I would like to know whether it is possible to connect my Yamaha amplifier to my computer. I'm very scared to do this, because some say that the output from my amplifier would cause my sound card to smoke up. And I don't even have a singlue clue how I can connect my amplifier to my computer...
Can someone please help me with this?
13 Answers
If you really are trying to connect the output of the Yamaha to the input of the sound card of your PC (and not the other way around), use the headphone output of the Yamaha to the line in of the sound card, just be sure to keep the volume at a low setting on the Yamaha. If the Yamaha has a 1/4" headphone jack, you can use an adapter to downsize it to 1/8", then use a 1/8" male to male stereo cable.
Adapter
Male to male be sure to get the correct length you need.
If you are trying to connect the output of the PC to the Yamaha, then use the line out of the sound card to an auxiliary input (RCA) of the Yamaha, if you want the sound on the PC to be muted, use the headphone out jack on the PC. They sell an rca to 1/8" headphone jack adapter for this purpose.
again be sure to get the length you need.
Don't worry about those wives' tales. If your sound card smokes up, it's a bad sound card and you can probably invoke the warranty to get a replacement card.
While knowing which amplifier specifically you have, I can safely say that the quick-start guide that usually comes with amplifiers should help. If it's not there, you can always go with the tried-and-true method of simply reading the labels and colors on the cables and infer where they belong. If you plug it in wrong, it just won't work. There won't be any explosions ;-).
4The issue is with voltages between professional grade equipment and consumer grade equipment. The professional grade equipment sends a +4v signal while the consumer grade sends a -10v signal. It is possible to over voltage your system.
One way around this is to keep you professional grade equipment as low as possible (less voltage). Another way is to purchase a professional grade sound card with +4v I/Os.
The better way is to shift the +4v to a -10v to be properly used in the consumer grade sound card. I am the IT tech at my church and record the service every Sunday on the computer doing exactly what you are saying. At first, we kept the output very low but weren't too happy with the result (it sounded like a mono FM station). We purchased an EbTech Line Level Shifter and have since purchased numerous others for all of your conversions to the computer. The difference in the sound is amazing.
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