Audio question

[Woodstock]

Will anything particularly bad happen if I connect my V1, GPS, and iPod with Y connectors to the same Starcom1 input jack? I guess I should use a Mix-It, but what's the downside, if I don't?

 

[slapnpop]

inability to control the volume btween the sources, or give priority to any of them.

There's also a greater posibility of noise from ground loops/voltage difference.

 

[Woodstock]

inability to control the volume btween the sources, or give priority to any of them.
There's also a greater posibility of noise from ground loops/voltage difference.

Each of the sources has a volume control. The Mix-it (just to use that example) only has a single "master" volume control (AFAIK - I could be wrong here).

The Mix-It2 allows you to have one input mute others (e.g. GPS directions or V1 override the iPod), so that's certainly an advantage.

 

[Woodstock]

Here's what the MixIt page says:

"The problem with the 'Y' cord solution is that some devices are not compatible with each other, and one device can damage another by using this type of cord. "

I guess my question is whether this would really happen in "real life". I'll probably buy a mix-it, people have said good things about it. Just a question as to whether back signal really has damaged an audio source. I'm sure I could send a high voltage pulse into the iPod input and damage it, but would a normal output from another audio source be sufficient?

 

[slapnpop]

If they are all LINE outputs you should be fine. If you're using the headphones outputs, then you DO run the risk of back-powering the headphone amps of individual devices, which could damage them

Of course on the line output you have no volume control (at least not usually), which is why you wouldn't be able to mix them.

 

[Bike Effects]

Starcom sells splitters for this purpose, and they say it won't cause a problem, although I'm not sure why you would bother putting all these on one input. There are adequate inputs.

 

[Woodstock]

Starcom sells splitters for this purpose, and they say it won't cause a problem, although I'm not sure why you would bother putting all these on one input. There are adequate inputs.

Not sure what you mean by "adaquate inputs"? The starcom1 (IIRC from when I installed it on the bike), only had one "stereo audio" input for a music source, and a special cell phone and radio input that weren't "standard".

So, if I want to keep cell phone input for future cell phone use (once I get a "real" bluetooth phone and get the BTM-01 unit, and also save the radio for future bike2bike), I need to get a V1, GPS, and iPod into the normal stereo input.

A Mix-It or XMA3 would seem to be needed, if I don't just Y togther those sources (GPS and V1(audio) and iPod). The splitter from starcom is probably just with diodes for protection, I'd guess. I really should just cough up the dough and do it right, of course. Just curious as to options and whether I've got the problem defined correctly. :erm:

 

[Bike Effects]

Starcom sells splitters for this purpose, and they say it won't cause a problem, although I'm not sure why you would bother putting all these on one input. There are adequate inputs.

Not sure what you mean by "adaquate inputs"? The starcom1 (IIRC from when I installed it on the bike), only had one "stereo audio" input for a music source, and a special cell phone and radio input that weren't "standard".

So, if I want to keep cell phone input for future cell phone use (once I get a "real" bluetooth phone and get the BTM-01 unit, and also save the radio for future bike2bike), I need to get a V1, GPS, and iPod into the normal stereo input.

A Mix-It or XMA3 would seem to be needed, if I don't just Y togther those sources (GPS and V1(audio) and iPod). The splitter from starcom is probably just with diodes for protection, I'd guess. I really should just cough up the dough and do it right, of course. Just curious as to options and whether I've got the problem defined correctly. :erm:

I suppose the first thing I should have asked is do you have the Starcom1 or Starcom1 Advance? The Advance has a Stereo input (that can be split), a cell phone input and a Aux (Navigation) input. The Aux and the Phone inputs have priority and will mute the music input.. The 2-way radio input is separate.

Which unit do you have?

Starcom Comparison Chart

Starcom1 Advance Manual

 

[Woodstock]

I suppose the first thing I should have asked is do you have the Starcom1 or Starcom1 Advance? The Advance has a Stereo input (that can be split), a cell phone input and a Aux (Navigation) input. The Aux and the Phone inputs have priority and will mute the music input.. The 2-way radio input is separate.
Which unit do you have?

Starcom Comparison Chart

Starcom1 Advance Manual

I have the regular ol' Starcom, and (apparently) it's been way too long since I looked at how I hooked it up <_<

I've got the iPod connected to the audio, and the GPS into the phone. Looks like both are 3.5mm, I'm assuming the phone is mono (although I have a stereo plug there for some reason), and the audio is stereo. I currently have a Y actually between an AM radio and an iPod shuffle for the audio side, and just the GPS on the "phone" connection.

I don't have the V1 connected at all to an audio source yet (don't have the special "remote audio" unit - btw: what a scam that is!), anyway...

I think I want a MixIt2 and plug in the radio and iPod to each of the 2 stereo inputs, and the GPS and V1 into each of the two mono inputs. Then I feed the Mixit (stereo) output directly to the Starcom audio input, and the starcom phone input I save for BTM-01. Does that sound right??

One thing I do like about what I read on the mixit pages is that the mono inputs are already isolated, so you don't need the $40-ish isolated cord.

(And it goes w/o saying that I get as much as I can from SportBikeEffects, of course )

 

[yamaholic]

I personally would not do this.

Great way to short out one of the output jacks. Also will probably be very noisy (interference).

 

[Woodstock]

I personally would not do this.
Great way to short out one of the output jacks. Also will probably be very noisy (interference).

Would not do what? The Y connection, or the more involved set up described in my last post?