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bennorthenor

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 25, 2024
6
0
I have a Mac Studio Ultra (M1) and I am a television editor. I just bought some KRK Rokit 7 G4 speakers and I'm confused about an audio interface. I have a Big Knob Passive laying around, but will I need that? Do I need a focusrite scarlett? Can I just hook these speakers up to my Studio Ultra? Please help and Thank you!
 

MajorFubar

macrumors 68020
Oct 27, 2021
2,167
3,792
Lancashire UK
There's no real reason why you can't hook them up to the headphone output on your Studio via your Big Knob. You just need a 1/8" TRS to TRS to go from the headphone output on your Studio to the 'B' Line Input on your Big Knob, then two 1/4" TRS cables from your Big Knob to your speakers. I wouldn't bother introducing the complication of an audio interface unless you're going to need to record any audio, because why bother complicating the setup? Set the headphone output on the Mac to maximum and use your Big Knob for controling the volume. And if this reply gets past this site's automatic quarantine then I'm a Dutchman (and i'm not a Dutchman).
 
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olavsu1

macrumors regular
Jan 3, 2022
170
85
It depends on what ambitions you have. do you do surround sound?
Of course a standalone sound card is better than any built-in one.
Big Knob Passive helps when standalone sound card exists.
 

bennorthenor

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 25, 2024
6
0
There's no real reason why you can't hook them up to the headphone output on your Studio via your Big Knob. You just need a 1/8" TRS to TRS to go from the headphone output on your Studio to the 'B' Line Input on your Big Knob, then two 1/4" TRS cables from your Big Knob to your speakers. I wouldn't bother introducing the complication of an audio interface unless you're going to need to record any audio, because why bother complicating the setup? Set the headphone output on the Mac to maximum and use your Big Knob for controling the volume. And if this reply gets past this site's automatic quarantine then I'm a Dutchman (and i'm not a Dutchman).
Would I need 1/8" TRS to a split (2) TRS or will a single work? Thank you so much for your reply! Also, funny name. I'm working on FUBAR now (Netflix)
 
Last edited:

bennorthenor

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 25, 2024
6
0
It depends on what ambitions you have. do you do surround sound?
Of course a standalone sound card is better than any built-in one.
Big Knob Passive helps when standalone sound card exists.
I don't do surround sound. I just need some really good speakers for the show I'm working on.
 

olavsu1

macrumors regular
Jan 3, 2022
170
85
Would I need 1/8" TRS to a split (2) TRS or will a single work? Thank you so much for your reply!

That's not good. This way they can pick up noise from some wifi device in the room.

I suggest external soundcard and balanced cables.
 

olavsu1

macrumors regular
Jan 3, 2022
170
85
then we are already talking about more expensive cards...

example:

Next are Avid, Antelope and Universal Audio bigger boxes. with them, monitor controllers are already necessary.
 
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olavsu1

macrumors regular
Jan 3, 2022
170
85
Once recommended to someone who wanted a cheap two channel solution,
lexicon alpha sound card and JBL 305P MkII (older version) + male 6,3mm TRS to male XLR balanced cables. He was shocked at the good sound quality of these things.
 
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MajorFubar

macrumors 68020
Oct 27, 2021
2,167
3,792
Lancashire UK
Would I need 1/8" TRS to a split (2) TRS or will a single work? Thank you so much for your reply! Also, funny name. I'm working on FUBAR now (Netflix)
The Big Knob has a 1/8" stereo TRS input (input B). All you do is connect that to your Mac's headphone output (also 1/8") with a TRS to TRS cable. Then plug whatever powered speakers you like into the Monitor outputs on the Big Knob. Other suggestions here to use an audio interface are not wrong but are unnecessarily complicating things and just add more expense, more clutter, and zero benefits for your use-case.
 
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olavsu1

macrumors regular
Jan 3, 2022
170
85
Do you like that sound: Linksys wifi router

This kind of sound tends to occur with unbalanced cables, quieter, but the same noise.
This recording was made using a very old cassette player (motor noise is also included) which also likes to pick up this noise sometimes with beeps when someone calls.

There is no such sound with balanced cables.
 
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