Newbie here of about 3 weeks. I have a Korg SV 1. Use a Roland amp speaker no mixer. Just bought a JBL LSR 305 5" as a practice amp. I would like to run the audio from my Dell Inspiron 1464 where BIAB lives to these speakers. In the BIAB MIDI/Audio Drivers setup window I currently have no MIDI input driver chosen. MIDI output is set to Microsoft GS wavetable Synth. Synthesizer/Sound Card is set to General MIDI instrument Misc. I have have not altered any settings....all are factory default/ recommended.
Eventually would like to gig with the Roland amp.
Thanks,
Bud

Bud...

Here's what I would do to at least get started:

If you can hear audio from your internal speakers on the Dell, you can just use an audio cable from your "headphone out" jack to your "Roland amp speaker", providing it has an available input to use alongside the Korg.

Not sure how you want to use the JBL.
If it's just for practice as you suggested, run the audio cable to it instead of the Roland. If you want to use the JBL as a monitor, see if the Roland has an "output" you can use to send the signal to the JBL.

You may or may not be satisfied with the "quality" of the sound you get. It stems from your chosen output driver, i.e. the MS GS wavetable synth.

Try the above and report back. If you need more info, let us know and we'll see what else we can do to help.

Good luck!
LLOYD S

The headphone jack is OK, but a USB to MIDI interface should give you better fidelity (wider audio bandwidth) and no crackling if you accidentally bump the cable.

They are quite inexepensives

Insights and incites by Notes

Lloyd and Bob,
Thanks. Sound is distorted on both speakers using headphone to speakers. Bob, I do have a USB to MIDI but the JBL DOES NOT HAVE A MIDI input or output. Since I am not at home right now I don't think the Roland does either. Not being a MIDI user, can I use the adapter PC-USB -MIDI in to Korg- then out to Roland via the standard jacks? Bought your Ultimate Jazz Fakebook and absolutely love it. I'm hooked. Nice work.
Thanks, Bud

Bud:

If you're getting distortion on the speakers of the Roland AND the JBL, I would guess that the volume is set too high on the Dell.

Try turning it down, either the hardware button if it has one, or the Windows Volume icon on the Task bar. Then use the volume knob on the outboard speaker to set the level.

LLOYD S

If Mac were here, he might say at this point to make the volume level on the headphone output as loud as you can without distortion, then set subsequent levels. What you are trying to do is approximate the output level of a LINE OUT jack that you don't have. It is very easy with headphones to put out more than that.

I like Notes' point to try to avoid that headphone jack because it has a habit of breaking and, as he said, will crackle terribly if jostled. A real audience killing sound. So, I suggest you get a small USB to audio interface. I've seen these from Griffin for about $30. They give you a noise-free headphone jack that supplies the line-level signal you are really needing here.

Even something as inexpensive as this would be better than using the laptop's headphone jack: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812186035

Thanks to all. I have plenty of info now and will get back to you if I need more help!!