Home theater systems instead of keyboard amps?

[amaverick]

I found an arranger forum a few years ago where some of the users were using home theater systems for speakers instead of amps. I believe they were using logitechs. They were really raving about how good it sounded.

Has anyone here ever tried this? Could be a cheaper alternative to a pricey stereo amps. I wonder how good an XW-P1 would sound this way? 

 

[Gnomo Alegre]

Great!

 

[amaverick]

Ha! I see you added the Dolby logo to the face. Looks good on there!

[Null]

A home theater amp and speakers or even a good set of 2.1 computer speakers are a perfectly acceptable output solution for a pro keyboard.   The line levels and frequency response are perfectly in spec and all you have to worry about is overdriving the amps to clipping at higher levels if the internal amps are cheap quality.

 

Otherwise though, the signals are all line level and compatible and all you need is the appropriate cables and adapters to hook them up.

 

Of course, with 5.1 and 7.1 systems you won't ever achieve true surround since the keyboards themselves are stereo only but most theater systems have some sort of built in emulation or approximation converter to turn a stereo signal into a surround one.

 

Gary

[amaverick]

I may give a soundbar a try one of these days. May get some good results just for playing at home.

[Null]

You might want to try one of these

 

http://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-ProMedia-Certified-Computer-Speaker/dp/B000062VUO

 

with one of these cables

 

http://www.amazon.com/Hosa-CMP159-Stereo-Breakout-10-Feet/dp/B005HGM1D6

 

And you're good to go for the average living room.

 

Gary

[Larry]

You might want to try one of these

 

http://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-ProMedia-Certified-Computer-Speaker/dp/B000062VUO

 

with one of these cables

 

http://www.amazon.com/Hosa-CMP159-Stereo-Breakout-10-Feet/dp/B005HGM1D6

 

And you're good to go for the average living room.

 

Gary

Gary,

I use The "Phones" out from the G1 to mic in on my computer.

Would the http://www.amazon.com/Hosa-CMP159-Stereo-Breakout-10-Feet/dp/B005HGM1D6

Make a diffrence in the final output?

 

I only ask because i seem to get stereo, but the spekers on my computer are so close together it's hard to tell.

Now i do have a 5.1 set, like the Klipsch (only logitec) setting in the back room i might try.

 

 

Larry

[Null]

Phones out is a relatively low impedance relatively high voltage output whereas mic inputs are designed to receive millivolt signals with a fairly high input impedance.

 

You stand a good chance of blowing out your phones jack as well as your mic input on your computer not to mention you are overdriving the input something fierce resulting in having to dial your output way down to barely above the noise threshold of the circuit in order to avoid driving the mic input to distortion levels.

 

In a nutshell...  "Bad!"

 

Pick up a cable like the one I linked above on Amazon and connect it from the Line OUTs on the XW to the BLUE Line IN on your computer's soundcard.  THOSE levels are totally compatible with each other.

 

On some computers the exception to the rule is that there is NO BLUE Line IN or equivalent.  In those cases the input impedance is auto sensing and self switching using only the mic as input.  Some Macbooks follow that rule.

 

Even then, use the Line OUTs on the keyboard. 

 

Some Yamahas though use the headphone out as a Line OUT as well, but in those cases there is a software switch built into the menus of the keyboards to control what sort of output levels it generates.

 

I'm not certain if Casio uses a similar setup on some of their cheaper boards without Line OUT jacks though.

 

Gary

[Larry]

Phones out is a relatively low impedance relatively high voltage output whereas mic inputs are designed to receive millivolt signals with a fairly high input impedance.

 

You stand a good chance of blowing out your phones jack as well as your mic input on your computer not to mention you are overdriving the input something fierce resulting in having to dial your output way down to barely above the noise threshold of the circuit in order to avoid driving the mic input to distortion levels.

 

In a nutshell...  "Bad!"

 

Pick up a cable like the one I linked above on Amazon and connect it from the Line OUTs on the XW to the BLUE Line IN on your computer's soundcard.  THOSE levels are totally compatible with each other.

 

On some computers the exception to the rule is that there is NO BLUE Line IN or equivalent.  In those cases the input impedance is auto sensing and self switching using only the mic as input.  Some Macbooks follow that rule.

 

Even then, use the Line OUTs on the keyboard. 

 

Some Yamahas though use the headphone out as a Line OUT as well, but in those cases there is a software switch built into the menus of the keyboards to control what sort of output levels it generates.

 

I'm not certain if Casio uses a similar setup on some of their cheaper boards without Line OUT jacks though.

 

Gary

O.K. my AIO computer has NO BLUE mic in and so far i havent had any problems.

But i'm takeing your word on this and have ordered the one you listed as so i can still use the mic in.

Thanks for the info Gary.

 

Larry

[Null]

You're very welcome Larry...

 

Rock on...

 

Gary