[genericaudioperson]

Hello,

if you had to run a mono signal into a stereo input, is the best
solution to y-cable the mono source and run identical feeds into the
stereo left-right?

i'm not sure what happens if you run a mono cable into a trs stereo
input. maybe it makes the sound bad or only plays one channel or
something.

[Mike Rivers]

genericaudioperson wrote:

if you had to run a mono signal into a stereo input, is the best
solution to y-cable the mono source and run identical feeds into the
stereo left-right?

Yes, unless what's behind that input has a means of dealing with a mono
input.

i'm not sure what happens if you run a mono cable into a trs stereo
input.

You get signal on (usually) the left channel and nothing on the right
channel since the ring contact of the jack (usually the right channel
input) will be connected to the sleeve of the TS (mono) plug.


--
If you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring and reach
me he
double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo -- I'm really Mike Rivers
)

[genericaudioperson]

Thank you, Mr. Rivers.

[Scott Dorsey]

genericaudioperson wrote:

if you had to run a mono signal into a stereo input, is the best
solution to y-cable the mono source and run identical feeds into the
stereo left-right?

I have never seen a "stereo input" on a TRS plug. The only time I have
ever seen 1/4" TRS plugs used for stereo is with headphones.

i'm not sure what happens if you run a mono cable into a trs stereo
input. maybe it makes the sound bad or only plays one channel or
something.

Rather than asking silly questions like this, why not look at some
actual connectors?

If you plug a TS plug into a TRS jack, you will see that the tip contacts
the tip, and the ring and sleeve of the jack are both connected to the
sleeve of the plug. (That is, the ring has just become shorted to ground.)

On the other hand, if you plug a TRS plug into a TS jack, tip and sleeve
contact normally, but the ring on the plug doesn't get connected up to
anything and just floats.

Knowing this information you can figure out everything you need to know
about interconnecting the two no matter what is on them.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Laurence Payne[_2_]]

On Sun, 7 Dec 2008 07:39:51 -0800 (PST), genericaudioperson
wrote:

if you had to run a mono signal into a stereo input, is the best
solution to y-cable the mono source and run identical feeds into the
stereo left-right?

i'm not sure what happens if you run a mono cable into a trs stereo
input. maybe it makes the sound bad or only plays one channel or
something.

Are you sure it IS a stereo input? Not a balanced mono input? What
equipment are we talking about?

[RDOGuy]

On Dec 7, 12:32*pm, (Scott Dorsey) wrote:

I have never seen a "stereo input" on a TRS plug. *The only time I have
ever seen 1/4" TRS plugs used for stereo is with headphones.

It's certainly very rare, Scott... but there are examples. I have a
Ramsa console that uses 1/4" TRS jacks for stereo effects returns.

[Mike Rivers]

Scott Dorsey wrote:

I have never seen a "stereo input" on a TRS plug. The only time I have
ever seen 1/4" TRS plugs used for stereo is with headphones.

1/4" TRS plugs aren't often used for stereo input, but 1/8" TRS plugs
for stereo input are almost universal on the current crop of pocket
sized flash memory recorders. The one exception I can think of off hand
is the Korg MR-1, which has one 1/8" TRS jack for balanced inputs on
each channel. And just about all built-in computer sound cards that have
a line input have it as a stereo configuration on a 1/8" TRS jack.


--
If you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring and reach
me he
double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo -- I'm really Mike Rivers
)

[Richard Crowley]

"genericaudioperson" wrote...
if you had to run a mono signal

Balanced? Unbalanced?
Connector? Source?

into a stereo input,

What is a "stereo input"?
This doesn't work as a generic question.
(Your screen name notwithstanding.)

is the best solution to y-cable the mono source and
run identical feeds into the stereo left-right?

The best solution is developed with knowledge of the
actual equipment. We coud discuss several different
scenarios and solutions, but guaranteed that all the
different solutions are NOT appropriate for all the
diffrerent situations.

Generically, using a y-cable to feed a mono source
into two inputs will work much of the time. But there
are many exceptions.

i'm not sure what happens if you run a mono cable

Balanced? Unbalanced?
Connector? Source?

into a trs stereo input.

Give an example of a piece of equipment you use with
a TRS stereo input?

maybe it makes the sound bad or only plays one channel
or something.

I've seen cases where feeding a TRS stereo source into a
TRS balanced (differential) mono input will take the
*difference* between L and R and render a pretty lousy
signal out of it.

[Mike Rivers]

RDOGuy wrote:

It's certainly very rare, Scott... but there are examples. I have a
Ramsa console that uses 1/4" TRS jacks for stereo effects returns.

Need I remind people that T, R, and S stand for the Tip, Ring, and
Sleeve components of a three conductor plug. 1/4" is a dimension. They
don't always go together. TinyTel are always TRS, but are smaller than
1/4", and, like 1/4" TRS connectors are more commonly used for a
balanced mono connection than for a stereo (and necessarily unbalanced)
connection.



--
If you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring and reach
me he
double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo -- I'm really Mike Rivers
)

[Mike Rivers]

Richard Crowley wrote:

What is a "stereo input"?
This doesn't work as a generic question.

Oh, c'mon. You know what he's talking about. Or have you never seen a
consumer grade portable recorder newer than about 1970?

The best solution is developed with knowledge of the
actual equipment.

Of course, but then you'd have to look it up. Suppose he said "The line
input of a Zoom H2?"



--
If you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring and reach
me he
double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo -- I'm really Mike Rivers
)

[Richard Crowley]

"Mike Rivers" wrote ...
Richard Crowley wrote:

What is a "stereo input"?
This doesn't work as a generic question.

Oh, c'mon. You know what he's talking about.

I have no clue what he is talking about.

Or have you never seen a consumer grade portable recorder newer than about
1970?

If he has actual equipment in mind, then let him reveal it.
Else you-all are just shooting in the dark. Not worth the
keystrokes, if you ask me.

The best solution is developed with knowledge of the
actual equipment.

Of course, but then you'd have to look it up. Suppose he said "The line
input of a Zoom H2?"

THEN we would have something to work with.

[RD Jones]

On Dec 7, 12:32 pm, (Scott Dorsey) wrote:

I have never seen a "stereo input" on a TRS plug. The only time I have
ever seen 1/4" TRS plugs used for stereo is with headphones.

"RDOGuy" wrote:
It's certainly very rare, Scott... but there are examples. I have a
Ramsa console that uses 1/4" TRS jacks for stereo effects returns.

RME uses 1/4" TRS stereo inputs on the Digi 96/8 PST and PAD cards.
Rane has them as expander inputs (and outs) on the small rack mixer.

rd

[RDOGuy]

On Dec 7, 6:09*pm, RD Jones wrote:

RME uses 1/4" TRS stereo inputs on the Digi 96/8 PST and PAD cards.
Rane has them as expander inputs (and outs) on the small rack mixer.

Oh, yeah... that reminds me! The Rane HC-6 has 1/4" TRS stereo ins
and outs, too.