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How to Connect Studio Monitors To Audio Interface – 5 Step Guide

Juan Stansbury July 7, 2023

Studio monitors are an effective way to monitor sound. They enable you to produce high-quality, professional audio for film making, recording studios, television studios, radio studios, and even home studios.

While it’s true that headphones are much cheaper, studio monitors are usually more preferable thanks to their “flat” response and uncolored sound production.

But as useful and efficient as they are, setting up these technology pieces is also an important but tricky task. It involves attention to detail, precision, and accuracy.

Regardless of how high-quality and expensive your sound monitors are, if you fail to install them correctly, they’re of no use!

Not only will inappropriate installation compromise the monitoring efficiency, but you also will never get the useful output you are looking for.

So, now that you understand the importance of connecting your studio monitors to audio interfaces correctly, don’t be intimidated if it seems hard.

If you’ve never done it before, here’s how to connect studio monitors to audio interfaces and get the most out of your home studio!

How To Connect Studio Monitors To Audio Interface – Step By Step

If your new technological pieces of equipment look intimidating, fear not. It’s way easier than it looks, especially if you know the right steps to follow.

Here is a detailed yet straightforward guide on how to connect studio monitors to audio interface.

Before installing your studio monitors to audio interfaces, there are a few essential pieces of equipment that you need. These include cables, jacks, and connectors.

Picking a cable isn’t as easy as choosing one randomly. You must make sure that it is high-quality and appropriate for the studio monitors you’re using. Optical cables are the most common choice in such cases, and their alternate name is “light pipe cables.”

The remarkable thing about these cables is that they can carry multiple digital audio channels in a single connection.

These optical cables efficiently accept S/PDIF and ADAT signals. While the former takes dual channels at a time, the latter can support eight channels (48 kilohertz) or four channels (96 kilohertz).

S/PDIF signals are the most popular recommendation for sound outputs from the audio interface to monitor speakers.

Video: “Beginner’s guide to connecting audio cables (XLR, TRS, Hi-Z)”

Typically, these are the most popular and commonly used jacks and connectors:

• TS translates to tip, sleeve.
• TRS represents a tip, ring, sleeve.
• XLR means X Latching Resilient Rubber Compound.
• ¼” is the plug’s diameter in inches.)
• ¼” TS to ¼” TS
• ¼” TRS to ¼” TRS
• ¼” TRS to XLR

Among these three types, if you still want to narrow it down, the most popular recommendation is to use TRS connections.

The reason behind this preference is its ability to create grounded and balanced connections. This particular feature helps reject any grounded hums or noises expected from long cables.

You must connect the cables to the right slots in the audio interface. Otherwise, nothing will work the way you want it to.

A typical audio interface has two types of audio output and input slots: line levels and mic. The former is stronger and rarely ever needs amplification. In contrast, mic level signals are weaker, and they almost always require a preamp booster.

While mic level signals come from microphones, line-level connections are essential for audio interface signals moving towards studio monitors.

While this part of the process may sound simple and easy, it has a little technical aspect. It is essential to place the monitors relative to your audio interface’s location. Why?

Because it helps ensure the most original, raw sound output. This high-quality sound enables you to listen to precise details during the mixing and recording. This way, you can make a judgment accordingly.

Insert the cables in the right way and make sure they fit correctly. Push them all the way in and make sure they’re stable, functional, and not too loose. Also, ensure that the cables don’t have a fault in them and that they’re fully operational.

• Make sure you are using the right pair of speakers.
• Do your homework and find out more about the products you are opting for. Read reviews, go to their website, do thorough research, so you know what you’re getting yourself into.
• Use appropriate cables with optimal lengths. Wires and lines that are too long or too complicated can be hard to deal with, and they make an unnecessary mess around space. Similarly, wires that are too short can create a hassle as well.
• Position the speakers correctly; make sure they have the same distance from the listener and the walls on both sides. Plus, ensure that their angles are correct as well. The ideal angles are 30 degrees between the listener’s location and the speaker and 60 degrees between each speaker.

Final Words

Before signing off, remember that everything mentioned above has significant and unique importance in the entire connecting process. Messing up one of these steps can create an issue and might be why your equipment isn’t working correctly.

Thus, if you face problems with your studio monitors and audio interfaces, check to see if everything is alright in their connection.

And that’s all on how to connect studio monitors to audio interface. Pretty simple, isn’t it? If technology intimidates you, know that you’re not alone and that it’s completely okay to take your time. Some people find it harder than others, and there’s nothing to worry about.

If it still doesn’t make sense to you, don’t worry. Stay calm, take a few deep breaths, and try again. Properly observe your monitors and reread the article. Do your research on the model and manufacturing company of the studio monitors as well.

Search up their official websites; they might have information that could help you. If nothing else works, try contacting their customer support service and ask them to help you connect your studio monitors to audio interfaces.