Need help with SUPER simple audio issue... I really feel dumb

[jeanvardara]

Hello all,

I am a musician with very little experience with cables, as I'm a drummer. Im attempting to set up a track and can't seem to find the right cable.

Simply put, I already have the track ready. On the far left side of the track there is a metronome playing. On the far right there is a backing track. I need a cable that will take my computer's 3.5mm headphone audio and split it into left and right separately, so that if I were to plug into one of the separate jacks, I would hear the metronome, and if I plugged into the second one, I would hear the backing track. I've already gone through 7 cables. Some separate the left and right like I need, but when I plug headphones into either port they only work on one side of my headphones. Others just split the same track into two, so that I still hear both the left and right side in each jack.

TLDR:
I need a cable that does this:

3.5mm headphone jack on computer
Splits that signal into:
-----> LEFT
----->RIGHT
and when I plug my headphones in LEFT, I hear the left side, but stereo (on both the left and right sides of my earphones).

I completely understand there is most likely a super simple solution, I have just completely missed it.

Thanks!!!

 

[shadyJ]

It sounds like you need a stereo-to-mono splitter. I would get one of these guys and see if that does the trick.

 

[TLS Guy]

It sounds like you need a stereo-to-mono splitter. I would get one of these guys and see if that does the trick.

I don't think there is a commercial cable that does what he wants. He will have to build that cable.

He wants each of the left and right outputs to be able to individually produce double mono.

He will have to build that cable or have some one do it. Its a very simple job.

 

[Montucky]

Nah. I think all you need is a simple stereo to mono breakout cable. Here's a quick example for like $5. Something like this what you're looking for?
https://www.amazon.com/Hosa-YMM-261-Stereo-Breakout-Cable/dp/B000068O5H

 

[TLS Guy]

Nah. I think all you need is a simple stereo to mono breakout cable. Here's a quick example for like $5. Something like this what you're looking for?
https://www.amazon.com/Hosa-YMM-261-Stereo-Breakout-Cable/dp/B000068O5H

And that will give him the exact problem he already has, of only hearing from right or left phone.
What he wants is to be able to plug into the left or right headphone outputs at different times, but when he plugs into the left or right output, and only one of those at a time, he wants to hear it in both phones not just right or left.

This is not as simple as you think.

On giving this further thought I need to know what the headphone output is and what headphones he is using.

The reason being is that most consumer phones are now low impedance. So if he couples the right left and right phones he may well get an impedance low enough to damage the headphone amp in whatever device he is plugging into.

In the pro environment it is common to have multiple people listen on phones at the same time. Sennheiser is dominant in the pro market. That is why most of their phones are high impedance, unlike most offerings now.

The reason is portable devices. There is not enough voltage to drive high impedance phones unless they are very sensitive. You pay a premium for highly sensitive phones like the Senns.
They will play from any headphone source you throw at them, but most won't.

 

[KEW]

I completely understand there is most likely a super simple solution, I have just completely missed it.

Thanks!!!

Oh, that's just too easy...ask us something hard!!!

 

[Bookmark]

Perhaps I am missing something, however there should be no need for any additional cable here. Pretty much all music software can do this Reason, Cubase, Pro Tools, Logic, etc...

The software's audio mixer can do all of this. Left solo, right solo, stereo, dual mono (left or right). Even the inbuilt Windows mixer has a balance contol to effectively mute left or right.

 

[Montucky]

Perhaps I am missing something, however there should be no need for any additional cable here. Pretty much all music software can do this Reason, Cubase, Pro Tools, Logic, etc...

The software's audio mixer can do all of this. Left solo, right solo, stereo, dual mono (left or right). Even the inbuilt Windows mixer has a balance contol to effectively mute left or right.

Oh yeah! Don't see why OP's goals can't be accomplished via software.