Kick the Baby
New member
I searched for 2 hours for the answer (yeah, literally at least 2 hours). I couldn't find the answer, though got tantalizingly close, but I discovered a good resource for learning from here on. So I joined.
I just got the title's stated audio interface, first time ever using anything like this. I am 99% ignorant of anything technical about recording (I have made lots of songs on a 4track tape recorder, but I don't know the technical name of anything, like the difference between Line & INstrument.
I have a condenser mic. The AI has a phantom power switch, on/off for the entire unit, all 4 input channels. But each of the 4 inputs are dual inputs. You can put an XLR OR a 1/4"TS into the same hole. So here's two simple, related questions about these holes:
If I want to plug my condenser mic & plug electric guitar into the AI, I'll need phantom power on for the mic, but what about the guitar (& anything else I might plug in later, while also using a condenser mic)? The Uphoria has a Line/Instrument toggle for each channel. Plenty have answered if it's safe to plug a dynamic in with phantom power on, but what about TS or TRS jacks? Does switching to INST block phantom power to that channel, or does it not matter if it is on if you don't have an XLR plugged in?
2nd question is: I know for the XLR input I will toggle LINE on, and for my guitar's 1/4" TS I will toggle INST on (and that is absolutely all I know, part of my 1% non-ignorance). But what about TRS jacks, or some other kind that isn't passive like my electric guitar? Will my LINE toggle always be the XLR input, and INST always be any 1/4" jack?
Simple straightforward: yes or no I can plug in my guitar with phantom power on sort of answers appreciated, but also if anyone feels like being as verbose as I'm clearly compelled to be would also be appreciated. Like explaining why or why not it's ok to plug in a TS with phantom power on, or that sort of thing. Or the technical definition of LINE. Or does it matter if the world is ruled by lizard people or not when either way, they might as well be lizard people.
Technically more than 2 questions, but I just rephrased each question multiple ways to reduce misunderstanding (did I accomplish the opposite?). The way I asked may not make total sense, but that's cuz I don't know what line means, and up til this week I didn't know the names: XLR or TS & TRS. I knew what mic cables, and their plugs looked like, cuz I've used them plenty, and I always thought of 1/4 & 1/8" TS & TRS jacks as mono & stereo audio inputs. And "line in" was the hole I plugged a sound making thing into a speaker thing so I could listen to it. That LINE & INST are separate terms is a new paradigm to me.
And I will have phantom power off when I plug and unplug my condenser mic, cuz I read that tip about 9 times during my 2 hours of searching before posting.
Thank you so much for reading. I'd pare down my post, but often when I try that, I end up retyping just as verbosely. It's probably the Asperger's. I'm seriously surprised I couldn't find the answer to this anywhere when it seems so many of the AI's have these dual inputs. Yet a ton of people ask about plugging in dynamic mics. Is it because everyone else just knows already that it doesn't matter with the TS/TRS?
I just got the title's stated audio interface, first time ever using anything like this. I am 99% ignorant of anything technical about recording (I have made lots of songs on a 4track tape recorder, but I don't know the technical name of anything, like the difference between Line & INstrument.
I have a condenser mic. The AI has a phantom power switch, on/off for the entire unit, all 4 input channels. But each of the 4 inputs are dual inputs. You can put an XLR OR a 1/4"TS into the same hole. So here's two simple, related questions about these holes:
If I want to plug my condenser mic & plug electric guitar into the AI, I'll need phantom power on for the mic, but what about the guitar (& anything else I might plug in later, while also using a condenser mic)? The Uphoria has a Line/Instrument toggle for each channel. Plenty have answered if it's safe to plug a dynamic in with phantom power on, but what about TS or TRS jacks? Does switching to INST block phantom power to that channel, or does it not matter if it is on if you don't have an XLR plugged in?
2nd question is: I know for the XLR input I will toggle LINE on, and for my guitar's 1/4" TS I will toggle INST on (and that is absolutely all I know, part of my 1% non-ignorance). But what about TRS jacks, or some other kind that isn't passive like my electric guitar? Will my LINE toggle always be the XLR input, and INST always be any 1/4" jack?
Simple straightforward: yes or no I can plug in my guitar with phantom power on sort of answers appreciated, but also if anyone feels like being as verbose as I'm clearly compelled to be would also be appreciated. Like explaining why or why not it's ok to plug in a TS with phantom power on, or that sort of thing. Or the technical definition of LINE. Or does it matter if the world is ruled by lizard people or not when either way, they might as well be lizard people.
Technically more than 2 questions, but I just rephrased each question multiple ways to reduce misunderstanding (did I accomplish the opposite?). The way I asked may not make total sense, but that's cuz I don't know what line means, and up til this week I didn't know the names: XLR or TS & TRS. I knew what mic cables, and their plugs looked like, cuz I've used them plenty, and I always thought of 1/4 & 1/8" TS & TRS jacks as mono & stereo audio inputs. And "line in" was the hole I plugged a sound making thing into a speaker thing so I could listen to it. That LINE & INST are separate terms is a new paradigm to me.
And I will have phantom power off when I plug and unplug my condenser mic, cuz I read that tip about 9 times during my 2 hours of searching before posting.
Thank you so much for reading. I'd pare down my post, but often when I try that, I end up retyping just as verbosely. It's probably the Asperger's. I'm seriously surprised I couldn't find the answer to this anywhere when it seems so many of the AI's have these dual inputs. Yet a ton of people ask about plugging in dynamic mics. Is it because everyone else just knows already that it doesn't matter with the TS/TRS?