Unbalanced to Balanced Question

Nola

Well-known member
I'm trying to get a little extra boost for a Ribbon mic to record on my Tascam 244. I have a Fethead (+20db of gain), and put it inline on the mic. The problem is the 244 only takes unbalanced cables -- they're 1/4" unbalanced on 4track input end and XLR balanced on the mic end. I think the Fethead is a balanced XLR. When I run this configuration I get zero audio. Is there any type of adapter for this situation? If I were to build a custom cable for this how would I wire it? I was thinking Xlr balanced into the Fethead, connect the fethead to it, then a 2nd XLR balanced cable coming out of the Fethead, with a 1/4" unbalanced on the end of that cable. Would this work? Am I missing something obvious?

Thanks!
 
I think so...
Doesn't the Fethead required phantom power?

Doh.
That would explain it! I haven't used my fethead in like a year and totally forgot.

Is there any way to get phantom power to a 244? I have a Rolls PB223 Phantom Power Adapter but I'm not sure if this will harm the 244 trying to use it.
 
Doh.
That would explain it! I haven't used my fethead in like a year and totally forgot.

Is there any way to get phantom power to a 244? I have a Rolls PB223 Phantom Power Adapter but I'm not sure if this will harm the 244 trying to use it.

The Rolls would present 48v to the Fethead, which is what you want, and output balanced audio with no power present, so that should be ideal.
All you have to do is get from Rolls balanced output to an unbalanced 1/4" somehow.

You could use an adapter, buy a cable that does this already, or make/modify your own.

I think just tying pins 1+3 at the XLR does the job, from Rolls output, so your signal to the recorder is XLR pin2 and ground is pin 1(and3), going to 1/4" tip and sleeve respectively.
 
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Actually, Steen, there is a fethead standard and fethead phantom.

Products - TRITONAUDIO

The phantom one is for condensers and the standard for dynamics. I do have the standard. Under the specs it still says it uses phantom, though, but it doesn't hit the mic? Odd!
FetHead - TRITONAUDIO

I wasn't aware of that but, yeah, either way a phantom power source is required to power the device.
One of the above is capable of passing it on to the mic and the other isn't.

At first that struck me as strange but I suppose they don't want to go adding switches to the thing, and people might not always want phantom power to be presented to the microphone.
 
The Rolls would present 48v to the Fethead, which is what you want, and output balanced audio with no power present, so that should be ideal.

I think microphone - XLRtoXLR - Fethead - XLRtoXLR - Rolls - XLR to 1/4".

That last XLR to 1/4" should be balanced to unbalanced.
If you're making or modifying, I think just tying pins 1+3 at the XLR does the job, so your signal is pin2 and ground is pin 1(and3).

Awesome, thanks. I will try the Rolls. I bought it years ago for this reason but then was afraid to try it thinking it might blow up the machine somehow (haha)....then I stopped recording on 4-track. I'll dig it out and give it a try.
 
Awesome, thanks. I will try the Rolls. I bought it years ago for this reason but then was afraid to try it thinking it might blow up the machine somehow (haha)....then I stopped recording on 4-track. I'll dig it out and give it a try.

Cool. :)
A multimeter is a great think to have if you're ever concerned, although so is the internet, I guess. :p
 
So I tested this. I plugged the shure inline into the fethead, balanced xlr out of the fethead (i.e. just like any mic would have just with the fethead inline), ran that balanced male xlr into the input on the Rolls, ran a balanced (xlr) to unbalanced (1/4") out of the Rolls into the 4-track 1/4" input. It's weird what happens. I get a ton of noise/hiss...if I tap or talk into the mic I can hear it, but it's lower than the hiss. The VU meters barely move. You'd think with the +20db boost they've move easily, but I have to crank the 4 track's preamp gain to get any movement. Something is weird. Maybe this 4-track can't take phantom power.
 
Never mind! My Shure57 is the old Unidyne III type with an on/off switch and it was in between on and off. When I pushed it all the way up it sounds great! More gain with lower noise.
Wow, this sounds so good. Better than the 244 pre cranked up. This is going to allow me to use Ribbons and low output dynamics. So stoked.

If anyone wants to run low output mics on a 244 this is how to do it.
 
Is there any way to get phantom power to a 244? I have a Rolls PB223 Phantom Power Adapter but I'm not sure if this will harm the 244 trying to use it.
You aren't giving the 244 phantom power. Just the mic.
For years I used a C414 with a tascam 246
Just ued a seperate phatom power box and an XLR to 2 conductor adaptor.
 
You aren't giving the 244 phantom power. Just the mic.
For years I used a C414 with a tascam 246
Just ued a seperate phatom power box and an XLR to 2 conductor adaptor.

Thanks.
This Fethead is for dynamics. I think to run a condenser I'd have to get the other Fethead model for those. That would be sweet running a condenser into an old unbalanced tascam.
It's weird. I know how to solder and build things (cables, mods, etc) but I never really understood this stuff. The gaps of self teaching yourself stuff I guess. I apologize for taking peoples' time if this is simple stuff.
 
I thought the fethead was for bringing up weaker mic signals.
I dunno, never had or used one.
:)
 
Thanks.
This Fethead is for dynamics. I think to run a condenser I'd have to get the other Fethead model for those. That would be sweet running a condenser into an old unbalanced tascam.
It's weird. I know how to solder and build things (cables, mods, etc) but I never really understood this stuff. The gaps of self teaching yourself stuff I guess. I apologize for taking peoples' time if this is simple stuff.

Actually any regular external phantom power will do the job for this, I've done this a lot cause I got an old Yamaha PA desk on which I really like its pre's.

Glad you made it work :) I run unbalanced to balanced and the other way around between a Fostex G16 and a DDA Q desk, no prob. If you unlike me are handy with a soldering iron it's a breeze.
 
Awesome, thanks Jet. Yeah I'm good with the iron but an idiot with this subject. Lol
Actually it's the two different fetheads that are confusing me most. Take them out and it's pretty straight forward, but I need that extra gain.
 
All seems sorted but I would like to point out that I think the Fethead has an 'impedance' balanced output. This means there is only signal on XLR pin 2 and pin 3 is returned to pin 1 via a resistor nominally equal to the OPZ of the head amp.

This means that if, in all the shennnigans you end up with 3 as 'hot' you will get nowt. In a transformer output of course you WOULD get a signal.

Dave.
 
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