Cassette Deck to XLR Board Inputs

E

ericeholtz

New member
Hello,
I am transferring cassette tapes with a Nakamichi MR-1 deck. I have connected the deck's balanced XLR outputs to my mixing console's XLR microphone inputs. Is there a big difference between using the XLR inputs on the board and utilizing the mic preamps, versus the 1/4" line-level inputs? Are there any reasons not to use the XLRs? I couldn't tell a real difference in A/B comparison, but I had been led to believe that line-level inputs (of most boards in general) were supposed to be more stable with electronic devices and have better sound.
Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Eric :)
 
The problem is that you have a line level signal. This is already hot enough to go into a line level input. By using your preamp, you potentially could amplify the signal far too much. If you've already tried it, I assume you had the preamp level almost to zero.

Think of taking the speaker output of a guitar amp and putting that into the input of another guitar amp. Extreme example, but I hope you get my point.

In the end, if it works that's all that matters, but the potential is there for some ugly distortion.
 
The other thing to think about is that even if the gain on the mic amp can be low enough or even if there is a pad you can switch in to manage the level, you are sending the output of the Nak through an unnecessary path of circuitry with all the mic amp guts...why do that?? For the cleanest transfer you'd want to use the line input, and there is no reason you'd have to keep it balanced...balancing doesn't make a signal sound "better", it just offers better interference rejection. If you don't have noise problems then sending the signal through a balance amp is also routing it through unnecessary circuitry.

The bottom line though is your ears...if it sounds good he way you are doing it then dont let me or anybody tell you you are doing it "wrong". I'm just trying to give you some insight as to how things were designed to be hooked up and what may be unnecessary in your signal path. The rest is up to you to decide.
 
Thank You

Washburn: - Yes I have the mic preamp trimmed to -20 ("0") and I totally get your guitar speaker output analogy. I remember asking guitarists to give me a preamp or line out from their amp, only to find them trying to plug the cable into their speaker out.
sweetbeats - You summed up everything I was wondering about with regards to running my signal through the "guts" of the mic preamp section; I do not want the potential for sound coloring by the preamp for this application. I have no noise issues and thus, I take it, no need for the balanced cables from the Nak to the board. I guess I will go back to the 1/4" cables.
Thank you both for your insights,
Eric
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top