Live monitoring doesn't work when I connect phones to interface over multicore cable

  • Thread starter Thread starter yoshtoshbgosh
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yoshtoshbgosh

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This is a weird problem I'm experiencing: When I connect the phones directly to the audio interface (Focusrite Scarlett 18i20), I can hear the live signal of the connected mic or instrument, as well as the tracks I already recorded(using Cubase)
But when I change the room and connect the headphones to a multicore cable/box(the sssnake MStudio 10), leading into the same output in the interface in the other rom, I can only hear the tracks I already recorded, but no live signal. It seems illogical to me. I'm not really a newbie, but didn't know where this question would fit in best.
 
Does it sound hollow and mono? It sounds like what happens when i don't get the plug plugged in all the way and somehow the left and right channel are in both sides of the headphones, but the center is cancelled out.
 
That was my stab... it really doesn't make sense.

It is either a routing problem, meaning whatever you are.doing in the other room isn't routed to the headphones, while the stuff you do next to the interface is.

Or

There is something wrong with the snake. (Are you splitting the signal to two channels on the snake, or using a balanced return on the snake?)
 
I would be interested to know how you are connecting headphone output on interface to snake, then how you are connecting snake to headphones at the other end.
 
gecko zzed said:
I would be interested to know how you are connecting headphone output on interface to snake, then how you are connecting snake to headphones at the other end.
Click to expand...

Me too, as well also..

Dave.
 
Farview said:
That was my stab... it really doesn't make sense.

It is either a routing problem, meaning whatever you are.doing in the other room isn't routed to the headphones, while the stuff you do next to the interface is.

Or

There is something wrong with the snake. (Are you splitting the signal to two channels on the snake, or using a balanced return on the snake?)
Click to expand...

The stuff I did next to the interface was recording through a mic, and heard the live signal, while it was gone as soon as I switched rooms, using the same ins and outs and cables(except the multicore). I connect to it via one of the 3,5mm plugs. A fat cable goes out of the multicore through the wall, and separates into 4 XLR and 4 3,5mm cables. I'm not splitting the signal or use a balanced return.
I can't stress this enough: The headphones work, normally sounding and in stereo, they just don't play the live signal in the setup I described above.
 
Are those 3.5mm cables 3-conductor (balance/stereo) or 2-conductor? Doesn't make sense that you can't hear the live mic - except maybe you are only getting one channel (left or right) through to the headphones and the live mic is on the channel. If the snake 3.5mm are 2-conductor you need to run two of them to a stereo-mono splitter (into the headphone output of the interface), then run another splitter/combiner on the other end to combine the two signals (left and right) back to the 3-conductor stereo for the headphones.
 
mjbphotos said:
Are those 3.5mm cables 3-conductor (balance/stereo) or 2-conductor?
Click to expand...

Looking at the pictures the snake appears to have 4 mic cables and 4 headphone extensions in one cable, with a decent box on one end and a fan on the other. It's specifically made to do what the OP is doing with it.
 
mjbphotos said:
Are those 3.5mm cables 3-conductor (balance/stereo) or 2-conductor? Doesn't make sense that you can't hear the live mic - except maybe you are only getting one channel (left or right) through to the headphones and the live mic is on the channel. If the snake 3.5mm are 2-conductor you need to run two of them to a stereo-mono splitter (into the headphone output of the interface), then run another splitter/combiner on the other end to combine the two signals (left and right) back to the 3-conductor stereo for the headphones.
Click to expand...

Sorry, even if I really only had a mono signal on the phones, I think I would still hear the live signal since all is recorded in mono and nothing is panned.
Also, all the cables from the multicore have three conductors.
And I know - it doesn't make sense at all!
 
The only thing I can think of is a lifted ground in the TRS connection. That would leave anything panned in and cancel anything in the center. It wouldn't sound quite like the normal playback with the live inputs muted, but it would have a similar effect.
 
- Are the 'live' mic and/or instruments run through the snake to get to the interface and if so, are you sure those are getting to the interface? Hit record and see if those get printed onto a track even if you can't hear it in the cans. Put the snake in the same room as the interface, run the mic/inst through the snake, and plug headphones into the interface direct.
- Condenser mic using phantom?
 
arcaxis said:
- Are the 'live' mic and/or instruments run through the snake to get to the interface and if so, are you sure those are getting to the interface? Hit record and see if those get printed onto a track even if you can't hear it in the cans. Put the snake in the same room as the interface, run the mic/inst through the snake, and plug headphones into the interface direct.
- Condenser mic using phantom?
Click to expand...
Mic(Condenser with phantom) and instruments run through the snake, and recording them works fine. I also hear the live signal in the control room, through the speakers and when i plug the phones there. In the other room though....well, I explained it already.
 
Any chance you have meter that can measure ohms/continuity and a short TRS patch cable that you can check continuity through the snake, particularly the sleeve on the plugs end to end? I'm kind of inclined to think bouldersoundguy might be correct about the ground lift which wouldn't affect normal balanced gear, but might screw up headphones.

I think I would still hear the live signal since all is recorded in mono and nothing is panned.
Click to expand...
By this you do you mean the live sound is centered and heard equally in both left and right of the headphone and not just left or right? Can you pan the live either hard right or left and see what happens.
 
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