I'm having issues with the machine not functioning correctly when I use certain speakers and headphones, there are some that work and some that don't. I'd like to know if amplifiers are usable on this machine and what other kinds of speakers and headphones I can use.
Monitoring
- Thread starter EeMm
- Start date
Mark Richards
Soundaholic
Can you clarify:
* what you mean by "not functioning correctly";
* what headphones and speakers are involved; and
* how you are connecting the speakers to your DP-xx (assume you're connecting the headphones to the front headphone jack).
In general:
*You can connect the DP-xx RCA stereo out jacks to any standard stereo amplifier with RCA line level high impedence input jacks, or to powered speakers with RCA input jacks.
* You can connect the balanced high impedence 1/4" TRS monitor output phone jacks to powered speakers with balanced (TRS) or unbalanced (TS) 1/4" input phone jacks, or to professional audio amplifiers with balanced or unbalanced 1/4" input phone jacks. You can also connect to powered speakers or audio amplifiers with balanced XLR inputs using appropriate conversion cables (1/4" TRS or TS phone to XLR).
* what you mean by "not functioning correctly";
* what headphones and speakers are involved; and
* how you are connecting the speakers to your DP-xx (assume you're connecting the headphones to the front headphone jack).
In general:
*You can connect the DP-xx RCA stereo out jacks to any standard stereo amplifier with RCA line level high impedence input jacks, or to powered speakers with RCA input jacks.
* You can connect the balanced high impedence 1/4" TRS monitor output phone jacks to powered speakers with balanced (TRS) or unbalanced (TS) 1/4" input phone jacks, or to professional audio amplifiers with balanced or unbalanced 1/4" input phone jacks. You can also connect to powered speakers or audio amplifiers with balanced XLR inputs using appropriate conversion cables (1/4" TRS or TS phone to XLR).
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The headphones are beyerdynamic open and the speakers are yamaha hs series and everytime I use any of them the machine either glitches or the headphones and speakers have a weak signal and the volume is significantly low and compromised ugh. I'm just curious to know if I can input a headphone amplifier or a speaker amplifier into this machine that'll work and I'm curious to know if anyone has any particular good quality studio monitors that they can recommend based on their experience.
Mark Richards
Soundaholic
You didn't indicate which of the several open back Beyerdynamic models you're using, but if its impedence is 200 Ohms or higher, that could be one reason for a weak headphone signal. As I recall, the DP-xx headphone circuit is designed optimally for use with headphones of 80 Ohm impedence or less. You also need to consider the sound pressure level (SPL) the headphone produces at 1 milliwatt. The higher the SPL, the louder (more efficient) the headphone.
I routinely use the following with my DP-24:
AKG K-701 open-back, over-ear reference headphones
Audeze SINE closed-back, on ear audiophile headphones
SONY MDR-V6 closed-back, over-ear monitor headphones
AudioTechnica M-50x closed-back, over-ear monitor headphones
BeyerDynamic DT-1350-80 closed-back, on-ear monitor headphones.
My DP-24 monitor out jacks are connected to inexpensive (~$100US at the time) but decent powered Harman-Kardon speakers from an old computer system. I use these speakers routinely to evaluate how my mix will sound on cheap audio systems and for low-level monitoring when sound quality isn't critical to what I'm doing.
My DP-24 stereo out jacks are connected to my vintage Harman-Kardon PM-660 studio amplifier driving vintage ElectroVoice Sentry 100A and vintage Auratone 5 passive near-field reference speakers.
At times I've also connected the DP-24 monitor outputs to the H/K PM660 amp and the stereo outputs to the powered H/K computer speakers.
I use all of these tools at various stages of the recording, mixing and mastering processes and have never had any problems.
I don't recall any reports on this forum similar to yours, but nevertheless you might want to do a forum search to see if anything turns up.
I routinely use the following with my DP-24:
AKG K-701 open-back, over-ear reference headphones
Audeze SINE closed-back, on ear audiophile headphones
SONY MDR-V6 closed-back, over-ear monitor headphones
AudioTechnica M-50x closed-back, over-ear monitor headphones
BeyerDynamic DT-1350-80 closed-back, on-ear monitor headphones.
My DP-24 monitor out jacks are connected to inexpensive (~$100US at the time) but decent powered Harman-Kardon speakers from an old computer system. I use these speakers routinely to evaluate how my mix will sound on cheap audio systems and for low-level monitoring when sound quality isn't critical to what I'm doing.
My DP-24 stereo out jacks are connected to my vintage Harman-Kardon PM-660 studio amplifier driving vintage ElectroVoice Sentry 100A and vintage Auratone 5 passive near-field reference speakers.
At times I've also connected the DP-24 monitor outputs to the H/K PM660 amp and the stereo outputs to the powered H/K computer speakers.
I use all of these tools at various stages of the recording, mixing and mastering processes and have never had any problems.
I don't recall any reports on this forum similar to yours, but nevertheless you might want to do a forum search to see if anything turns up.
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The headphones that didn't work were the 990s (250 ohm), the volume was really soft and much like when using the monitors, and the machine kept on glitching unfortunately (therefore I'm quite sure that like most audio devices, it's necessary to use an amplifier when using higher end and high powered gear), however, the machine otherwise works pristine.
Thanks for your replies, I appreciate the technical options that you explained regarding the different methods of connecting to monitors. I decided that I'm going to use my yamaha monitors exclusively. If you or anyone else has any experience with using Yamaha hs series monitors with these Tascam machines, please let me know how I can safely connect them. I think the problem that I was having had to do with how I was connecting the Tascam to the Yamahas. I was using a Mogami microphone balanced cables, the 1/4" end of the cables inserted into the Tascam's monitor outs and the XLR male end of the cables into the Yamaha's XLR balanced inputs. In the Yamaha monitor manual, it recommends preferably using an XLR female to XLX male balanced cable. However, as an alternative it does mention that a 1/4" unbalanced cable is okay inserted from a mixer's unbalanced output and inserted into the Yamahas' unbalanced input. The irony though is that like the Tascam's lack of XLR monitor outs, Tascam also doesn't have unbalanced monitor outs. If anyone can give any technical advice on this based on experience or just smarts then I'd really appreciate it.
To add some more info, I'd like to say really quick that my Tascam does have unbalanced stereo outs but I'm not sure if that is the same as an unbalanced phone jack output. Each Yamaha hs speaker has "one XLR and one phone connector that both support balanced as well as unbalanced connections". The Yamaha manual recommends phone connectors and XLR, it prefers though use of balanced XLR. They also do recommened using the 1/4" TRS balanced cables on both ends for an audio interface but not for a mixer. I always call these Tascam units mixers. I don't know for sure though if these Tascam units are considered mixers or an audio interface.
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Mark Richards
Soundaholic
EeMm, this post explains balanced/unbalanced (3rd paragraph of post):
http://www.tascamforums.com/threads/need-more-inputs.5289/#post-26289
Balanced lines become important only for long cable runs.
The DP-xx is a mixer and an audio interface. The distinction is that a mixer typically has multiple line level outputs (e.g. Stereo Out, Monitor Out, Send Out, Aux Out, etc.) which can be a combination of balanced (XLR/TRS Phone) and unbalanced (TS Phone/RCA phono) circuits. A dedicated audio interface device (like a computer DAW interface device or a pre-amp) may only have one line level output, and it might be balanced (TRS Phone) or unbalanced (TS Phone/RCA phono) circuitry.
http://www.tascamforums.com/threads/need-more-inputs.5289/#post-26289
Balanced lines become important only for long cable runs.
The DP-xx is a mixer and an audio interface. The distinction is that a mixer typically has multiple line level outputs (e.g. Stereo Out, Monitor Out, Send Out, Aux Out, etc.) which can be a combination of balanced (XLR/TRS Phone) and unbalanced (TS Phone/RCA phono) circuits. A dedicated audio interface device (like a computer DAW interface device or a pre-amp) may only have one line level output, and it might be balanced (TRS Phone) or unbalanced (TS Phone/RCA phono) circuitry.
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Thank you again excellent info there, then can I just use 1/4" unbalanced cables running from the Tascam stereo outs into each Yamaha phone jack input?
Mark Richards
Soundaholic
Kool, thanks. I just re-read your first response on this thread and realise that you mention the monitor outs can use either balanced or unbalanced. The thing that confused me was on my Tascam machine, the monitor outs say balanced whilst the stereo outs say unbalanced.
Mark Richards
Soundaholic
Re your BeyerDynamic DT990 (excellent) audiophile cans, consider their FR graph v the BeyerDynamic DT880 which are excellent professional reference headphones:
http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=0&graphID[]=2141&graphID[]=963&scale=30
Notice the 990's 9dB boost (referenced to the standard 1kHz) at about 125Hz and below? That might reproduce pleasant sound for listening enjoyment, but if used as a mixdown tool could result in a mix with a weak bass. Likewise the rise to about +7dB in the high end could result in a mix with less than satisfactory stereo imaging/clarity.
Just one more of the less obvious things one needs to keep in mind when making recordings.
http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=0&graphID[]=2141&graphID[]=963&scale=30
Notice the 990's 9dB boost (referenced to the standard 1kHz) at about 125Hz and below? That might reproduce pleasant sound for listening enjoyment, but if used as a mixdown tool could result in a mix with a weak bass. Likewise the rise to about +7dB in the high end could result in a mix with less than satisfactory stereo imaging/clarity.
Just one more of the less obvious things one needs to keep in mind when making recordings.
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That's great to know about the Beyerdynamic DT 990's. I checked reviews on them after I purchased them haha and learned that I really shouldn't use them for anything more than referencing and entertainment purposes, haha maybe even for wearing when out and about because I must say they are really kool looking. I'm not much of a headphones person however if and when I do use them, I make sure they are flat response.
I think I figured out the reason my machine is having issues with my powered monitors. I'm checking out amplifiers for my passive speakers and I came across an interesting review from someone for a powered amplifier. I think it explains what is going on. The irony though is that even though I think it explains the reason for it, ugh I still don't know what to do about it.
I'm thinking that maybe the issue has to do with the output voltage however due to my lack of experience when it comes to electronics I'm not entirely sure that is it.
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