thank you for this video its a lot easier than i thought it'd be !! im planning on adding a pickup to my guitar and being able to sum the signal from the pickup with the existing pickups but also be able to send the new pickup to its own separate output. would the 1k resistors work for this as well?
This is a fabulous idea,, Especially Trying to cut in mono using a vinatage disk cutter.. trouble upgradeing parts, but trying the best to suit what i have.. From scratch DIY. building circuits..\
Great video; one thing I've tried and it should work with your setup too, is to use a 1/8 inch stereo to 1/4 inch dual jack cable, with the 1/8 inch at the music source (iPod etc) feeding into two separate audio channels on your mixer (in this case let's say the left input on channels 2/3 and 4/5). With the balance on both at center (or left) position, you would get both sides of the signal coming out from the left 'main out' of your mixer, which by using a standard mono/guitar cable, you could then send to your amp, negating the need for the box or a specially prepared cable in the sequence. Since the mixer is designed to handle line level inputs from a stereo source, this shouldn't be an issue? So overall the box is great if you don't have a mixer, and is nice and portable, BUT the mixer will do this job for you if it is set up as described above - and of course if you aren't using it for anything else. Am interested in your opinion....Cheers
Do you have left to center and right tied in with ground or is both tied to center and ground stands alone? 😎 I got it! 😎 Thank you so much you sir are the man! 😎 Thanks again!
Hi, I have a Godin guitar with two outputs, one is a passive Seymour Duncan lipstick single coil pickup and one is an active RMC Piezo pickup. When I use a 2 mono to 1 mono cable I get only one of the pickup. I want to make a Y cable that will have two mono in and one mono out so I can plug only one cable into my guitar amp and then control the blend of the two pickups using the controls on the guitar. Can I use your method? What type of resistors I should use - the same for each or two different ones?
Good video. I want to combine the Front Right, Front Left and Center outputs from a 5.1 channel amp. Can I assume that I could combine those three inputs into a single output in the same manner, using a resistor for each channel? I plan to use the output for a hearing assist unit that only accepts a single input.
that should work, but you can also just use the center only because that should have mostly the voice audio signal and will also have components of the L & R signals.
but that means, that mono output is balanced right? Id like to use it on a volca Fm stereo1/4" output with a guitar pedal, which has unbalanced mono inputs
Hi, I am using a device which splits/decodes the audio out from TV to 6 separate physical channels.( RCA female outputs) The front and rear L and R channels are fed to respective speakers.. I want to feed the center and LFE channels..to a 2.1 soundbar system which accepts a single physical TRS female input jack. ( The settings of the soundbar can set the input as either AUX or LINE IN) How to do that so that the center channel plays on both the L and R speakers of the soundbar..and passes the LFE to the subwoofer? Do i get a dual RCA male to TRS male converter..short the Tip and Ring..and plug it into the TRS input of the soundbar system?
Interesting question. In the case you're talking about you would want to mix two mono signals together into one mono output. So, you would want two mono input jacks for the guitars and one mono output jack for the amp. You could experiment with the best values of isolation resistors . Look at a schematic for a vintage Fender tube amp - the input jacks 1 & 2. That's what they did - combined two guitar jacks into one signal.
Great Video! I have a stereo speaker system with an active sub and to passive HF Speakers plugged to my pc. The left HF is broken, and I wonder how i can get mono signal into it. Sub and PC are connected by 1/8" Jack. When I use your method, are the resistors still necessary?
Good video . How about using diodes instead of just resistors ? Despite the 0.7v signal loss the isolation between channels would be much greater I supose ... The point is if It is only analog ok but if you are dealing with outputs coming from a digital device all kinds of care must be taken
Paulo Acedo No, diodes would not work. They would block all but the top part of the analog wave form resulting in a distorted sound. The output to a headphone jack is an analog signal. The electronics are solid state i.e. integrated circuitry, but 1k ohms per channel or 2k ohms between channels is plenty to avoid any damage.
I am going to wire a portable satellite radio stereo into a mono input. The specs shows the output as 2.2V peak to peak. My question is how big of resistiors? Don’t quote me, but I thought I saw info that said I needed 50K ohms.
Is it possible to get links (amazon) for each element you use to create it? Or the name itself is also helpful, so I go and get it in the store. I have no real idea of that topic, but want to try it. Is there maybe a ready made box, to buy somewhere?
Here are some links for parts. Similar parts are available on Amazon or Digikey, or Mouser. www.radioshack.com/products/radioshack-project-enclosure-5x2-5x2 www.radioshack.com/products/radioshack-gold-plated-panel-mount-phono-jack www.radioshack.com/products/radioshack-1-4-mono-panel-mount-audio-jack-2-pack www.radioshack.com/products/radioshack-1-8-watt-1k-carbon-film-resistors-5-pack
Hello Mr. Patillo. The other way around also needs resistors? For example, is it right to take a mono output and just connect the signal to both channels of a headphone without resistors?
It depends on what type of mono output you have. If it is a low power output like from a preamp, then probably OK. But a mono output intended to drive a speaker, no. Would damage your headphones. As long as the mono output is of the level that headphones can handle, then you should be able to drive both sides of headphones without a resistor.
It should not cause any problem. The headphone outputs of the iPhone, iPod or other device at isolated by 2000 ohms. The resulting signal is one input to the mono amplifier.
First off, very informative video, have a quick question though. I have two outdoor speakers, but want to run both in mono for patio garden listening. I have a Bluetooth audio receiver with RCA outputs and a stereo amp with a line in. Would I be right in thinking your wiring set up would work? If I wired up the output of the BT audio receiver as described in your video and used the line in on my amp, would that give a mono signal to both speaker outputs of the amp or just to one side (L or R output)? Thanks in advance.
Have a second question if I can be cheeky..... So I'm now thinking of using a slightly different setup, of which the amp only has RCA inputs and the BT receiver has a stereo 3.5mm jack output. Do you know how would I go about wiring a stereo 3.5mm jack to two mono L + R RCA outputs? Thanks again in advance.
Your second question: Use a cable that has a 3.5 mm plug on one end and two rca plugs on the other. These are commonly used cables that you should be able to purchase on Amazon or retailers.
Are you sure the 1k ohm resistors is enough protection? I'm planning on using it with instruments that only have a headphone out and I'm a little paranoid about damaging anything. Very informative video :)
As long as it is a headphone out, it should be fine. There will be 2k ohms total isolation between the right and left signals. But if you are hesitant, I understand, you could use larger resistors instead. As mentioned in the video, I tried different values and didn't discern any difference. I've used these on iphones, and ipods and never had any problems.
Can I use it in Bluetooth decoder which has left and right connected to mono amplifier.....when I connect only right and ground it's sounds like...static fm the clarity of music does not clear at all do you think that's the reason
Running Deep Not with this device. You would need a cable with a stereo plug on one end for your mp3 (1.5 mm) with two 1/4” plugs on the other end- one for right and one for left. Similar to this but with 1.5mm stereo plug : www.zzounds.com/item--HOSSTP20?siid=89890&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIl42iv6aE6QIViuzjBx3rxgofEAQYASABEgLuuPD_BwE
Hi there Sir James, i'm thinking of combining 2 inputs (electret plus piezo) using dual op-amp. Yes, they have 2 different outputs but idk if they have similar output impedance, so can i use your method to combine those 2 outputs to mono?
I think you are planning to feed the output of a Piezo pickup into one input of an op amp and the output of a electret mike into another input of an op amp and you want to know if you can combine both op amp outputs together for a mono signal with the circuit in the video. If this is correct, then, yes, you should be able to. The outputs of the op amps should be the same impedance - assuming the same op amp and circuitry. The only problem I see is that unless you can adjust the gains of the op amp circuits the two will be different amplitudes( since the piezo and electret will have different output levels). Combining levels that are not equal amplitude will result in more of one "channel" than the other. But you can try it and see if it meets your needs!
@@jamelectronics Yes, exactly. I saw schematic from the internet, 2 different schematic for piezo and ECM but they use tl071, but im thinking of combining those circuit to one using tl072 since its a dual op.amp. Maybe, both can be played in mono. This setup is for my violin and will be plugged in to my Reverb Stompbox
Why? Usually guitar fx processors have a mono output. If you connect just the L out it should be in mono. If that doesn't work, program your fxs in mono, then use only one output.
I don't see how it would be useful for that, since a split cue allows the DJ to listen to the master output signal to one side of the headphone and the headphone cue output in the other side. The device in the video mixes two signals into a single signal. i.e. - stereo changed to mono.
If you wired as specified, there should be almost no attenuation of signal. What are you using for signal sound? iPhone headphone jack? If so, do you have volume adjusted to max on iPhone? What are you feeding signal into? Amplifier? You haven't given me enough info to help you.
Muito obrigado "James Pattillo" Fiz um cabo Stereo / mono me baseando em um circuito de caixinha de som mono onde ambos canais vão jumpeados Se continuasse a usar mas um pouco iria danifica o CI de audio do Computador, ele já estava conflitando (saia áudio / não saia áudio) Seu vídeo veio no exato momento Muito obrigado novamente Thank you very much "James Pattillo" I made a Stereo / mono cable based on a mono speaker circuit where both channels are jumpered If you continued to use it a little, it would damage the computer's audio IC, it was already conflicting (audio output / no audio output) If video came at the exact moment Thank you again.
Congratulations! Você foi o único cara decente que realmente ensinou a forma correta de se converter um sinal de áudio Stereo em um sinal Mono. Outros tantos na Ethernet, apenas curtocircuitam os dois sinais (L & R) para convertê-lo em um sinal só e assim, acabam danificando o amplificador da fonte de sinais. Os dois resistores de 1K (1.000 Ohms), intercalados nas conexões positivas dos sinais (L & R), servem para amortecer o curto-circuito, agora existente. No caso, com sinais de áudio de pequena potência (Smartphones, Notebooks...), resistores de 1K - 1/8 de Watt, se adequam perfeitamente. Para sinais de maior potência, pequenos amplificadores, devemos instalar resistores maiores e com maior watagem. Gostei bastante do seu vídeo... Honesto e Inteligente. Abraço e boa semana.
This method is for headphone out signal levels. If you are trying to use it on an aux out from a mixer or other equipment, you may need to use a higher value of resistance for isolation. Try 10k. Better yet, use a mono out from your mixer or other device.
No. The circuit described converts the small signal preamplifier sound to mono. The combined signal is then amplified by the power amp section of your electronics at the same power level as before. So, a 5 watt channel will still be 5 watts.
I am going to connect a vintage car stereo to one speaker in my VW Beetle that has only one speaker. Would this work for my project and should I have higher value resistors? And I was thinking, why not use diodes instead of resistors to isolate each line R and L?
No, you can’t use this circuit on the output of your car stereo. You will damage the stereo. The circuit can only be used in small signal outputs such as a preamp or headphone output of an ipod, iPhone or similar, but not a large signal output from an amplifier stage. Also, a diode for isolation will not work.
@@jamelectronics Some say I can use resistors to combine both Left and Right outputs from a car stereo to one speaker. If it works for a cell phone or low voltage device, why not a car stereo that works at 12 volts? Make the resistors 1000K or more rather than 100K or less. I have only one speaker in my VW and I ma not willing to modify my dash for another. And finding a mono AM-FM car radio is near impossible. .
I don’t recommend it. The difference in splitting a mono output of an iPod into 2 outputs vs. combining stereo output channels : The outputs of iPods are high impedance, low voltages (millivolts) and currents. The outputs of your 12 volt stereo are low impedance with relatively higher voltages and currents. The isolation resistors in conjunction with the 4 or 8 ohm speaker will act as a voltage divider so most of the signal voltage will be dropped across the isolation resistor rather than the speaker resulting in very low level of sound. Aside from that, depending on the circuitry of the car stereo, a connection between the two channels may cause damage.
@@jamelectronics Thanks for the detailed reply. I won't combine R and L on my old car stereo. I have only one speaker.. I noticed that the 1960's radio has a MO/ST button. and that will then give me the option for Mono or Stereo. So if I just keep it at MO I can get mono sound with one speaker, the other line I will leave capped off, or maybe hide a speaker in some other part of the vehicle.
I have a different reason for wanting to convert the stereo coming out of my smart phone into mono for the headphones. I am deaf in one ear since 1957 , I was one of those kids that always had earaches.It doesn’t bother me at all except when I want to use headphones. When I listen to music videos on my iPhone, I can hear that I’m not getting the split tracks from different instruments like I do when I listen to them through the regular stereo speakers. When I switch earphones from ear to ear, I can hear that one side has the drums, and the other side has the bass on a lot of tracks, especially the Rolling Stones music. When I play my guitar through my amplifiers using headphones it’s not a problem.. but I don’t want to play my iPhone through my home stereo or through my guitar amplifiers and disturb my wife..My dogs get up and leave when they see me plugging a guitars in. it’s like they know when I’m not going to use headphones. What do I have to do to get both channels sending the signal to both earphone speakers equally? I thought about making your box from this video, then plugging into one of my transistor guitar amplifiers that has a headphone jack, and then listening to that amplifier with the headphones, which would actually play both channels through the amplifier and to both headphone speakers evenly because the guitar amplifier is not stereo. But I would rather not use the guitar amplifier as part of the system..I just want to have the same signal come out of both speakers on headphones out of my iPhone. How do I do this?
Harry, if you have an iPhone, you can set your phone up to give you mono instead of stereo. check out this link: www.imore.com/how-enable-mono-audio-auditory-accessibility-iphone-or-ipad
Hi sir, Source signal L R through 1k 1k to given to mono amplier same source of signal is given to stereo L R Amplifer the speaker produce mono or stereo in sperate L R speaker Because the source signal is shot by 1k 1k
yeah it will somehow lower the volume but its also important to have them a 1k resistor in total to not heat up the amplifier inside the phone or pre amp or what kind of system you using
Hello friend, greetings from india, i would like to give mono input for the subwoofer, i hope I can use this method without disturbing my stereo line. Need your suggestion shall i follow this method?
This circuit is for combining small signal levels such as headphone outputs or “line outs” to feed into amplifier inputs that require small signals ( less than 1 volt). As long as your stereo out is a small signal level, it should be ok, although I don’t know the details of your devices.
@@jamelectronics this is to feed input for my subwoofer amplifier, i have a stereo amplifier, now I would like to add subwoofer amplifier , so I was bothered to give mono input without disturbing my stereo input, I'm speaking about only mono input signal, not directly to speaker my friend, hope u got my point
Since the circuit in the video is for the input to an amplifier, the output power of the amplifier is irrelevant. The same resistance values should be used. Just be sure you are clear that you are combining small signal input signals to an amplifier and not amplifier outputs.
@@jamelectronics Thanks for reply Sir, I wanted to know the result of signal which reflected through proper output. High registence value may be interrupt in quality of signal. If i run the amplifier in 75% volume . Signal gain is a vital factor indeed
@@jamelectronics so how the circuit if i want to use mono to stereo? Maybe you can make it on another video.. the most important is can convert mono to stereo, although the sound quality is decreased / lower..
Khalifa Fauzan If you feed a Mono signal into the output of this simple device, you will get the same signal on both inputs. So, you can drive two inputs of a stereo amplifier with those signal but they will not be the “left” and “right” stereo sounds. Mixing two waveforms together , which this circuit does, is simple. Making stereo out of a mono signal is complex. This circuit will not do that.
You could however, doing that does not provide any isolation of Left and Right channels of the output of the device that is your signal source. That could possibly damage the device or cause distortion. But maybe not. It's like connecting the R and L channels directly together.
Hello James. I’m wondering about something here. Would this work for the Spark amp headphone out into the Magnum 44 amp pedal and then into let’s say, a 2 x 12 speaker cabinet? So, a 1/8 tip stereo cable on one end and two mono connectors on the other end into this box you built here, then a guitar cable going into the Magnum 44 and coming out into the 2 x 12 speaker cabinet. Here’s a link to what one guy did but he is going with a cable that has stereo connector on one end and a mono connector on the other going straight into this Magnum 44 and then into the speaker. It would seem there would be major loss of signal coming from the Spark amp this way. Your method seems to be a much safer way if you were to have your design in between the Spark and the Magnum. Your input would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for this video! Here’s the clip I mentioned… ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-KaYhMNw6cPQ.html
Rick, I like the isolation that the circuit in my video provides. So, yes, you could certainly use the described box to connect your Spark amp headphone jack to the Magnum 44 amp pedal.
@@jamelectronics Thank you James. I’m attempting something different now with that same Spark 40 amplifier. I recently purchased two Headrush FRFR 108 powered speaker cabinets and was hoping there was a way to use both of them coming out of the Spark headphone output. I took a cable that had a stereo 1/8 inch connector on one end and two 1/4 inch mono ends and hooked up the Spark to the Headrush cabinets but it sounded very muddy and just not good at all. Is there anyway to do this that you may know of? For now, I’m going to purchase one “summing cable with resistors” and try using just one of the Headrush cabinets to see if that helps at all but ideally, I would like to be able to get a nice stereo field using both of the powered cabinets. Is this even possible? Thanks!
The most critical connection made, from the 2 1k ohms , is absolutely confusing. Did you solder? Exactly where are the 2 resistors soldered to? Jerky video, thumb blocking, and no schematic drawing, pointing, exactly, where all connections are made.
@@jamelectronics Couldn't seem to take constructive objective critiquing? Hope you will inprove. Moved on nicely, by the way, after doing more research.😑
@@user-no9qn5gz8w, Bobby, I made this video 7 years ago. I apologize if my video quality is not up to your standards. So sorry about the shakiness, but my intention with my videos is only to give information about things I know about to those that would like to watch. There is the schematic drawing at 1:35 in the video that you said I should have included. As to soldering, it looks plain to me in the video that the connections are soldered but, they can be connected without soldering - it's the viewer's choice. I don't think my finger is blocking anything. The circuit is so simple. Only 2 components and a schematic to show what connects to what. Did you not see the schematic? I watch a lot of DIY videos. When I am doing a project that I need to know how to do, I watch several RU-vid videos. Some contain all the info I need, and some do not. I never critique someone else's video. They've taken the time to present something they believe will help someone else. I don't have the time and besides what's the purpose- they are not going to make a new video "fixing" the things I have pointed out. They're offering a video, and I can watch or not. By watching multiple ones, I get a very good idea of how to proceed. You "moving on" to do more "research" is a good thing. I'm sure you learned a lot. Good luck on your future pursuits!