It seemed like in the 60s and before, if you had an amplifier, it needed a preamp and the preamp input usually came from a turntable or casette deck or radio. Now days, everything is "integrated" and I have been trying to take the audio from either my TV or my desktop computer and use it as input to my guitar amp or my old Kenwood receiver, but from time to time, they cut out and/or fade in volume or both and then get scratchy and sound is choppy or all of the above. Not always, but sometimes and I dont want it sometimes at all.
Is the audio signal from my desktop computer or TV enough to be considered "preamp" out?
Is the audio signal from my desktop computer or TV enough to be considered "preamp" out?
RCA Audio Out sockets on a TV will supply a line level signal suitable for connecting to the Aux or Tuner input of your receiver.
Alternatively, a 3.5 mm headphone socket may be used.
P.S. You would have to construct a stereo to mono converter lead to properly connect either output to a mono guitar amplifier.
I hope that this information may be of some help in identifying the source of your problem.
Yes, the output level of both TV (headphone) and Laptop is enough to drive a line input of any amplifier: I use a 20W amplifier without any problem.
If you want a better quality you can connect an external DAC between the usb port of your laptop and the ampli. Besides, if your TV has an HDMI port that supports audio return channel (ARC) this can be connected to the DAC too. This is quite cheap
https://www.stereocheck.com/news/hifi/smsl-ps100-affordable-and-high-performance-dac/
If you want a better quality you can connect an external DAC between the usb port of your laptop and the ampli. Besides, if your TV has an HDMI port that supports audio return channel (ARC) this can be connected to the DAC too. This is quite cheap
https://www.stereocheck.com/news/hifi/smsl-ps100-affordable-and-high-performance-dac/
Thank you, Shadowplay62. I just paid $142 for a soundblaster DAC and it didn't come with an hdmi port, but the $30 version you mentioned does have the hdmi port, so I just bought it and will try it out. Thanks!
Galu, I did not even think about L/R channels coming out of that 3mm jack and into my guitar amp. It has no way of separating the channels, so there may be the problem. If I could just take the L or R it would probably work. I got a feeling tho that the 3mm adapter at the guitar input only connects 2 of the 3 on the barrel of the 3mm jack. however, I am not certain of that. Thanks!
Should you require to do so, here's how to construct a stereo to mono converter lead:
https://www.instructables.com/Simple-Way-to-Convert-Stereo-to-Mono/