Garageband + Firebox + Mini = sound problem

[mct1]

1. Can anyone think of a reason why my headphones (inserted into the Presonus Firebox) will only play tracks on garageband through my left ear? Same happens with different headphone sets. I can't find any advice on this in Gavenda's book or Garageband help or the Firebox manuel.

2. I plugged my ordinary 4-year old Dell computer speakers into the Firebox Main Line-Out socket but no sound. Do I need special speakers?

Thanks for any feedback.

 

[faintember]

1. Can anyone think of a reason why my headphones (inserted into the Presonus Firebox) will only play tracks on garageband through my left ear? Same happens with different headphone sets. I can't find any advice on this in Gavenda's book or Garageband help or the Firebox manuel.

2. I plugged my ordinary 4-year old Dell computer speakers into the Firebox Main Line-Out socket but no sound. Do I need special speakers?

Thanks for any feedback.

Hummm
#1 Should be an easy fix. Make sure that GB, the Presonus software or your Audio Preferences are not panned hard to the left. I have not used the Presonus software, but you should be able to adjust the panning on the headphone output. If so set it to center.

Does this happen with any other software (iTunes, Cubase LE, etc)?

Is the track that you are listening to in stereo?

Are the headphones plugged all of the way in? If not you would only get one channel (left).

#2 Weird. It depends on the connection on the speaker cable from the dell speakers to the Firebox. I assume it is a 1/8" male connector coming from the end of the Dell speakers and that you are using a 1/8" to 1/4" adapter to plug into the Firebox? The MAIN OUTS on the Firebox are split stereo, so to speak, so MAIN OUT 1 is the left channel, and MAIN OUT 2 is the right channel, so i would try plugging the Dell speakers into the headphone output just to see what happens. If the speakers work properly that way then it is just a case of buying an adapter or changing some software settings.

Other than that it could be a bad cable b/t the speakers and the Firebox, or the connector itself could be bad. I dont mean to insult you, but was the MAIN LEVEL knob turned up on the Firebox? If so does some of your software have the mains muted for any reason?

BTW you do not need special speakers per se, but you may need to buy special cables or adapters to get audio out of your current speaker configuration. Of course the speakers must be powered or have an amp to provide power. Maybe it is a power supply issue? Can you try the speakers by say, hooking them into you iPod or a Cd player?

Once again i want to apologize if i insulted you intelligence. It just could be too many things to be sure.

Keep us posted!

 

[mct1]

Thanks a million, Faintember. You solved the problem for me (and please don’t apologise for insulting my intelligence, I realise this is basic stuff but I’ve no one technical-minded to consult here). From what you said – and as the speakers worked fine through the headphone socket - it seemed that it was a connector problem; I tried using a different ¼ - 1/8 adaptor (which came with the mic) and lo and behold:- both headphone channels and speakers work fine - though the speakers only have one Main Out connection rather than two which may not get proper stereo, but that’s minor. By the way, you simultaneously fixed the mysterious glitch in my MIDI keyboard which appeared a while back (left channel only through headphones)!

What a great forum this is. I’ll probably be back with more “basic” questions by and by.

 

[faintember]

What a great forum this is. I’ll probably be back with more “basic” questions by and by.

Another satisfied customer!

Great to hear that you got things up and running. I work with audio on macintosh computers on a daily basis, and typically the thing that goes wrong is the most simple to fix (i.e. a cable/connector), but is usually the most common thing that is overlooked (by me too....lol).

The main out thing may not be an issue, it depends on how you have the software drivers for the Firebox set, as well as how your software is set. For instance on my MOTU 2408 mkI, Ch1 is left only, But i can, creatively, route two signals to Ch1 if i ever desire, however, thats what the headphone jack is for, lol.

Anyway, glad to be of help to you mct1. Oh, btw, if you havent tried the Cubase software that came with your Firebox, i would suggest giving it a twirl, just for giggles. It is actually a fairly decent version to be included with the audio interface.

-cameron

 

[LethalWolfe]

Thanks a million, Faintember. You solved the problem for me (and please don’t apologise for insulting my intelligence, I realise this is basic stuff but I’ve no one technical-minded to consult here). From what you said – and as the speakers worked fine through the headphone socket - it seemed that it was a connector problem; I tried using a different ¼ - 1/8 adaptor (which came with the mic) and lo and behold:- both headphone channels and speakers work fine - though the speakers only have one Main Out connection rather than two which may not get proper stereo, but that’s minor. By the way, you simultaneously fixed the mysterious glitch in my MIDI keyboard which appeared a while back (left channel only through headphones)!

What a great forum this is. I’ll probably be back with more “basic” questions by and by.

Just for future reference, it sounds like you were using a mono-1/4" adapter instead of a stereo 1/4" adapter. A mono plug will have a single "stripe" across the plug itself and a stereo plug will have two "stripes."

If you plug a mono cable into a stereo jack you will always get the left channel (never the right).


Lethal

 

[mct1]

Just for future reference, it sounds like you were using a mono-1/4" adapter instead of a stereo 1/4" adapter. A mono plug will have a single "stripe" across the plug itself and a stereo plug will have two "stripes."

If you plug a mono cable into a stereo jack you will always get the left channel (never the right).

Yep, 1 stripe and the replacement has 2. So that explains it. Btw I've had a lovely afternoon recording - forget the day job.