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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 5,139
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 5,139 |
Sorry to be late to the discussion here, but why can't you just hook up a bluetooth speaker? Personally, I have a fairly ancient MacBook Pro and just bluetooth into my home receiver. I practice that way all the time. I've tried hard wiring from the headphone jack into the audio input of the receiver, but the sound quality isn't noticeably better. Bluetooth is a lot easier.
Give that man a cigar. K.I.S.S. works every time. Regards, Bob
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Beginners Forum
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Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 33
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OP
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Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 33 |
Having had problems already with Sonos speakers (you can't output sound directly to them from the laptop) and with two hi-fi speakers in my stereo system doing nothing, it made more sense to me to see if they could be hooked up. The focusrite is hooked up through the stereo amplifier. The speakers don't have self power and I think this is the reason the volume has to be increased to about 75% on both the focusrite and the amplifier to approximate real instruments. But I'm happy with the result so far.
Aye,
Genghis
Equipment: Yamaha 5'6" grand piano. BIAB for Macintosh 2017 --> 2020. MacBook Pro. Focusrite 2i2, Yamaha YC 88 keyboard
"Why do I have to go to school, Grandad? If I watch YouTube I'll know everything!"
- Grandson #3
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Beginners Forum
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Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 41
Enthusiast
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Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 41 |
Having had problems already with Sonos speakers (you can't output sound directly to them from the laptop) and with two hi-fi speakers in my stereo system doing nothing, it made more sense to me to see if they could be hooked up. The focusrite is hooked up through the stereo amplifier. The speakers don't have self power and I think this is the reason the volume has to be increased to about 75% on both the focusrite and the amplifier to approximate real instruments. But I'm happy with the result so far.
Aye,
Genghis
I'm not arguing with the solution. I used to do that myself until I discovered that my stereo amplifier has bluetooth capability. But, I don't understand why you can't output directly from your laptop to the Sonos speakers. They're bluetooth, aren't they? I've got a similar Bose Soundcloud II speaker and use it the same way for exactly the same purpose.
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Beginners Forum
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Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 33
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OP
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Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 33 |
But, I don't understand why you can't output directly from your laptop to the Sonos speakers. They're bluetooth, aren't they? I've got a similar Bose Soundcloud II speaker and use it the same way for exactly the same purpose. I'm not a technical person, but my laptop doesn't recognise the sonos speaker as a bluetooth device. AFAIK, Sonos speakers are designed to connect only with an internet connection. There's quite a bit of discussion about it on the internet and many users have been quite miffed that they can't use their computer directly as an input device to the speakers. You have to go through the sonos APP which recognises the speakers and can then stream your music through their program. But the sonos app doesn't recognise BIAB files as "music", so they have to be converted to .wav or .MP4 before they can be played, which I did, but then you can't adjust or alter the backing track while practising or playing. There is, I understand, an open source program for Macs that gets around this, but I believe it also causes and audio delay, so I didn't try it out. Bottom line is I would caution against getting a Sonos speaker if using BIAB, although I'd be interested to know if anyone else has managed to make them work directly with the BIAB program.
Equipment: Yamaha 5'6" grand piano. BIAB for Macintosh 2017 --> 2020. MacBook Pro. Focusrite 2i2, Yamaha YC 88 keyboard
"Why do I have to go to school, Grandad? If I watch YouTube I'll know everything!"
- Grandson #3
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Beginners Forum
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Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 41
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Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 41 |
Thanks for sharing that. Sometimes bluetooth just doesn't work. No telling why.
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Beginners Forum
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Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 64
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Enthusiast
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 64 |
I’m a few years late in this post, BUT, I have questions that are very similar to yours. I use BIAB as my backing band while playing my Mason and Hamlin piano. I use BIAB “songs” from Norton Music which he has produced from entire and various fake books. I frequently modify them slightly and away I go.
My set up is Mackbook Pro 2021, to a small self powered mixer via the headphone jack then to speakers which are not self powered. I recently purchased a Focusrite 212 3rd gen. I’ve hooked it up between my mixer and speakers. I don’t seem to be able to tell much difference in sound quality.
I’d be interested in your comments.
Thanks,
Bud
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