antispatula
Active member
Does the cr1604 have unbalanced outs? Thanks!
cr1604.....unbalanced outs?
- Thread starter antispatula
- Start date
antispatula
Active member
Hey thanks, I'm wondering if there are individual unbalanced 1/4" outs for each channel. Thanks!
SouthSIDE Glen
independentrecording.net
Are you asking about the original 1604, the 1604VLZ or the 1604VLZPro?antispatula said:
If you're talking VLZ or later (let's hope so), it has 1/4" balanced or unbalanced (it will take either) direct outs on the first 8 channel strips, TRS inserts on all 16 strips, and 1/4" bal/unbal outs for all four submix busses as well as the stereo main outs (inc. CR monitor outs.)
I think the original 1604 may have been lacking from that description in it's I/O configuration, but I don't remember exactly how. I'd stay away from the original 1604s if possible anyway, the VLZs and newer are much improved.
G.
SonicAlbert
Super-Sonic "Herb" Albert
The CR-1604 is the original version. I had three of those, and if I remember correctly there are direct outs on the first eight channels (or first six).
I also owned three of the 1604 VLZ PRO's and while they were improved in a lot of ways, I've always felt the original CR-1604's were good compact mixers. The build quality was better than the later ones in my opinion. I never had a problem with my CR-1604's, but I did have to send a couple of my VLZ PRO's in for service.
The main thing to keep in mind when wiring outputs from the CR-1604 is that the phase is reversed on the main outs. In other words, the pins are reversed from the way most cables are wired. It's in the manual, and why they did it that way is a mystery. But you have to make cables that go from tip>ring and ring>tip. The later VLZ and VLZ PRO models are not like this, just the original CR model.
I also owned three of the 1604 VLZ PRO's and while they were improved in a lot of ways, I've always felt the original CR-1604's were good compact mixers. The build quality was better than the later ones in my opinion. I never had a problem with my CR-1604's, but I did have to send a couple of my VLZ PRO's in for service.
The main thing to keep in mind when wiring outputs from the CR-1604 is that the phase is reversed on the main outs. In other words, the pins are reversed from the way most cables are wired. It's in the manual, and why they did it that way is a mystery. But you have to make cables that go from tip>ring and ring>tip. The later VLZ and VLZ PRO models are not like this, just the original CR model.
antispatula
Active member
hey thanks guys! Hm, this might be usefull......I've got an unbalanced reel to reel I need to be hooked up, and the ins and outs are XLR. What do you think would work better, going directly into the reel to reel with a mic then a preamp (so it would be balanced from the pre to unbalanced reel to reel) or go through the mixer, so I could go from unbalanced to unbalanced.....
SouthSIDE Glen
independentrecording.net
Unless you have a compelling sonic reason to use the mixer - e.g you like the mic pre in the mixer better or you want to use the EQ on the mixer before you lay to tape, etc. - I'd say leave the mixer out of the chain and keep your signal path clean and simple from mic pre direct to tape.
G.
G.
antispatula
Active member
hey thanks! Even though it will be going from balanced to unbalanced? Then again, the cable running from the balanced pre to unbalanced recorder is only going to be about 1 ft long......There's not much room for excess noise, right?
SouthSIDE Glen
independentrecording.net
Ok, sorry, I mis-read part of your description.
If you only have balanced coming out of the preamp at +4dBm and only have unbalanced going into the deck at -10dBV (you may want to double-check your deck specs on that; while not impossible, -10dBV unbalanced XLR inputs are a bit rare), then you'll either want to use a matching transformer or use your mixer for that function as you originally questioned. While it is sometimes possible to get away with running the balanced out into the unbalanced in if you have an input trim/level control robust enough to handle it (and the pin outs on the unbalanced XLR are correctly wired), I wouldn't recommend it. In that case, yeah, use the mixer in-between to make the step for you.
An alternative is that you can get an in-line transformer that does the balancing act for you instead of using the whole mixer. But those would cost another $50 bucks or so per line. If your 1604 sounds clean enough for you that you don't mind having it in-line, use that and save the $50 for cleaning/demaging your tape deck or for some fresh tape for it.
G.
EDIT: If you have the original 1604, I make no guarantees about the about the balanced/unbalanced out capability I attributed to the 1/4"ers on the VLZ. I don't remember the differences between them well enough. You might want to check the specs on the original 1604 in that regard if that's what you have. In a worse case scenario, you could alwyas use the RCA tape outs on any of the 1604 models, which are all definitely unbalanced.
If you only have balanced coming out of the preamp at +4dBm and only have unbalanced going into the deck at -10dBV (you may want to double-check your deck specs on that; while not impossible, -10dBV unbalanced XLR inputs are a bit rare), then you'll either want to use a matching transformer or use your mixer for that function as you originally questioned. While it is sometimes possible to get away with running the balanced out into the unbalanced in if you have an input trim/level control robust enough to handle it (and the pin outs on the unbalanced XLR are correctly wired), I wouldn't recommend it. In that case, yeah, use the mixer in-between to make the step for you.
An alternative is that you can get an in-line transformer that does the balancing act for you instead of using the whole mixer. But those would cost another $50 bucks or so per line. If your 1604 sounds clean enough for you that you don't mind having it in-line, use that and save the $50 for cleaning/demaging your tape deck or for some fresh tape for it.
G.
EDIT: If you have the original 1604, I make no guarantees about the about the balanced/unbalanced out capability I attributed to the 1/4"ers on the VLZ. I don't remember the differences between them well enough. You might want to check the specs on the original 1604 in that regard if that's what you have. In a worse case scenario, you could alwyas use the RCA tape outs on any of the 1604 models, which are all definitely unbalanced.
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antispatula
Active member
SouthSIDE Glen
independentrecording.net
Ha! True. No I was referring to the idea that you had a single mic and a single outboard preamp that you wanted to run direct to the deck. In that case you'd only need the one for fifty bucks.antispatula said:Holy cow, 50 bucks per channel? That's 400 bucks! Yeah right!
G.