headphones - sound from one side

[IA76]

Hi

 

A real basic question for you lot but I have to ask to help me learn.

 

I've been messing about soldering different types of cables but one thing I'm unsure of is where a mono jack should be used and where it should be a stereo jack.

 

If I plug headphones in to the headphones (or main out/control room out) socket of my mixer I only get sound from one side in the headphones.

 

What causes this?

 

Is it realted to the headphones having a stereo jack on instead of mono?

[johndenim]

Is the 'out' mono?

 

There may well be a switch that can select stereo, what's the kit you are plugging into?

[IA76]

I'm plugging in to a Behringer 1002FX mixer. This is a pic http

://www.behringer.com/EN/images/lightbo...572_Top_XL.jpg

I have a XLR mic plugged in to it.

 

It doesn't have a stereo/mono switch.

[paulears]

Well - stereo headphones usually have 3 circuit jacks. No reason why you cannot wire the left and right together into a mono jack - but what mono headphone level outputs do you see on equipment? None I know of apart from comms kit.

 

The main out/control room outputs are often two separate unbalanced mono outputs, one for left the other for right. Plugging a stereo jack into these gives some sound - but is a line level output, designed for an amp - so level will be low. Only one side works because there isn't a connection to the ring, just the tip of a stereo connector. I'm stuck with the headphones socket. These are pretty well all stereo outputs, so it should work on both channels if you have wired the plug properly. Just in case you haven't, you just need to check - and a battery or test meter works. A quick tap with the + and minus onto the sleeve and tip should produce a click in one ear, sleeve and ring should be the other ear and tip and ring should give you a click in both. Give this a go and report back with the results if you like.

[IA76]

I'll try out what you said. Thanks.

 

If I was to connect a 6.35mm jack to XLR cable to one of the main outputs what difference would using a stereo and mono jack make?

[johndenim]

What Paul has said still stands.

The main out is at line level, and will give low levels in volume with headphones.

 

main outs and control room on your mixer are mono.

you are saying you still get the problem from the phones socket?

 

Re your question.

Can you please re-phrase or elaborate?

I'm not understanding.

[IA76]

Sorry, I'll try and make a better job of explaining.

 

I want to use one of the main outs to feed an active speaker. This will use a 6.35mm to XLR cable. What difference would it make if I was to use a mono jack or stereo jack.

 

I'm just trying to understand what effects using a mono or stereo jack has.

[MarkPAman]

Rather than mono / stereo, you're now dealing with unbalanced / balanced signal. Same connector but you're useing it for something different.

Have a look here Blue Room Wiki which should explain the difference. You need to know if to powered speaker you are connecting to has a balanced input (it probably does) and if so use a 3 way jack (what you've been calling stereo) usually refered to as a TRS - Tip Ring Sleeve.

 

Connect like this:

 

XLR............Jack

Pin 1..........Sleeve

Pin 2..........Tip

Pin 3..........Ring

[back_ache]

I've had a quick look at the manual, it looks like all the outs on it are unbalanced.

 

http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/1002FX.aspx

 

It which case to wire it to an XLR, have a google for instructions, for example these

 

http://www.mediacollege.com/audio/connecti...-jack-mono.html

 

The other option is to use a DI to convert it so the that the signal can travel balanced, which if the signal is to go any distance is probably a good idea.

[MarkPAman]

Sorry - missed the post with the link to the desk Yes, it's unbalanced.

 

So with a "mono" jack - with just Tip & Sleeve (TS):

 

XLR...........Jack

Pin 1.........Sleeve

Pin 2.........Tip

Pin 3.........Sleeve

 

Soundcraft have a guide to this sort of wiring on this page, you need to make the 5th one down in the first guide.

 

Note that unbalanced connections often pick up noise when used over longer distances, so keep your cable as short as you can. If you do need it to be long, then, as back ache said, you may need to convert your signal to balanced which will require some sort of "black box".

[IA76]

It's starting to make sense now...thanks.

 

From mixer to speaker is a 20m cable. Will this be ok unbalanced?

[MarkPAman]

You may get away with it today. Tomorrow it may buzz like a bee. If this is a mobile system, don't do it as in some places it will be bad.

[paulears]

What's going on here.

 

The topic title is all about headphones.

 

If I plug headphones in to the headphones (or main out/control room out) socket of my mixer I only get sound from one side in the headphones.

 

So the real question was nothing at all to do with headphones, but about plugging a Behringer mixer into active loudspeakers? That's something of a shift!

[MarkPAman]

What's going on here.....

That's something of a shift!

 

It is isn't it! Though we now can explain why only one side of the headphones worked!

 

Those outputs, being unbalanced, only have connections to the sleeve & tip of the jack. This means that there is no connection for the right hand side, which will lead to it being rather quiet :)

 

There, back on topic again!

 

Edit : Though I now see that you said that already Paul