1/4" inputs inferior to XLR

  • Thread starter Thread starter NewOrder
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NewOrder

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I noticed that all the nice sound cards do not have many XLR inputs, they just have alot of 1/4". I know if you have a mixer, you can use the 1/4 out for each channel but I get the feeling 1/4 is more suseptable to noise and other crap. Is that true, because if you have alot of mics, then record them using the 1/4 outs into the sound card, is there sound quality loss?

THe only sound card I saw with alot of XLR in is the aardvark. I don't understand why the digi001 has only 2 mic inputs.
 
1/4" is a quite useable connector style. It doesn't lock into the jack as nicely as an XLR but it also comes in balanced flavors known as TRS 1/4". The degree of noise reduction obtained from TRS vs. XLR is the same from what I've read. I haven't run into any of this "noise" that's any worse than other parts of my chain so I have yet to care!

Mic inputs on soundcards are mostly a convenience item. If you've dropped most of a grand on a multi-input soundcard, they figure you've got some outboard pres or a mixing board that you are gonna use for its pres. A "good" mic pre can run anywhere from $250 - $big fucking dollars. I know- plenty of folks get by with the ART or the Audio Buddy or *cringe* a $99 Behringer mixer, but I think more people like the Mindprint Envoice or any number of more expensive units. How can they put 8 of those into a breakout box for a soundcard and not charge you for it?

This may change in the future as this hobby becomes more widespread, but that's the state of it now.
 
Yeah, what drstawl said.
I have 1/4"TRS on my soundcard and they are the same as XLR in the +4 input level. The connector is identical in sound quality. Unbalanced 1/4"TS (tip sleeve) is -10 (14dB less) and has a higher noise floor as a result. Think if the noise of the system is the same at both -10dB and +4db the louder signal has less noise behind it. Also balanced signals because they're louder make it through long cables with less degradation.

I hope this helps. It's not a 1/4" VS XLR thing, it's a balanced VS unbalanced thing. If you only record a couple mics at a time, no prob. But the Digi 001 is balanced on all the inputs so six preamps will bring you up to a max of 8 mics at a time. For synths and drum machines/samplers the 1/4" ins are fine.
 
jake-owa said:
Unbalanced 1/4"TS (tip sleeve) is -10 (14dB less) and has a higher noise floor as a result.
Click to expand...
Er, no....

Gain structure (whether a signal is +4dbu or -10dbv) has nothing to do with whether the connection is balanced or not...... you can have +4 unbalanced signals as easily as -10 balanced signals.

In addition, the difference in db between a -10 signal and a +4 signal IS NOT 14 db, it about 12db (actually 11.80db)....

Plug the number into this equation:
Difference in dB = 20 * (LOG(measured voltage/reference voltage))

The reference voltage for a -10 dbV signal is 0.316Vrms, and for a +4 dbu signal is 1.23Vrms.
 
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