great, no preview though
Posted Fri 03 Jan 03 @ 1:13 am
freppa
Maby you should by an External Soundcard like Audigy?
I have that setup my self and it worx great!
I have that setup my self and it worx great!
Posted Sat 04 Jan 03 @ 12:16 am
Rogblack
I use a 3d Extigy and it works pretty good. Only problem I have is not being able to adjust Headphones volume.
Posted Wed 15 Jan 03 @ 1:51 am
sketch
Extigy into an external mixer, it works great.........
Posted Thu 16 Jan 03 @ 10:35 am
jackcu
Thanks guys,
Well I got a new laptop and used it on Friday night at a gig for the first time - everything went just fine thanks to the advice I picked up here.
Just for the record, I hooked it up slightly differently from the diagram referred to in this forum. I was worried about the amount of weight on the output jack if I had done it according to the picture. I figured putting a stereo jack to phono and then a phono splitter on each side might just break the socket after a while. Here's my set up:
A cable with a stereo jack on one end and 2 male phonos on the other end (left and right). I put a gender changer on each of these phonos and plugged in a cable with a single phono on one end and 2 phonos on the other on to each side. So I now have a cable with a stereo jack on the laptop end and 4 phonos (2 left and 2 right) on the other. These plug in to my mixer and off we go.
Just a suggestion in case anyone is worried about breaking their socket.
Thanks again for all the help on this one :)
Jack.
Well I got a new laptop and used it on Friday night at a gig for the first time - everything went just fine thanks to the advice I picked up here.
Just for the record, I hooked it up slightly differently from the diagram referred to in this forum. I was worried about the amount of weight on the output jack if I had done it according to the picture. I figured putting a stereo jack to phono and then a phono splitter on each side might just break the socket after a while. Here's my set up:
A cable with a stereo jack on one end and 2 male phonos on the other end (left and right). I put a gender changer on each of these phonos and plugged in a cable with a single phono on one end and 2 phonos on the other on to each side. So I now have a cable with a stereo jack on the laptop end and 4 phonos (2 left and 2 right) on the other. These plug in to my mixer and off we go.
Just a suggestion in case anyone is worried about breaking their socket.
Thanks again for all the help on this one :)
Jack.
Posted Thu 16 Jan 03 @ 4:38 pm
johngute
i have a P2 266 laptop running win2k
i use the built in sound and a PClink USB 'sound card' that came with a sony mini disk player. (it says Xitel MD-Port AN1 on the back)
then i use 2 mini to RCA jack cable to the mixer
no problems yet.
if i had plenty of money, i'd use two higher end USB to sound convertors. like the extigy or a stereo link 1200 http://www.thinkgeek.com/electronics/audio/5756/
i use the built in sound and a PClink USB 'sound card' that came with a sony mini disk player. (it says Xitel MD-Port AN1 on the back)
then i use 2 mini to RCA jack cable to the mixer
no problems yet.
if i had plenty of money, i'd use two higher end USB to sound convertors. like the extigy or a stereo link 1200 http://www.thinkgeek.com/electronics/audio/5756/
Posted Sun 19 Jan 03 @ 5:49 pm