Thread: audio jack help

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Hello guys,
I have a recurring issue that I keep running into with my audio jacks. I am having trouble with cowlacious sound cards and now the monster guts nerve center. Now let me start by saying it is not the controller or cards but rather the jack connections.I am using a 1/4 to 1/8" adaptor to run through a guitar amp. So, I have the sound card audio out jack, a 1/8" male into that wich is the adaptor with 1/4" on the other end wich plugs into the guitar amp.When i plug the 1/8" adaptor all the way in to the nerve center or the cowlacious sound cards it doesnt make proper connection and the cards wont play, and in the case of the nerve center it actually interrupts the action channel of the prop as well. When I pull the male plug out a bit i can get a connection and the sound is good.It seems as though the male end is not fitting snugly enough into the audio jacks. Does anyone know of a way to solve this issue or anyplace that sells a better adaptor? I currently am using radio shack adaptors.It seemed like the powered computer speakers work fine but they are just not loud enough. I am using the nerve center for my pneumatic zombie and he is so violent i cannot keep the jack half way out.

Are you sure you have the right adaptors? There are several different kinds, mono to mono, mono to stereo, stereo to mono, etc. Every now and then I grab the wrong one when setting up the talking skeletons. I am sure you know what you have but I have many different ones and they get mixed up now and then, just a thought.

I would agree, there are different styles of 1/8" audio. Even if they are both stereo. The ends may be slightly different. Kind of sounds like you are mixing mono and stereo devices? These are definately different ends, as one has 3 conductors(stereo) and the Mono has 2.
Pete

You are most definitely using the wrong connector. The output of the cards will be stereo (tip, ring and sleeve) and the amp input is a mono (tip, sleeve) connector. I would recommend a stereo 1/8" jack to a splitting (or "Y")cable (one right and one left connector) and use either left or right to input into the amp. I am not a big fan of wiring left and right outputs together without some kind of resistor between the positive sides. It is possible to damage the output amplifier in the card/board by simply "summing" the left and right together. The Radio Shack numbers for the "Y" adapter is CAT# 274-369, and the RCA (or phono plug) to 1/4" cable (to connect it all) is CAT# 42-2440. Hope this helps, I would be happy to answer any audio questions as that is something (unlike my newbie prop making skills) that I know. Keith