MiniBrute not transmitting audio in stereo

[synthcat]

Hi, I noticed this problem yesterday. I'm going to check and troubleshoot again tonight, but for now wanted an opinion on this issue:

If I have my headphones connected via the Phones Out, I get a signal in both ear pieces. From the Master Out, however, the miniBrute was only transmitting on one side. (I was using a stereo 1/4 to RCA cable going to an effects/sampler box - the Korg KP3 - and had headphones going out from that unit) I spoke with a tech from Sweetwater and he said both the Master Out and the Phones should both be transmitting in stereo. I'm going to recheck all of my cables and do some troubleshooting to see if I can isolate this problem. Has anyone experienced this? Could I possibly have a defect in the Audio Out?

Thanks for your time.

[Seb]

Find the "mono" cable of your stereo 1/4"->rca that transmits audio, don't use the other half. Plug the working cable in the other output of the MiniBrute (keep the same input on the KP), see if you get any sound.

If you do, then either your cable is dead, or something is wrong with your KP3.

If you don't, then it's probably got something to do with the MB.

[Bruno@arturia]

Hi,
no worries this is normal.
Headphone output does output the same signal on both wires of the TRS jask (the synth is mono). On the master output they are two standards:
Balanced and Unbalanced.
For your informations:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balanced_audio
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balanced_circuit
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_a_balanced_and_unbalanced_audio

Minibrute uses unbalanced output on master output, so only the tip of the connector is used to carry signal, the ring is grounded.
If you plug a headphone on it you will only get sound on one side.
Please note, that if you have devices with balanced output (such as an Arturia Origin), it's not recommended to plug in headphones on master output, even if you have sound on both sides, they will be out of phase, and impedances will not match.

Basically, use the headphone output with your headphone, and master output with a mixer or sound card.

Bruno

[synthcat]

Thanks for your response, Bruno. So, just to clarify, I should be using a TS (mono) cable on the Master Audio Out, and NOT a TSR (stereo)? I like to connect my miniBrute to an effects box, a KP3, that takes RCA inputs. When using a mono to RCA cable, I see I get signal on both levels. But when using a stereo to RCA cable, I get signal on only one side (which was my problem originally).


Thanks again.

[Bruno@arturia]

In this case, the kind of cable you use will not really matter, what is important to know is the kind I used on the design. Minibrute Output is TRS socket, with signal on the tip, and ground on ring and sleeve. . If you plug in a TRS jack you will get the same, if you plug in a TS it's still the same, because a TS is like a TRS where R and S are connected together.
If you case best solution might be to use the headphone output, with your TRS to 2*RCA cable.
To use the master out, the cleanest way is to go through a mixer.

bruno