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[Philip Ridout]

Hey guys,

In our church we have a projection pc which we need to get sound to the sound desk. Currently somebody has run a 25m 3.5mm jack cable, but it sound terrible! What would be the best option to improve this?

[David Morison]

Hey guys,

In our church we have a projection pc which we need to get sound to the sound desk. Currently somebody has run a 25m 3.5mm jack cable, but it sound terrible! What would be the best option to improve this?

3.5mm jack via short cable into a stereo DI Box then cover the main distance with XLR (mic) cable to the desk, or USB output to an audio interface and use the interface's balanced outs to feed the long cable to the desk.

[MikeHarris]

As described above

http://whirlwindusa.com/catalog/black-boxes-effects-and-dis/direct-boxes/pcdi

[Jason Glass]

Hey guys,

In our church we have a projection pc which we need to get sound to the sound desk. Currently somebody has run a 25m 3.5mm jack cable, but it sound terrible! What would be the best option to improve this?

The best way:

https://www.radialeng.com/product/usb-pro

[Jordan Wolf]

The best way:

https://www.radialeng.com/product/usb-pro

+1!

I own and use both and the Radial unit gets used both first and most often.

[Caleb Dueck]

The best way:

https://www.radialeng.com/product/usb-pro

For sure!  I once compared a Radial (forgot the exact model) to the Rapco LTIBLOX.  It was unreal how awful the other device sounded.  It was just another data point in the "Radial only" conclusion I've come to over the years.

[Tim McCulloch]

For sure!  I once compared a Radial (forgot the exact model) to the Rapco LTIBLOX.  It was unreal how awful the other device sounded.  It was just another data point in the "Radial only" conclusion I've come to over the years.

I think there's more going on than just the interface.

With a USB class-compliant interface you're bypassing the $0.29 headphone amp chip and DA converter and that is where the improvement comes from.

I used a Radial SB-5 and, using my ears, decided the Peavey USB interface gave a better output quality.  Not bashing the Radial product as it works as advertised - it's the source that was better.

Edit ps - I see you're not directly comparing the USB and 3.5mm TRS outputs, just overall perceived quality of the devices.

[Jason Glass]

With a USB class-compliant interface you're bypassing the $0.29 headphone amp chip and DA converter and that is where the improvement comes from.

100% this.  The brand and model of the hardware is far less important than the signal flow topology that the devices use.  There is simply no "better" way than computer>DAC>balanced line level amp>XLR or TRS line output.  One can nitpick the finer points between similar devices, but they're all vastly superior to any headphone level to line level conversion.

[Mike Caldwell]

Hey guys,

In our church we have a projection pc which we need to get sound to the sound desk. Currently somebody has run a 25m 3.5mm jack cable, but it sound terrible! What would be the best option to improve this?

Are you plugging the audio cable directly into the computer or picking the audio off at the projector?
Is the sounds terrible sound hum and buzz or weak thin sound or a combination of both.

All the mentioned DI box or USB audio interfaces are the way to do it right.

That said is the cable your connection to the computer via the 3.5 tip ring sleeve / stereo plug going to a 1/4 inch tip ring sleeve plug that is plugged directly into a 1/4 input jack on your mixer?

If so a big part of the terrible sound your getting most likely is coming from the phase cancellation by connecting a stereo source to a balanced input connection.

[Chris Grimshaw]

If so a big part of the terrible sound your getting most likely is coming from the phase cancellation by connecting a stereo source to a balanced input connection.

+1.

Good thing to rule out.

Chris

[Rick Earl]

The best way:

https://www.radialeng.com/product/usb-pro

Probably not what the OP needs, but the Audinate AVIO USB-Dante adapter is another great tool for getting audio from a PC.

https://audinate.com/products/devices/dante-avio#usb

[Tim Hite]

Hey guys,

In our church we have a projection pc which we need to get sound to the sound desk. Currently somebody has run a 25m 3.5mm jack cable, but it sound terrible! What would be the best option to improve this?

The AVIO Analog output adapter would let you run audio from the computer through Dante VSC and into an input on the desk.

If your desk already has Dante then you can just run the computer into your Dante network.

Otherwise, there are many flavors of outboard USB DAC from which to choose. Any would be better than a headphone jack.

[Caleb Dueck]

Edit ps - I see you're not directly comparing the USB and 3.5mm TRS outputs, just overall perceived quality of the devices.

Correct. Assuming 3.5mm analog - there is a big variation of quality between devices. 

Any time the 1's and 0's from a computer can stay unmolested (no DA/AD) the better.  "I started life as a 1, but now I've been forced to identify as a 0.9" 

[Jason Glass]

Any time the 1's and 0's from a computer can stay unmolested (no DA/AD) the better.

Deleted my comment because the joke flew over my head.   

[Tim McCulloch]

Correct. Assuming 3.5mm analog - there is a big variation of quality between devices. 

Any time the 1's and 0's from a computer can stay unmolested (no DA/AD) the better.  "I started life as a 1, but now I've been forced to identify as a 0.9" 

That's not exactly binary, now is it?

[Robert Lofgren]

Transnary and/or polynary comes to mind 

That's not exactly binary, now is it?

[Dave Garoutte]

Transnary and/or polynary comes to mind 

You'll need a spectrum analyzer to be sure.

[ProSoundWeb Community]