Dumb Cable Question # 613

  • Thread starter Thread starter mark4man
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mark4man

mark4man

MoonMix Studios
I should know this...but I'm not functioning too well this evening.

After years of dorkin' around with preamps & ISO Xformers & Step-Up Xformers, etc., etc...I've found that the best sounding signal out of my sound module occurs when I just plug the damn thing in to the Audio Interface (& all this after I just dropped two grand on a preamp (#*!%&~.) Oh well, it's still the best mic pre I've ever heard...so all is not lost.)

Anyway...the synth module of course has an unbalanced, -10dBV output; & sounds best when I connect it via a Monster TS to TS right into the AI's input.

My new pre (of course), has a balanced XLR line input; but I'd like to take one more shot at amping up the synth.

My question is: I know there's such a thing as unbalanced to balanced cables (& adapters.) But what happens between the double & triple pin configs; & where? Is it 2 to 3 at the balanced end? 3 to 2 at the unbalanced end? Is one shunted to ground? How does this work?

Thanks,

mark4man
 
sonusman & TrackRat,

Thanks.

Found this resource at another board:

http://www.rane.com/note110.html

Check out pages 5, 6 & 7...specifically the configuration #13 on page 7. (& this seems logical to me, as well)...looks like the unbalanced signal (from the output) runs fully to the end; & is adapted at the input.

Thanks again,

mark4man
 
Great link mark4man...

I've been shorting the wrong end of the cable for the last twenty-five years... Time to pull out the soldering iron... ah... the smell of flux
 
MOFO Pro said:
Great link mark4man...

I've been shorting the wrong end of the cable for the last twenty-five years... Time to pull out the soldering iron... ah... the smell of flux
Click to expand...
:eek: :eek: :eek: Your kidding me, right? A short is a short. No matter which end you tie it in at. Same thing either way. ;)
 
Thanks...

OK...let me change the flow here a bit (if that's all right):

In shopping around for the cables in question (since Monster or Mogami doesn't make what I need; & I don't have time to wait for a custom construction)...I ran into the following:

Audio Technica
Comprehensive
TecNec

The people at Comprehensive told me their product is as good as Monster. The people at TecNec will make me what I need (lickety split)...using Belden 1192A cable & Neutrik gold contact connectors.

Any opinions on these?

Have I missed any major considerations?

And...without starting a cable war...is there really a discernable difference between premium & high-end mfg.'s?

Thanks,

mark4man
 
Track Rat said:
:eek: :eek: :eek: Your kidding me, right? A short is a short. No matter which end you tie it in at. Same thing either way. ;)
Click to expand...

Uh, no, it ISN'T the same thing. A common trick for lowering the noise floor in a studio environment is to lift the ground of the cables of each output. Ground problems and noise picked up within a unit ENDS at that unit. This is just common practice.
 
Half in jest Track Rat... No, I'm not pulling out the soldering iron

BUT

I've always tied ring to sleeve on the unbalanced end of a BAL/UNBAL cable... I was surprised to see that this document depicts the short on the balanced side from a balanced ouput... and more surprised that they show no ring/sleeve short on the balanced end from an unbalanced output...

I mean... it makes sense... but I never gave it a second thought before...
 
MOFO Pro said:
Half in jest Track Rat... No, I'm not pulling out the soldering iron

BUT

I've always tied ring to sleeve on the unbalanced end of a BAL/UNBAL cable... I was surprised to see that this document depicts the short on the balanced side from a balanced ouput... and more surprised that they show no ring/sleeve short on the balanced end from an unbalanced output...

I mean... it makes sense... but I never gave it a second thought before...
Click to expand...

There's other info on the Rane site about why this is done. IIRC, it's done on the balanced end to mitigate RF interference.
 
Great thread, just what I needed!

When making a connection between balanced out to unbalanced in, the Rane site recommends connecting pins 1 and 3 at the balanced end (fig 4, #5) if the output is cross-coupled. Now,

1) what does it mean that an output is cross-coupled and how can I tell if it is or not?

2) will I have a problem if I connect leads 1 and 3, and the output is NOT cross-coupled?

Thanks,
Henrik
 
Good read, just has to be taken with a grain of salt. I'd say that about 99% of the time when i use a combination of balanced and unbalanced equipment it works with no special cables.


My biggest grounding problems come from instrument amplifiers, and most of the time it is as simple as fliping the ground switch on a DI box.
 
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