1 Topic by rvdetk (edited by rvdetk 2021-09-07 05:40:53)

  • Registered: 2021-09-05
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Topic: HDSPE AIO PRO Hardware connections

Hello,

I have recently purchased this interface and it was a big jump for me as I've come from a behringer xr18 which served as an all-in solution and was fine for a long time to learn how the world of music recordings works. Now, AIO PRO will be my first pcie card and I have a few questions.

My basic main components to start building on will be: Windows PC with Ableton live 11-AIO PRO-Warm Audio WA273 PRE.

I want to have the sound from my pc to go through AIO to my monitor speakers which have balanced TRS L&R and unbalanced RCA L&R inputs(mackie cr3).
I would like to connect my headphones which are unbalanced 250ohm (Beyerdynamics dt1990 pro).
For recordings my goal is to connect WA273 through analog cabling for recording.
I would occasionaly send my end mix from AIO to WA273 for transformer saturation.

1. Connecting headphones and monitors to AIO:
unbalanced analog breakout cable would work for my headphones but do the rca outputs on the 15 pin analog breakout cable each send out a stereo or a mono signal, as I want to connect my monitors simultaniously I would need one stereo 1RCA->2RCA Y-cable or 2 seperate RCA mono cables? So the RCA on 15 pin analog breakout cable give me 2 ins and 2 outs in mono or 2 ins and 2 outs in stereo?


2. Same 15 pin unbalanced analog breakout cable to connect WA273 preamp:
I would like to go from WA273 line to AIO' RCA in (trs>rca). I also would like to occasionaly disconnect monitors and connect AIO's RCA out to WA273's line imput. Will this work or did I oversee something?


3. If I would purchase the 15 pin balanced analog xlr breakout cable, would that still allow me to use my unbalanced headophones with the AIO or do I need balanced headphones with the BO9632XLRMKH cable?

Thank you.

2 Reply by waedi (edited by waedi 2021-09-07 11:44:52)

  • waedi
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Re: HDSPE AIO PRO Hardware connections

1. Mono In and Out, Left and Right channel each with one cinch connector
2. Yes, should work. i think it should be possible to hook up the warm between AiO and monitors and have it there without disconnecting. Y-cable from the AIO to the warm Line-In and to the monitors.
3. Use your headphone as it is. Connect it into the stereo-socket and there you go.

M1-Sequoia, Madiface Pro, Digiface USB, Babyface silver and blue
  • Registered: 2021-09-05
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Re: HDSPE AIO PRO Hardware connections

waedi wrote:

1. Mono In and Out, Left and Right channel each with one cinch connector
2. Yes, should work. i think it should be possible to hook up the warm between AiO and monitors and have it there without disconnecting. Y-cable from the AIO to the warm Line-In and to the monitors.
3. Use your headphone as it is. Connect it into the stereo-socket and there you go.


Thank you very much for taking some time out of your day to help me with these questions.

1. Will Cinch connector take up an RCA plug? I am unfamiliar with these connections as I've only used trs/ts/xlr and usb/tb before.

2. Thanks, I expect aio to arrive somewhere this week so I will test this first thing. I think using y-cables(unless they are active powered y-converters) does reduce the quality of the signal. It has something to do with the signal voltage or impedance. I am unsure about it, all I know is that it does degrade the sound and I don't want to do that to my end-mix. It is not an issue since i can just unplug my monitors and plug in WA273 while monitoring throuhg earphones but thanks for the suggestion, I haven't thought of it myself.

3. But the cable is balanced, headphones are unbalanced and I've seen a thread on rme forum of an user who used this balanced cable and had a noise issue(I suspect ground) through headphones but not through monitors which I suspect is a grounding issue. Here is a link: https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=33404

4 Reply by ramses (edited by ramses 2021-09-07 16:01:55)

  • ramses
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Re: HDSPE AIO PRO Hardware connections

to 1) pls google. The term RCA stands for Radio Corporation of Amercia. The standard has been colloquially known as Cinch since 1940. So RCA and Cinch is the same.

to 2) use this cable https://www.thomann.de/de/rme_bo9632_breakoutkabel.htm
It has balanced cables which is fine for connecting active monitors and this breakout cable has also an output for headphones.
https://images.static-thomann.de/pics/bdb/164831/12508792_800.jpg

BTW .. I do not understand where you see issues. If this cable provides phones output, why should you need then to connect phones balanced ? Or to use the other breakout cable and then connect active monitors through rca... Makes no sense / is not required.

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub14
  • Registered: 2021-09-05
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Re: HDSPE AIO PRO Hardware connections

ramses wrote:

to 1) pls google. The term RCA stands for Radio Corporation of Amercia. The standard has been colloquially known as Cinch since 1940. So RCA and Cinch is the same.

to 2) use this cable https://www.thomann.de/de/rme_bo9632_breakoutkabel.htm
It has balanced cables which is fine for connecting active monitors and this breakout cable has also an output for headphones.
https://images.static-thomann.de/pics/bdb/164831/12508792_800.jpg

BTW .. I do not understand where you see issues. If this cable provides phones output, why should you need then to connect phones balanced ? Or to use the other breakout cable and then connect active monitors through rca... Makes no sense / is not required.

I know the cable is balanced, I know it has output for phones. The question is: does the outfit work for unbalanced phones(because my phones are unbalanced) or for balanced phones only( as this will give my unbalanced phones a ground loop). I would like to use the balanced breakout cable but since my headphones are unbalanced but monitors can take both, It would be easier for me to just go the unbalanced route as I don't need to run long cables anyway. The manual doesn't explain this in detail and I don't feel like spending 75 euro just to find out it might not work in my user case.

6 Reply by ramses (edited by ramses 2021-09-07 16:26:09)

  • ramses
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Re: HDSPE AIO PRO Hardware connections

This one headphone output is clearly 1x TRS for plugging-in your stereo phones plug (which is TRS).
1 TRS plug is always  unbalanced. Tip Sleeve for L/R and Ground.
Balanced needs two TRS plugs for Stereo.

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub14
  • Registered: 2021-09-05
  • Posts: 9

Re: HDSPE AIO PRO Hardware connections

ramses wrote:

This one headphone output is clearly 1x TRS for plugging-in your stereo phones plug (which is TRS).
1 TRS plug is always  unbalanced. Tip Sleeve for L/R and Ground.
Balanced needs two TRS plugs for Stereo.


Thank you, thit makes sense. I would rather go the balanced route as it gives me more options.