iTunes Stereo Problems

[bobber205]

For my radio show, I've started to use iTunes from my ipod to play the songs.

But some song's don't play correctly. For instance the guitar never plays very loud. Just the background tunes.

It's sucks. Any ideas?

 

[iMeowbot]

From your iPod? Are you using some kind of line out deal to move it into another piece of equipment? Is there any chance that one channel's polarity is reversed somewhere?

 

[bobber205]

From your iPod? Are you using some kind of line out deal to move it into another piece of equipment? Is there any chance that one channel's polarity is reversed somewhere?

It's hooked into a computer that has iTunes (windblows) and that computer is hooked up the broadcaster.

Could it just be crappy speakers? I wish I could hear what it actually sounded like...

 

[iMeowbot]

Sure it could be crappy speakers, do you have another pair somewhere, or a pair of headphones, you could dig up somewhere to see if the problem goes away?

It could also be sound card settings, if there are any enhancement/3D/surround gimmicks available in your control panel, kill 'em dead to see if it makes a difference.

I'd still be suspicious of the cabling thing. If you have the polarity reversed on one channel, you'll have reversed the phase so that any sounds coming out both speakers will tend to get cancelled out, and sounds coming primarily from one speaker will seem more pronounced. (This too could be a problem with crap speakers, miswired at the factory.)

Aside from the sound control panel, if you have the sound "enhancer" or other iTunes effects turned on in its preferences, try turning all that junk off too.

 

[bobber205]

I think it may be my sound files.

Some sounds sound stacity but when I go outside for the "public" speakers, it's fine. But I tried a song where the guitar wasn't coming through and didn't come in outside either. So it's playback from my sound files.

I don't notice this at home or when I use my headphones from my ipod. Maybe these speakers and equipment, aren't as forgiving. Are there any apps that could improve my sound files?

I just tried moving in the sound control panel's advanced options... I moved the balance all the way to the left and there was NO sound! Aah!

 

[iMeowbot]

When you're playing "outside", is the source of the sound is still the PC?

If you get no sound at all with the balance whammed over to one side, that's really looking like a wiring issue.

 

[bobber205]

When you're playing "outside", is the source of the sound is still the PC?

If you get no sound at all with the balance whammed over to one side, that's really looking like a wiring issue.

The outside music still comes from the pc.

This is totally weird. There is very little if any left channel sound. Would new wires help? Or a driver issue? I'm going to bring in my macbook next week to see if that helps.

 

[iMeowbot]

Without seeing your cabling setup in person, it's kind of had to say exactly what to look for. It could be bad cables, the wrong cables (sometimes you get the right connectors but an incompatible connections underneath the moulded bits), even a problem inside the PC (connector plugged into the wrong spot at the factory, fault on the sound card itself, etc.).

It would definitely help to bring in another computer, and maybe another set of speakers if you can. Then you'll have enough toys around so that you can do the process of elimination thing to figure out what's broken.

 

[bobber205]

I called home and asked my brother. He couldn't hear the distinct sounds that come from the left speaker normally. So it's definitely the wiring from the computer. I"ll try burning the especially bad ones to a CD and see if playing them off the cd player works any better.