M Audio RCA Out Plugs

Hey fellas..   I've been posting so much in the Sonar X1 forum that I should have started this thread here in Hardware..


I'm a total noob when it comes to recording software and gear and just the whole set up.  I'm having to put everything together on a shoe string budget so I have to make what I have work.  After about 3 days of tweaking I think I finally have a working studio for creating some backing tracks and for recording guitar.

My question is really a simple one.  I have the M Audio Fast Track Guitar Recording Interface.  I have my computer speakers hooked up to the headphone jack.  This is working out so far.  On the back of this unit there are two RCA out plugs.  Where are these line out's designed to go?  

I thought I could hook them directly to my computer speakers but on the first attempt I heard no sound.  Right now I have the line going back into a 1/8" input of my sound card.   

Any suggestions??

Not to be a wise guy, but the manual should detail what those jacks are for.

You didn't mention the exact model you have but this is the lowest priced model. 

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/FastTrack.html

 The listing for this model states:

"stereo RCA outputs > easily connects to your stereo system or powered monitors"

If this has an M-Audio control panel,  you may have to set those as the "line out".

Welcome to the wonderful world of compatibility, Iron.

The type of connectors is somewhat generally associated with types of signals.

Are your computer speakers self-powered?  Most are.  But most have minijack connectors, which carry the audio signal.  If your speakers need to be plugged in to a wall electric output (self-powered) the RCA outputs should work.  You'd need a connector adaptor, tho, RCA to minijack.

If you've done the above and don't hear any sound, it is most likely because you don't have a signal from the m-audio routed to that output.  Audio interfaces usually have a soft-mixer for routing, they aren't prepatched so you just plug and go.  You'll need to bring up the mixer for the m-audio and send a signal (I bet you want the output from SONAR) to the RCA outputs.  I can't read the manual for you (well, I could, but I won't 'cause I don't have the time).  it should explain how to set up the m-audio mixer for each input and each output.

As far as SONAR - in the console view (the software mixer for SONAR) you have tracks to the left, buses in the middle, and your interface's physical outs to the far left.  You may have to open each of these sections up by dragging the console to the right hand side.  The interace's in/outs are set in the options>audio page like I have previously explained to you.  Think of it as an electronic patchbay where various ins and outs are configured.  The two software mixers (SONAR's and the m-audio) are connected through the drivers on the options>audio page but are separate beasties.

It is a lot of work when you first come to musical engineering to learn everything from terminology to routing, and it used to be easier when we dealt w/ physical, analog equipment.  Now you have to be a computer specialist, too.  All I can say is keep plugging away and reading.  The forum is a great place to ask specific questions, but it is hard for us to answer general questions like "why can't I hear anything." The more specific a question is, the better answer you will get.

good luck,

@

IronAxis,

it is hard to tell what the problem is with the phrasing of the questions then - I didn't mean to demean your expertise.  See your above statement:

"My computer speakers are powered or they are plugged in to the wall.." Prehaps you meant "and" instead of "or", but it is confusing.

As several members have suggested, it is most likely a setting in the interface software.  I don't have the hardware or m-audio software so I can't tell you how to set it up - and neither can anyone else that doesn't have your hardware.  And it is time consuming to figure out a piece of hard/software from the web, esp. one we have no intent on purchasing.  We can offer general suggestions from working with other systems, however.

Sorry I went full **** and offended you - but I really couldn't tell how much experience you had w/ setting up and troubleshooting, so I started at the basics.  Since you have those already, best of luck.

@

If you don't have the manual, you can download it here:
http://www.m-audio.com/in...upport&tab=manuals