Running a balanced signal in to an unbalanced input?

[Aloha]

What happens when you run a balanced signal in to an unbalanced input? Such as an effects unit.

[Track Rat]

Nothing (well, nothing bad). Most devices that are balanced won't care if you plug in an unbalanced line. A bigger issue would be making sure level wise that two devices are matched (-10 vs +4).

[Blue Bear Sound]

The one thing that will occur is a 6dB drop in signal level......

[Son of Mixerman]

unless you find a switch for the +4 to -10 conversion on the efx unit.

If you running balanced +4 into an unbalanced -10 FX unit your likely to overdrive the input unless there is an attenuator on the input. Ive got lots of +4 unbalanced lines and forgot and recently fried an FX unit. Doh!

4 possible answers hanging on the words "it depends"



SoMm

[Blue Bear Sound]

Yes - gain mismatch is a definite concern, but I was talking about the 6dB drop in level by "brute force" unbalancing a balanced signal via cutting-off one conductor...

[Aloha]

Yes they are both +4 but the fx sends on my mixing board are balanced but some of my fx are not. I was just wondering if this was ok as I just realized I have never come across this situation before.