Music on Hold - Do you really need the coupler?

[Stinney]

Do you really need to buy a coupler? I would think that you can just use a 2 pr base cord and wire it directly to an audio jack. I haven't played around with it yet, hard to find the time, but I'm sure you should be able to.

Does anyone know if you can and do you know the pins to use?

- Stinney

Favorite all too common vendor responses: "We've never seen this issue before." AND "No one's ever wanted to use it like that before.

 

[DJensen99]

Seen it done before, worked just fine. I think it's the center pair that's used.

 

[merlinman]

Well, let me say this about that.

I do not have a coupler on my system, and it sounds not that good really.

I have no way to get the volume level to an agreeable level and everyone complains about my music on hold.

I will probably be installing a coupler in the near future, I have just had too many paying customers to take care of instead.

That's my 2 cents, for what it's worth.

 

[1043]

I've used it without many times with out problems.

 

[SYQUEST]

Impedance mismatch is what happens when you don't use the coupler. The trunk/line port on the Legend/Magix has a 600 ohm impedance, so if your music source is anything else, the coupler provides the means for matching the load by using a transformer and a volume control. The input side of the coupler accepts an 8 ohm impedance which is usually available from most PA amplifiers. The Tip/Ring pair is the means of connection to the port.

....JIM....

 

[dagwoodsystems]

SYSQUEST nailed it. The music coupler is nothing more than an impedence-matching transformer.

The designers of the Magix cleverly found a way to use a spare line port (rather than a dedicated Music-On-Hold port) to interface a music source. However, the audio that the Magix normally expects to see on a line port has a 600 ohm impedence, not the typical 8 ohm provided by stereo gear. Thus, the music coupler is used to correct the imbalance.

It is probably possible to run without a coupler. Whether you could or not would depend on the audio gear the input volume. In general, the greater the mismatch the more distortion will be heard. That's important to remember when your sourcing your audio from something like an MP3 player.

Some of these little players are designed to use "ear buds" and are rated at a mere 4 ohms at the headset jack. Using an iPod without a coupler would sound absolutely horrible. And actually, an iPod might even require a small preamp to get the overall power up since some volume WILL be lost through the coupler.

Tim Alberstein

http://www.dagwoodsystems.com

 

[merlinman]

I knew that, and as I confessed earlier, my HACKING attempt didn't work all that well.

Thus, when my Knee heals after my surgery, I will make my way to the Basement, and install one of my MOH Couplers.

And, experience has shown that you can get away with using a PARTNER Coupler on a Legend/Magix.

 

[AndrePa]

For those of You who do not want to spend $30-$50 on Music on hold coupler, You can make your own.
You can make Your own cable adapter cheap! It works, I did one for Merlin II, Magix.
First of all You will need a T/R line matching ( 600 ohm balanced ) transformer. Free!, get them from old single line answering machines. You will need a RJ11 cable , and a RCA cable, which I'm sure You have laying around. Just make sure th 600 ohn side of the transformer goes to RJ11 jack.
Look at pic, have fun, Andre

 

[Dexman]

The coupler does have an adjustable pot to attenuate the input so the signal does not overdrive and sound distorted.

If it ain't broke, I haven't fixed it yet.

 

[Stinney]

Thanks for all the great information.

I tried it out and couldn't get it to work. This is my first time setting up a Merlin Legend and I don't have it connected to any trunk lines yet. Was pulling out my hair wondering why MOH wouldn't work, until I found a posting that stated MOH doesn't work for internal calls.

I'll let you know how the MOH works out when I get it connected to the trunks.

- Stinney

Favorite all too common vendor responses: "We've never seen this issue before." AND "No one's ever wanted to use it like that before.

 

[Stinney]

Connected the Tip and Ring of a standard RJ11 base cord to a mono audio plug and connected to a CD player (simply for testing, understand all of the legal aspects of royalties and such).

Got the system connected to an outside trunk, called in, put the call on hold and worked like a charm.

Thanks to all.

- Stinney

Favorite all too common vendor responses: "We've never seen this issue before." AND "No one's ever wanted to use it like that before.