70. Sound Hardware & Transmission

Reviews/Ideals/Personal

This is a kinda like a review. You're gona get bored if you aren't exactly interested in audio engineering or just as simple as setting up an electric guitar to an amp, meaning you just like to switch on the radio and press the buttons there.

Never mind, let's get on with something new I just got. I like doing these kind of things such as discovering new techniques and trying some basics in connecting tis n tat n tis which is more than switching on the radio and press the buttons. I enjoy plugging and testing setups. Physically and hardware-ly. No, not computer systems or softwares.

Basically, I like to do these sound setting up and trying out some basic sound devices for home use. First work, trying some guitar-amp-output-input plugging with different kinds of jacks.

See, I've been aiming to purchase these. And here I just got the chance to test it out, I bought them at RM3.80 each which I think you could get them cheaper else where. But never mind, I couldn't wait any longer to test the workability that I've thought and planned of.

[the ones with black bodies:I call them adapters-which convert the plug type/size into a suitable one which can fit into holes of any other appliances which require so. They are BIG and SMALL -male plugs. Another kind of jack is the one found usually with audio/video player, TV and PlayStation.]

Let's name them A and B. A being the larger body with tiny male plug and B, the small bodied large male plug.

Guess what, they worked. But not at the best quality especially A. You want, you go to the old town and look for old electrical retail shops or maybe some specialised electrical/electronical device shops. They should have them for specialised use. I got them at Jusco electrical appliances section at Queensbay which are for general use.

A:
-to connect BIG-male plugs (especially electrical guitar cables) to computers/devices(SMALL-holes) that do not have the BIG-holes
-so I use it to plug electrical guitar to my laptop for recording purposes
-OR I plug it into my hi-fi player...wow...I can sound like I'm playing from a CD
-OR I plug it as a line-out from my laptop to the amplifier...just to listen music from 10Watts loud amp(classic radio feel)
---either 1. straight from guitar to device or 2. bypass through an effects(pedal). Which in my case I don't have one so I use my amplifier for the Gain(distortion effect). In this case, 1. a Double-ended-BIG-male plug cable is required e.g my electric guitar cable; 2. two pieces are required.
Note: the SMALL-male plug on A is the typical and conventional audio wire/cable end of headphones(as line-in) and some microphones(as line-out).

B:
-to connect SMALL-male plugs (like stated in the Note for A) to amplifiers/devices(BIG holes) that do not have the SMALL-holes (like my amplifier and hi-fi player) and vice-versa
-so I use it to plug headphone to my amplifier for discreet purposes (like when playing at night)
---straight from amplifier fit adapter to headphone jack. In this case, my amplifier has a line-out BIG-hole which I fit in the adapter and then the headphone jack so the sound is muted at the amplifier speaker output, the sound is directly transmitted to the headphone.

Actually they are really simple items. But rather, I'm just feeling more-content-than-not for accomplishing such try-outs. So I could practise quietly to myself (but loud to only my ears) and maybe start on some recording of my music. My piece of discovery and tips: Try playing through the headphones and you will get to judge how smooth, clean, accurate and consistent you are. I did very badly..heh. Advice: Don't blast the amp too loud into your headphones.

Oh my, I'm so interested in these electricals. No, actually not. I'm into sound engineering. Sound Engineer or Producer was like my 4th/5th choice of ambition few years back. Now it's become my hobby of learning and applying the techniques.

As I'm very particular with sound quality and hearing experience I'm into setting up for great sounds. A lot of aspects come into play actually. For my level, I just keep to a minimal hearing loss heh. If you want perfect, get sound-treated walls/ceilings/floors, properly positioned outputs, properly positioned listening place, super HD LCD/plasma TV and a super good clean crisp harmony of sound system in the room. Now that's what I call DREAM THEATER..hahah!

Reuben Ch'ng if you know him, he's doing recording and he has these sound engineering tools and appliances in his home studio. Great.

A piece of appreciation to Musicman1066 for his tips and advices on these music and sound work.

May not get a speaker system this year. Might get my brother's 10 years old(since his purchase of a whole PC setup) 2.1 system instead. Up to you, if I'm an audiophile..at least lvl 1. Harvey Norman at Queensbay has some great Altec Lansing models. One being demonstrated is MX5021 if not mistaken. Not bad. RM500+. Jusco has too. Alongside SonicGear, Creative etc. Oooh Eric has Creative speakers.