Korg Forums

teh_bill · Joined: 12 Jan 2008 Posts: 3

Hey

I just got a new microKORG and I want to play the sound off of my speakers. The person at the music store sold me a cord that he said could make it play off my speakers. Basically, one end plugs into my microKORG, then the other end has 2 prongs, one labbled "Ring" and is orange, and another one labbled "Tip" and is grey. I also have a MIDI cord but im not sure that comes into play here. Can anyone tell me how to plug it in right or if I even have the right cords?

Thanks in advance,
Bill

xmlguy · Platinum Member Joined: 26 Nov 2007 Posts: 3605

The person sold you the wrong cord. That's for a stereo 1/4 jack, but the MK doesn't have that. It has two 1/4' mono jacks, for L+R. See page 5 of the manual under Preparation - Connections.

Do you have powered speakers?

If yes, then what kind of input connector do they have?

If no, then you need to buy an amplifier, a powered mixer(mixer w/amp), or powered speakers.

Never trust a salesperson to know anything. Actually, you can usually trust them to know everything wrong, which they are more than happy to share. It would take just a few minutes for a salesperson to look up what you really need to hook up your speakers, so now you have to go to the trouble of returning the item and getting the right stuff because he/she couldn't do that.

teh_bill · Joined: 12 Jan 2008 Posts: 3

Thanks for the promt reply.

By powered speakers, do you mean speakers that plug into an outlet? If so, then yes (there the speakers I mainly use for my computer, but they plug into an outlet and a cord for the computer if needed). And theres two plugins on the right speaker, one for headphones and one for a subwoofer. Im assuming it goes into the headphone jack? Im not very good with these things as im new to this, but im not exactly sure what kind of input connector my speaker has. Its seems to be the typical type, one you could stick like ipod headphones into. Thanks again for the fast reply, and my apologies for my lack of knowledge for some of these things, like I said, im just starting and have little experience.

EDIT: Also, could you perhaps provide a link for a type of cord I might need once its clear what type I need for my MK? Your help is greatly appreciated. Very Happy

xmlguy · Platinum Member Joined: 26 Nov 2007 Posts: 3605

A powered speaker means a speaker that contain an audio power amplifier, which apparently you have because that's what the A/C power cord is for. An unpowered speaker doesn't have a built-in amp, and no A/C power cord to power it.

MP3 players and ipods use a 1/8" (3.5mm) stereo mini TRS jack plug.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRS_connector

The MK has two 1/4" mono TS jacks. They only use the tip for the audio, and they don't have a ring - just the tip and the outer sleave ground.

So you need two 1/4" mono TS plugs to go to one 1/8" stereo TRS plug. There are many kinds of adapters and cables to do this. In the music biz, cables with 1/4" mono TS plugs on both ends are the most common for instruments. So if you get two standard guitar cables, then all you need is an adapter with two female 1/4" TS jacks on one side (to receive the two cables running to the MK) and one 1/8" stereo TRS plug on the other, to plug into the speakers. So maybe you have a cord/adapter that works, maybe not.

You need to use the right terms to clearly describe what you have.