M3500 and +4 Outs

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rorohello

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Hi All,

Is it correct that all signals coming out of a Tascam M3500 are -10 except for the main XLR outs?

What do people use to boost signal from a channel insert or Aux out in order to interface with outboard?
 
AUX, Control Room and Studio outputs are all unbalanced 0dBu nominal. Aside from the +4dBu Stereo outputs, yes, all the rest are -10dBV.

Don’t just go by the numbers. Try it out with your gear. The -10dBV outputs, that’s nominal. Max is +18dBV. Between that and maybe your outboard gear has input and output sensitivity/level controls it might work with the -10dBV inputs/outputs. Otherwise it’s getting a bump box like an LA-40…Fostex made them too. There are probably current offerings by Radial, Ebtech, etc.
 
I use an M2600 MkII, and I'm pretty sure it's set up in a similar way. I mostly have no problem with outboard gear other than driving some long lines to powered wedges. For those, I run through eq that has 1/4" and XLR I/O to balance them.
 
Dumb question, but what about a channel insert? I want to run my snare drum channel out to a Warm EQ and a 1176 clone.
 
Right but what’s the nominal level of the inputs and outputs on those devices? That’s what I was saying…you need to look at each device. It might be fine…it might not. So look it up…what’s the specs on the gozintas and gozoutas of those devices?
 
I can't find a "nominal input level" for either the Warm EQP-WA or the Black Lion Audio Seventeen compressor. Anyone else have thoughts? The Black Lion manual is the least helpful manual I've ever run across. The EQP-WA is 600 ohm impedance if that matters...

I kinda wanted to get this figured out because I need a XLR to TS adapter ($10) if I'm going to do it...but I guess I'll just spring for the adapter and see what happens?
 
rorohello said:
I can't find a "nominal input level" for either the Warm EQP-WA or the Black Lion Audio Seventeen compressor. Anyone else have thoughts? The Black Lion manual is the least helpful manual I've ever run across. The EQP-WA is 600 ohm impedance if that matters...

I kinda wanted to get this figured out because I need a XLR to TS adapter ($10) if I'm going to do it...but I guess I'll just spring for the adapter and see what happens?
Click to expand...
The Warm EQP-WA has 1/4" in/outs so there's no need for a an XLR to TS cable or adaptor. As I recall, the M3500 has rca jacks for the send/receives so a pair of rca to 1/4" adaptors will suffice.
 
The Tascam M3500 does have a +4 output on the main XLR outs, which is great for interfacing with outboard gear. For boosting signals from channel inserts or aux outs, you can use an outboard signal booster or an amplifier.

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+1 to what RRuskin said on the EQ…XLR and TRS jacks…no need for XLR adapters.

On the EQ if you input a -10dBV nominal signal it will output that same nominal level (though take note it looks like that device does impart a gain bump at the output, so you may find that when you insert it you have to lower the line trim on the console). So don’t overthink it. It has no input or output sensitivity or level, and it’s a filter, it will work on the signal you feed it. It’s just that the lower -10dBV nominal level will be closer to the internal noise floor of the EQ, but I’m guessing it’s probably a pretty quiet device. So get yourself a couple TS to RCA cables or adapters and insert that thing already and see what happens.

I have to look at the other device you were asking about still.
 
The normal outs, direct outs on channels, inserts, Sub group outs are all -10dB. There was a balancing option for the M3500 and M3700 that gave you balanced +4 outs, these do sometimes come along second hand, but they are rare. I made a -10 to +4 & +4 to -10 converter (24 Channel) when I moved from 16 track tape MSR16S (which is also -10dB to a Tascam MX2424 which is +4dB. I now still use the converter I built to interface my M3700 to a Presonus 4848.

However The 3500 and 3700 have a lot of head room on the outputs and you can crank them up to get a +4 level, on the returns you can pad the +4 down to -10 very easy with resistors.

Cheers
Alan
 
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