Any fidelity loss using a XLR to 1/4" adapter?

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powpowmeow

New member
Maybe this belongs in Newbie forum, but rather than buy new cables, can I use an XLR to 1/4" adapter without a loss in signal quality?
 
What's at the two ends of the cable? Would that be a TRS or TS 1/4" connector? Do you have to go more than 20'? Do you need phantom power? Do you need more gain than a line or instrument input can provide?

For the most part there's no huge difference in the sound. It's more about the above considerations.
 
bouldersoundguy said:
What's at the two ends of the cable? Would that be a TRS or TS 1/4" connector? Do you have to go more than 20'? Do you need phantom power? Do you need more gain than a line or instrument input can provide?

For the most part there's no huge difference in the sound. It's more about the above considerations.
Click to expand...

The cables will be going from the back of my FMR RNP to my soundcard. So maybe mic cables arent the best way to transfer the sound from the preamp to the soundcard? I dont know.

My card just has XLR ins and outs for analog connection. The RNP only has 1/4" outputs, not XLR's
 
powpowmeow said:
My card just has XLR ins and outs for analog connection. The RNP only has 1/4" outputs, not XLR's
Click to expand...

XLR is sometimes used for balanced line level, but it's most commonly associated with microphone level inputs in home recording.
I don't know what your sound card is, but if it has XLR inputs they almost certainly lead to microphone preamplifiers.

Since your FMR RNP (Really nice preamp) is a microphone preamplifier, you don't want to run its output to another mic preamp.
You want to plug it in to a balanced line level input.

Again, I don't know what your sound card is, but it sounds like it doesn't have line level inputs.
What's the model number?
 
A few years ago, Sound-on-Sound magazine did an investigation into the electrical properties of various connectors.

They found NO difference between XLR and 1/4" connectors, but noted that 1/8" connectors had higher resistance and less contact area.
They suggested you not use 1/8" and not worry about XLR vs. 1/4"
 
powpowmeow said:
card is a lynx l22, no preamps, just great converters im told
Click to expand...

Your card bucks the trend.
You do, indeed, have balanced line level inputs over XLR.

As such you can use TRS to XLR cables without any issue. :)
Just be aware that this is the exception and XLR inputs usually have preamps behind them in home interfaces.
 
powpowmeow said:
The cables will be going from the back of my FMR RNP to my soundcard. So maybe mic cables arent the best way to transfer the sound from the preamp to the soundcard? I dont know.

My card just has XLR ins and outs for analog connection. The RNP only has 1/4" outputs, not XLR's
Click to expand...

The best option is a TRS-XLR(male) cable. If you use an adapter then it should also be TRS-XLR connected to a mic cable. XLR and TRS carry the same balanced line level signal. You might get away with a TS-XLR adapter or cable, but keeping it balanced all the way through is much less likely to let noise in. Other than the potential for noise there shouldn't be much audible difference.
 
If you are a hi-fi fanatic, then you always equate quality with cost. Most musicians, however, work in studios where cable is cable - and the only important thing is it doesn't cut out, or crackle, or make noises if you tap it! Audio studios, TV studios and theatres use decently made cable and connectors, and nobody really worries. I just found a jack to jack cable that I made when I was 16. It still works, and is made from jacks with plastic brittle covers, and the cable is very low cost. I used it this afternoon, and it's sonically indistinguishable from any other.
 
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