11rack to active speaker+aims for better setup

[Exoplanet]

Hey everyone,


I just bought a Presonus E5 (active) studio monitor. I only have the one speaker for now, but im getting another E5 speaker soon. For now though, I wanted to try out my 11rack with the E5 directly, as right now I dont have an audio interface and the necessary cables to use the speaker/s with my laptop running garageband linked with the 11r.


Anyway, I only have a few standard guitar 1/4 inch cables. So I tried the Output to Amp 1(Left) into the Presonus E5's 'TRS input' and it worked, but I did notice some muddiness especially with my rhythm channel. Not terrible but I'm pretty sure the speaker and the 11r should be able to produce a better sound under the right conditions.


So if anyone has any advice on getting a better sound with the equipment i listed above I'd be grateful (perhaps changing the 11r preferences for Output To Amp, e.g. amp out, rig out, etc).


Also I ultimately want to use my speakers via my laptop and garageband linked with the 11r. Would people advise that I get an audio interface? Or could my Macbook Pro 2017 and just an adaptor (https://www.amazon.co.uk/TISINO-Ster...e+cable&sr=8-3) be basically as good? I might see how the latency is without one first, but i do want to maximise playback quality so maybe audio interface is needed.


Sorry for the ramble,
Cheers everyone

[nedorama]

a guitar cable shouldn't make a difference; listen to the Eleven Rack patch through headphones and then compare to what you hear out of your speaker.

On your E5, make sure that the EQ knobs for Mid and high are at 12:00 noon so there's no boost or cut. Try the low cutoff at flat.

Try running music from your Mac through the powered speaker to see what the culprit is.

If you haven't upgraded yet to MacOS 10.15 Catalina don't - with a USB cable your Eleven Rack works perfectly as an audio interface... If you have, while many of us are holding our breath for updated 11R drivers, you may want an inexpensive USB interface like a Scarlett 2i2 2nd or 3rd gen.

[Exoplanet]

Cheers for the reply.


When you say run music from my mac to the powered speaker, is this to be done via my eleven rack? Because I dont have any kind of 3.5mm to xlr cable thing or anything. Just guitar jacks, so should I do basically what ive listed above but then usb from 11r to my mac and then use it as audio interface to play itunes or whatever?


Sorry for my ignorance here haha this should probably be basic stuff but im new to active studio speakers.

[Exoplanet]

I've tried what I said above and it doesnt work. 11r to my active speaker via output to amp, then USB from eleven rack to my macbook, then I changed output on macbook to eleven rack. No sound.


Do I need ProTools for it to work? It came up as Eleven Rack on the output, not just Pro Tools Aggregate or whatever.

[Exoplanet]

I should mention here too, I am using a 7 string guitar! maybe that is a factor, because the flubby muddy bass noise sounds like a sort of frequency issue