setup NIGHTMARE

R

raigan

New member
hi,
i'm trying to set up a little project studio, but unfortunaltely i totally underestimated how hard it would be to figure out a good setup... the main problem i'm having is this: i've got a mackie cr1604, some sound sources (sampler, synths, etc.), and a bunch of rack stuff (dbx 166, alesis 3630s, etc.)
my problem is that i want to run everything through patchbays, for total routing flexibility, but i have a mix of balanced and unbalanced ins/outs... now, i'm not _too_ worried about noise (it's a very small setuo, i should be able to use 5' or 10' snakes), it's mostly stuff like: how do i patch my keyboard (unbalanced out) into my digitech studio quad (balanced ins/outs)? am i going to have to buy balanced to unbalanced tranformers for all my balanced gear? AAAAAAAAaRRRGGGHHH!
so, anyway, if anyone has any suggestions/whatever on how to set this stuff up, please let me know.
thanks
raigan
p.s - the full gear list is:
mixer: mackie cr1604
sources: roland w-20, yamaha tx16w, MAM FB-383, korg polysix
fx: zoom 1201, peavey deltafex, digitech studio quad and rds2000, a few stomp boxes, etc.
processors: dbx 166 and 296, alesis 3630s(two)
so, if you can think of a good setup for this stuff (it needs to be flexible), please let me know
 
Boy, maybe I'm in over my head here, but I think you can get patch bays that have all balanced jacks. And I always thought you could plug unbalanced stuff into balanced jacks without problem. I've done it with TRS balanced jacks before on rack units. You don't get the interference cancellation, but it should still work.

Are you getting a hum or something that's preventing you from plugging your unbalanced outs into balanced inputs?

I'd be interested in hearing from someone with more experience in this area also.

CT
 
Yup, just get all balanced patchbays. Obviously, you don't need all balanced cable, just where you have balanced devices.

Where you equipment has XLR balanced in's and out's, you will need to buy cables with TRS on one end and XLR on the other. But much of the new equipment coming out now have TRS and TS on the same 1/4" I/O, so you MAY not need to buy XLR to TRS cable to integrate with your patchbay.

You think you have interconnection nightmares! Ha! Every I/O in my studio is on the patchbay, including sidechains on compressors. Not only was is a labeling nightmare, but also very expensive.

I also built a custom 3 split, transformer isolated audio snake (48 channels) with global ground lifts on each leg. That baby took a year of on and off work to make. Would have taken about 2 weeks of full time work to make if I would have had the patience for such tedious stuff. I didn't... :)

Ed

Ed
 
I've been and am still going through the nightmare. Indeed, very expensive.

Be sure to use good cable and connectors.

Hey Ed. What cables are you using behind your patchbay?
 
hi,
thanks for responding...
to charles: i figured it might be okay on the input side, but what about the balanced outs? i really thought it would be a problem if i just sent the studio quad (balanced) outs back to a patchbay and from there to an unbalanced input (i.e my mixer's aux returns or a filter...)... also, my 3630's ins are balanced/unbalanced (apparently it can handle both)... this led me to assume that normal balanced inputs can't handle unbalanced signal... of course, given that i'm clueless...
anyway, thanks, and if anyone can recommend a good brand of snake/patchbay, please let me know... (and of course more setup suggestions)
thanks again
raigan
 
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