Connecting monitors to mac - mixer or interface?

[gadders]

Howdy, apologies if ive missed a blatant answer to this somewhere on the forum but i've genuinely done a fair bit of searching on here and haven't really come to a conclusion! Most of what i was reading was for live performing, not just using the monitors through logic on the mac. All being well ive won some mr5's on ebay - I have a cheap numark mixer and a cheap audio interface (tascam us122)... can i connect the monitors straight to the output of the macbook, do i need to use the mixer/us122 to bridge the gap or do i need something more suited altogether?

Thanks in advance,

Phil.

[moki]

I would personally use a proper audio card, I think you loose quality if you run audio from a 3.5 mm

[wirez]

Using the audio interface will do but if you have quality issues buy a better interface. A mixer isn't really necessary unless your interface doesn't supply the correct outputs for the monitors. The output on the interface for the monitors should be 1/4" jack for best possible quality.

[b166er]

Using the balanced 1/4" inputs of your monitors will yield you better sound, and your Tascam must support balanced 1/4" outs as well (it does). Your Numark is likely a simple DJ mixer and you'd want to use it as just that a DJ mixer. The Tascam would sound way better than your Numark all things given.

[beatbum]

Interesting since I just got a MacBook Pro over the weekend. I'm planning on connecting my monitors via a 2X 1/4" to single 1/8" Y-cable. When I had this hooked up to my Mac tower, I got a buzzing. I wonder if this will happen on the macbook. If so, I guess I need one of them interfaces, right? Are they USB to 1/4"?

[wirez]

Interesting since I just got a MacBook Pro over the weekend. I'm planning on connecting my monitors via a 2X 1/4" to single 1/8" Y-cable. When I had this hooked up to my Mac tower, I got a buzzing. I wonder if this will happen on the macbook. If so, I guess I need one of them interfaces, right? Are they USB to 1/4"?

In my opinion an audio interface is an essential piece of equipment for monitors. You can get Firewire or USB ones and the outputs are two or more 1/4" jacks. Some come with phono out as well, but I wouldn't recommend them as they're lower quality.

[beatbum]

Thanks! Will stop at GuiTARD Center after work! : P

[gadders]

Quality cheers for the advice!