If I want to take the L and R from a 3.5mm audio jack, and merge the connections, I need to add in some resistors right?
You want to go from stereo to mono audio using hardware, correct?
Resistors shouldn't be necessary if you're just converting stereo to mono. All you have to do is connect the left and right wires together.

Or you could treat one of the sides as ground and leave the real ground wire disconnected so you get a mono signal that is the difference of the two channels. But that's probably not what you want to do.
I was talking to a friend, and he said if there are no resistors there could be a short. I don't understand how though, because if hooked together, the LR are both flowing in the same direction.

@Comic
That is exactly what I would like to do;
@Chris
Thanks Smile
joshie75 wrote:
I was talking to a friend, and he said if there are no resistors there could be a short. I don't understand how though, because if hooked together, the LR are both flowing in the same direction.


Well, technically it is a short - but that's what you want.
I never thought of that being a short. But yes I can confirm crossing the left and the right wires and then connecting those to a speaker + and the ground to a speaker - does work.
Why is it considered a short? Thanks guys Smile
It is a short because you are crossing your hot and cold lines, which is technically, a short, although a non harmful one.

iirc
joshie75 wrote:
I was talking to a friend, and he said if there are no resistors there could be a short. I don't understand how though, because if hooked together, the LR are both flowing in the same direction.
Your friend is mistaken. The resistors won't prevent the current flowing backwards, just attenuate it. Not to mention decreasing the volume on both channels.
Oh I understand now.
@Kerm;
The current flowing backwards, that won't harm the input device, right?
I'd personally connect a smallish resistor and capacitor to each side (left and right) and join those together to avoid putting undue strain on the amplifiers.


Code:
             0.1uF
L o--[100R]---||---.   
                   +---o Out
R o--[100R]---||---'
             0.1uF


I use a similar circuit (albeit with much larger resistors) to mix stereo to mono and to attenuate the signal so I can use it to connect audio output to a microphone input.
Now as Kerm mentioned earlier, wouldn't those resistors lower the volume on the channels? Do the capacitors just make sure there is no backwards flow, if not, what do the caps. do?
joshie75 wrote:
@Kerm;
The current flowing backwards, that won't harm the input device, right?


Where is this "backwards flow" stuff coming from?
Well there is none, I thought Kerm was saying backwards flowing current can be prevented. I looked at my circuit and there is no backwards flowing current so I'm good there.
Adding the resistors will indeed attenuate the signal (and 100R is probably a bit high - 22R is probably more appropriate) but would protect the amplifier outputs and reduce distortion.

May I ask why you need to do this?
  
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