# A Day of Celebration ![[Pasted image 20250120233947.webp|160]]It was a special day for my family—my brother was getting married, and as part of the celebration, he was about to receive the ultimate musician’s dream setup: a Roland KC-220 keyboard amp, a Yamaha P-45 electric keyboard, and a Gretsch acoustic guitar with a built-in preamplifier. We were thrilled to put it all together, but as with any great plan, a few technical puzzles awaited us. # Input/Output Differences The electric piano, as sleek and versatile as it was, came with just one headphone output. This sparked a curious question in my mind: could that single headphone jack actually output a stereo signal? I could have tested it thoroughly, but I was short on time and wasn’t sure which keyboard patch or function to investigate. After all, headphone jacks often use a TRS (Tip-Ring-Sleeve) configuration, which can carry stereo signals. However, there was no guarantee that it would work for this particular setup, so I consulted the manual, and surely enough the . Still, I wanted to be as complete in my approach as possible, especially since the Roland KC-220 amplifier had separate input jacks labeled “L (Mono)” and “R” for stereo signals on each of its three input channels. Sure enough, the manual provided the answer, and the jack surely outputted in stereo. ![[The Setup _1.excalidraw.svg]] ### Yamaha P-45 Keyboard Output As can be seen below, the Yamaha P-P45 is equipped with a single audio output jack that delivers a stereo signal. Given this configuration, it's safe to deduce that the output is an unbalanced stereo signal. ![[The Setup .excalidraw.svg|900]] ### Roland KC-220 Amplifier Inputs Channels 2 and 3 are specifically designed to accommodate stereo inputs, and to fully utilize their stereo capabilities, you need to connect two separate cables—one designated for the left channel and the other for the right channel. Additionally, there are two available stereo channels to choose from, each conveniently highlighted in green. The choice between these options is flexible, so selecting either does not impact the functionality or quality of the stereo output. ![[The Setup _0.excalidraw.svg|900]] # Stereo Breakout Cable This presents a challenge. The Yamaha keyboard has one output jack for a stereo channel, while the Roland amplifier requires two input jacks to accept a stereo channel, resulting in a jack mismatch. To resolve this issue, I chose to use a TRS to split TS breakout cable. This clutch cable takes the unbalanced stereo TRS signal from the keyboard’s headphone jack and separates it into two distinct unbalanced TS connectors—one for the left channel and one for the right channel. This setup allows me to connect each channel directly to the amplifier’s left and right inputs. This method seemed like a straightforward and reliable way to ensure the stereo signal was accurately transmitted, preserving all the audio details. ![[The Setup _2.excalidraw.svg|900]] # Success Once everything was set up, I crossed my fingers, plugged it all in, and powered everything on. The result? Pure success. The keyboard connected to the amp flawlessly, with no noise or signal issues. The stereo sound filled the room perfectly, with each note and effect shining through in full clarity. My brother was thrilled to hear the rich, immersive soundscape that the keyboard and amp could produce. It was a win for both the setup and the music. It seemed as though getting a little “fancy” with cables had paid off. And on that day, we all celebrated a small but satisfying triumph in the world of music gear. My brother had his dream setup, and I had the satisfaction of solving a fun technical challenge. Or so we thought… (to be continued...)