Connect a balanced mono output - to - an unbalanced stereo input?
I am looking at purchasing this line mixer: www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=615108 Here is the manual: downloads.monoprice.com/files/manuals/615108_Manual_160818.pdf
At the output stage, I need to send to:
1. A stereo receiver that has dual female RCA
2. A laptop line input jack, 1/8" unbalanced stereo (to record into GarageBand)
EDIT:{the entire mixer is mono!}
The mixer provides: "Balanced XLR and TRS outputs carrying the mixed signal after the Master Volume Control."
I am 99% sure I can use an XLR to dual male RCA cable to send to the receiver.
What I can't figure out is if I will be able to use the 1/4" output to send to the laptop. The mixer sends balanced mono, but the laptop is expecting unbalanced stereo. How can I make them communicate?
I've tried searching a lot, and this article asks basically the same question - TS vs TRS cables to connect mixer to audio interface - but the conclusive answer seems to be "it depends on your specific equipment," and I don't know how to apply that to the pieces I'm looking at.
Can you help? Thank you!
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A normal balanced TRS output is automatically “degraded” to an unbalanced one simply by connecting a TS jack. The way this works is, it forces the ring to ground level, then the tip voltage is
Utip = Uring + Usignal = 0 + Usignal = Usignal
i.e. the same as with an unbalanced output (which simply sets Utip = Usignal right away).
So to connect this mixer to the laptop, simply use a 2×mono-TS to 1×stereo-TRS cable. The mono plugs convert the outputs to unbalanced, the cable combines those two signals to a stereo one.
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