Poor sound quality when output in mono.

Fresno Bob · Post by **Fresno Bob** » Sun Nov 09, 2008 5:28 pm

Hi this is a little OT. I am using an Edirol UA25. I have currently just been using the headphone output. The quality is fine. However I want to start using cuing. When I swap the audio output to 2 mono channels in Live. (there are two mono outputs at the back) the sound quality is quite bad. Is there anything I can do, I would think that the mono quality should be alright but this is really tinny. Is there a setting in Ableton, is it an UA25 issue, do I need a different audio interface. Regards, Chris.

monobeach · Post by **monobeach** » Sun Nov 09, 2008 5:42 pm

Hi Chris,

I don't exactly understand what you did or want to do, but you would leave Live's audio output set to stereo. The 2 mono outputs on the back will give you "stereo" sound.
What did you connect to these outputs?

stayhigh · Post by **stayhigh** » Sun Nov 09, 2008 6:29 pm

get a new interface if you're serious about dj'ing. the edirol's a beginner's tool. get an apogee duet... try craigslist

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Sun Nov 09, 2008 6:33 pm

stayhigh wrote:get a new interface if you're serious about dj'ing. the edirol's a beginner's tool. get an apogee duet... try craigslist

totally disagree.

I use a UA101, there's an application to tweak it outside of Live, check there. are you sure the headphones are plugged in all the way? do you know about the Cue volume level? maybe turn that up?

Lo-Fi Massahkah · Post by **Lo-Fi Massahkah** » Sun Nov 09, 2008 6:39 pm

Maybe phasing issues to the sum of the stereo->mono...?

.m

Fresno Bob · Post by **Fresno Bob** » Sun Nov 09, 2008 7:18 pm

Thanks for the quick reply.
There is a headphone socket at the front
There two outputs at the back, left and right. There is a diagram on the interface that seems to indicate the whole signal going to the headphones but that it is split when going to stereo outputs (which sort of seems obvious but \i am thinking maybe I am doing something wrong and getting only the right or left channel on output).
In Live, when I put configure the output I have two options - (1 mono/2 mono) or 1/2 stereo. Either options don't seem to have an effect on the sound quality of the outputs just the options available in Live for cuing and master outputs.

By the way I am a hobbyist at the moment so reasonable mono quality will do for the moment. Any recommendations for the future are welcome....

monobeach · Post by **monobeach** » Sun Nov 09, 2008 9:21 pm

so what is it exactly, you want to do?

do you want to send the audio of one audio track to your left speaker and the audio of another audio track to your right speaker??
and what did you connect the 2 outputs at the back of the interface to?

Lovin Teris · Post by **Lovin Teris** » Sun Nov 09, 2008 9:56 pm

My guess:
a) (Most probable) You're only getting half the signal in each output. Either left or right.
b) There's phase issue that causes parts of the sound to collapse. You can check this by putting a Utility effect on the master channel and phase flipping one of the channels, then listen in your headphones.

jhi · Post by **jhi** » Tue Nov 11, 2008 11:43 pm

Maybe the UA101 is a good choice for an interface, I don't doubt it. but... i had a UA25 long ago and found it to be a little too cheap feeling, and limited.

monobeach · Post by **monobeach** » Wed Nov 12, 2008 12:09 am

for cueing see chapter "13.5 Soloing and Cueing" in the manual, p. 182
(better than I would explain that here)

I assume, you are talking about Cueing like in DJing

actually, you would need an audio interface with 4 separate audio outputs for this (maybe one could do it with 2 outputs, but I never tried)

Darrel855 · Post by **Darrel855** » Wed Nov 12, 2008 1:02 am

stayhigh wrote:get a new interface if you're serious about dj'ing. the edirol's a beginner's tool. get an apogee duet... try craigslist

An apogee duet for DJing is just a dumb idea