newbie needs advice connectiing headphones

[larns]

iv just bought a sound card, emu 0404 and some monitoring headphones, i want to start writing music, but i cant connect my headphones directly into the sound card, it says in the instructions:

'the ouputs are not designed to drive headphones directly. use headphone amp.'

iv looked for headphone amps most of them have 4 outputs, are exspensive and dont seem appropriate, should i get a little 2 channel mixer or something like that?

[Blue Hell]

[ian-s]

Yes the little phonic or behringer ones are dirt cheep and give a propper balanced mic input with EQ.
Alternativly, a little table top stereo with aux in might do.

[elektro80]

Something like the Samson C-Control is what you need. It will be a nice addition to what you already have.

The Samson C-Control

[larns]

thanks il check them out

[seraph]

[elektro80]

Sure.. that one is very basic. main piint with the C-Control is the additional signal routing and stuff. It solves this bit far better than a behringer mixer or whatever. But yes.. you can never get too many headphone amps.. so the S-Monitor is really cool.

[larns]

yeah, i mean i just need to drive my headphones, i dont know if i need much else at the mo, although i did come accross this little mixer, what do you think?



click here



(the Phonic MU 1002)

[elektro80]

If you don´t need a mixer, then you should certainly not buy any of these. A C-Control is a fairly more useful device in the long run.. or do as Carlo suggested.. get that stereo headphone amp.
Buy a mixer when you need a mixer. Your problem right now is monitoring the stereo output form the soundcard. A C-Control or a similar device is the start of handling that part of the chain. You will however do fine with the thingie Carlo suggested.

[larns]

right thanks, actualy that samson c control does look good, although the talk back function wont be needed

[larns]

after some long thought, iv gone and bought the 'Samson C Control' from digital village, I really couldnt find anything else which was as good quality and suitable for my needs, thank you very much for your advice.

il call back if i need any further assistance, cheers

[elektro80]

A good choice. Please study the PDF manual at the Samson site. You will see several wiring examples. The C-Control will interface well with whatever other stuff you will buy later on.

[larns]

i got the samson c control in the post after waiting a long while for digital village to get it in stock. anyway i think its a nice bit of kit, however i have noticed that i am getting more volume from the left output than the right.

i have connected the L + R output from the soundcard into the samson L + R MIX in. for some reason when the headphone volume is at 0, i can hear a good signal coming (only) from the left, but as i turn up the volume it pans to the right and is ballanced, but only when it is a full volume. surely this is not right. the panning is set correctly, so i really cant find why this is. bascilay im getting a weaker signal from the right output

could it be the type of leads im using? they are 1/4" patch leads (not sure if they are ballanced or unballanced, i havce a feeling this might be the problem)

this is problay something simple, but im over looking it, any ideas?

[elektro80]

Hmm.. this is weird. I have never heard about this problem with the C-Control. Your unit is either defective or there is something else going on. Yu should probably check that you are using two identical cables from the soundcard to the unit and that both are OK.

[larns]

i guess il have to do some testing, there are different possibilities for the cause, the soundcard, leads, software or the samson.

i have tested the leads and and changed them around ect, no luck its the L mix in, its letting the signal through when the volume is set to 0 , i have contacted the shop, hopefuly they will have another one in stock