Studio monitor setup: my next stupid newbie question

d_j_m
d_j_m Member Posts: 51 Helper
edited January 2022 in Traktor Software & Hardware

apologies, just getting my first little bedroom studio set up so thanks in advance for being kind.

okay i *finally* got some studio monitors and i'm super, super excited to mix out loud lol...

so i have a couple of questions. I have an S2 and Presonus eris studio monitors and they have both RCA and a 1/4" balanced TRS options.

What I got going on:

  1. I bought 1/4" TRS cables and plugged them into main 1 and main 2 and nothing happened.
  2. switched to the RCAs and everything's fine.

Questions:

  1. Why aren't the 1/4" TRS cables working?
  2. If I can get them to work, can I still have the RCA in my rec-out so I can record on my Tascam?

I know these are probably super stupid questions but my biggest learning curve is the actual hardware - software, beatmatching and harmonics come really easily to me (classically trained) but these knobs and buttons and cables are taking some adjustment. loving this tho.

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Comments

  • ShelLuser
    ShelLuser Member Posts: 225 Pro

    Disclaimer: I don't use Traktor.

    You say you have an S2, so I'm assuming this critter. It has no "main 1 and 2" but it does have L & R, yet those aren't TRS outputs. In fact, it only has 1 output which looks like TRS yet you're talking about using 2 TRS cables. So how did you do that?

    I can't help blame the cable, but that's a very wild speculation on my end obviously.

  • electroRogue
    electroRogue Member Posts: 8 Newcomer
    edited January 2022

    You can purchess two y cable spliiters if you stuck with RCAs .. pretty cheap, one branch to monitors, 1 for going to tascam

  • c0nsul
    c0nsul Member Posts: 204 Pro
    edited January 2022

    AFAIK, the S2 has no TRS (balanced) output only RCA and mini jack (both unbalanced). So, you cannot connect your speakers to the S2 directly via balanced TRS cables. You can only connect them via unbalanced RCA or mini-jack-to-RCA cables.

    But, for a bedroom/home setup unbalanced connections are okay. Balanced cables only have advantages when you are connecting devices over a distance of more than 10m. So, there is no need for balanced cables in a home setup.

  • d_j_m
    d_j_m Member Posts: 51 Helper
    edited January 2022

    @ShelLuser so... what are these 1/4 holes on the back of my controller then that say "Main 1" and "Main 2"?

    Okay, @c0nsul I'm totally confused then, bc this is from the manual (section 6.2.2) and today these cables work.

    BOOTH/MAIN switch: Setting the switch to BOOTH allows for the RCAs' output volume to be controlled by the adjacent GAIN control knob instead of the MAIN volume knob of the Mixer. In MAIN mode, both RCA and the 1/4" sockets are controlled by the MAIN volume knob on the top of the Mixer. MAIN/BOOTH Outputs 1/2 RCA sockets (1/2): Main outputs of TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 (line level, unbalanced). Use these sockets to connect your TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 to an amplification system (or master mixer) with unbalanced inputs. MAIN Outputs 1/2 1/4" sockets (1/2): Main outputs of TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 (line level, balanced). Use these sockets to connect your TRAKTOR KONTROL S2 to an amplification system (or master mixer) with balanced inputs.

    Unfortunately the TRS cables are really quiet. Not sure what that's about but I guess this is today's hours-long sound equipment saga that I will spend my time on instead of mixing lol...

    And in the meantime thanks @electroRogue I'll grab one of those splitters, thankfully cables are cheap and it never hurts to have a drawerful lol...

  • c0nsul
    c0nsul Member Posts: 204 Pro

    @d_j_m

    Sorry, I thought we were talking about the latest S2 MK3. I didn't know earlier versions of the S2 had balanced outputs.

  • Wyley
    Wyley Member Posts: 239 Pro
    edited January 2022

    Are you 1/4 in trs cables actually balanced? Or are they stereo jacks? They look the same.

    Also it might be the speakers. I say this cause I have SOUNDBOKS speakers and when I plug in xlr or 1/4in to it the signal is lower than rca. It doesn’t matter what gear I use to plug in.

    Try other gear with 1/4in balanced and see if the sound is lower when you plug them in.

    I have the s2mk2 but never used the 1/4 because it won’t fit in the case with them connected.

  • d_j_m
    d_j_m Member Posts: 51 Helper

    @Wyley I don't currently have other gear to try them on lol...

    I can use RCA if need be, but it makes it very inconvenient when I want to record externally since I plug the RCA into a Tascam recorder.

  • Wyley
    Wyley Member Posts: 239 Pro
    edited January 2022
    https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/3040#Comment_3040

    I see.

    Do you actually need to record into the tascam?

    You could use the same computer that's running Traktor and open up another program like audacity or abelton and record straight into there with out any extra cables or gear.

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