Home Stereo

It is possible for listeners to have The Electric Front playing through their home stereo, or other sound system.  This is usually not a difficult or expensive ordeal to attempt*.

Here are the tools you may need to do this properly:

1. one "1/8th to RCA Adapter"

2. a set of RCA audio cables.

3. a free line out or speaker jack on your computer's sound card

4. an amplifier device with inputs, such as home stereo or other.

STEP ONE:

Please ensure that your stereo and/or power amplifier is powered off.  If you wish to feel even safer print out these instructions and have your computer powered off as well, but often that is not necessary.  Also make sure that the volume on your home stereo (or whatever device you are plugging this sound into) is turned all the way down.  This ensures that if the audio level coming from the computer is higher than you expect, it wont blare so loud on your speakers that you do damage to the speakers or the amplifier itself.

STEP TWO:

Look at the back of your computer for the input and output jacks of your sound card.  Most sound cards have a "Line Out" and a speaker jack for sound.  Preferably we are going to use the Line Out jack.  Usually this is a small hole 1/8th of an inch wise on the back of your computer.  Usually the sound card jacks have color codes to them, but not always.  To one side of the correct hole there should be a word engraved into the steel, or writing that says "OUT" or "Line-Out", or sometimes it is merely a symbol of an arrow pointing away from sound waves (this would be the opposite of the symbol for the microphone jack). 

Into this hole we are going to place the Adapter (1/8th to RCA Stereo Adapter).  You can purchase this from Radio Shack or your favorite electronics store for roughly 5 dollars.  Please make sure that you have purchased a STEREO adapter and NOT a MONO one.  Often store clerks don't even know the difference themselves.  Both will send the sound to your stereo, but mono is a completely less complete sound, and will result in a hollow, narrow sound, while with stereo you get a wide, left/right stereo experience.

If you think that the store clerk doesn't know their goods, here is what to look for.  Make sure that the side of the adapter that has one piece of metal sticking out of it has TWO little rings circling it near the end.  This means that it is stereo.  The mono ones look almost the same, but there is only ONE plastic ring, DO NOT BUY THIS ONE.  They will both fit into your computer, but the mono one will make all your music sound like crap.

Place the single end of the adapter into the "Line-Out" or equivalent output jack of your computer's sound card.  (ONLY if your computer has merely one output, you can unplug the jack that connects the computer speakers to it.  Fill that same jack with the single end of this adapter.)

STEP THREE:

The next thing we do is look at the back of the home stereo, amplifier or other powered device you are going to plug into.  We must locate an input to plug the sound from the computer into.  To do this try to find two little RCA jacks that are empty.  Usually look for a pair that has the term "Auxiliary Input" written above them.  (If you don't see an Aux Input, you could try a Tape Input, Tuner Input, or others.  Sometimes different types of vacant inputs don't work well with other sound sources.  For example some older amps don't do a good job of receiving digital sound from a CD player or computer in their Phono inputs because they were designed for turntables and record players.  Basically it's a trial and error process.  Most amps have multiple inputs including Aux. though.)

STEP FOUR:

Once you have located which inputs you are going to use on your stereo, we must connect the sound from the computer to it.  We do this with RCA wires (you can get these at any Radio Shack and most Electronic Stores).  Usually one side of the pair of jacks on the adapter and amp is white and the other red.  It is not necessary to match the colors, but if you can plug the the RCA wire into the red side  of the Adapter and the other end of the wire into the red jack of the Aux Input, that would be great.  You would then connect the white side of the Adapter to the white side of the Aux Input as well.  If you cannot match colors that is ok, just connect one end of each RCA wire to the adapter and the other end to the aux input.

If your RCA wires are not long enough you should purchase longer ones.  If you have another set of wires and don't want to fork out the money for another set of wires you can get 2 RCA Couplers.  These are cheap little cylindrical connector that brings two sets of wires together to elongate the length.  You can find these at Radio Shack or your favorite electronics store for roughly two dollars a pair.

STEP FIVE:

You now should have the computer's output connected to the input of your stereo.  You can now turn on your stereo.  To test that this is hooked up correctly, play an mp3 or CD from your computer.  Once it is playing slowly turn the volume knob up on your home stereo.  You should now hear the music coming from your stereo instead of the computer speakers.  If so VOILA you are done, move your stereo and computer back into normal position!

TROUBLESHOOTING:

NO AUDIO can be caused by many reasons.  Here are some possibilities:

1.  You have the adapter plugged into the wrong jack of your computer's soundcard.  Solution-plug it into a different jack of the soundcard.

2.  The input of your stereo isn't working or cannot accept a digital signal.  Solution-try a different input on your stereo.

3.  The "Line-Out" volume on your computer is too low, or muted.  Solution-open up your audio controls (usually by double clicking a speaker symbol in your system tray).  Make sure the mute is not checked below the Line-Out or Wave column on your audio properties.  Make sure the slider is not near the bottom either or the volume will be way too low.

4.  Check for stupid little mistakes before you get frustrated, for example make sure that you have the appropriate input selected on your home stereo.  Make sure you don't have your audio software muted.  Make sure the wires you are using are in working order.  Make sure that when you moved your equipment back into position, that you did not pull the adapter or wires out of their jacks.  Make sure if you can't figure it out, you ask someone who can!!!

Hope this worked for you!

*(The risk of attempting this (if you follow our instructions) is extremely minimal, however we do not take any responsibility for any damage you may do to yourself, equipment or anything else by attempting this.)