special cord for using TRS inserts on a board for multi-track recording live shows?

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colorado hick

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My apologies if this has already be covered. Feel free to point me at existing threads.

I want to come off of my channel inserts and go into a multi track recoder (Zoom r16) during a live show. I am not a big fan of the half-click, especially when i am performing, recording, and mixing live sound at the same time. Is there a chord or a snake that would allow me to make a full connection to the inserts and not interrupt the signal in the board? I figured there is a way to do it with half-normalized patchbays etc but again i am looking for super simple.

Thanks!
 
Use a bunch of standard guitar cables and replace one end with a TRS, with the tip of the TS going to the tip and ring of the TRS. Insert send is split, one going back to the return and one going out the cable. You won't be able to use the inserts for anything else. I think they are available pre-built but I don't know where.

I have compressors on all the inserts of my system so I use 1/4" splitters at the inputs of each compressor channel. You'll probably want 1M-2F Y-cables.
 
Thanks for the advice, that sounds right and within my soldering abilities.

How come this works and it does not work to plug a regular TS jack into the insert? I know cause i tried it. Isnt the whole idea to tie the ring to the sleeve?
 
colorado hick said:
Thanks for the advice, that sounds right and within my soldering abilities.

How come this works and it does not work to plug a regular TS jack into the insert? I know cause i tried it. Isnt the whole idea to tie the ring to the sleeve?
Click to expand...

Nope, you want to tie tip to ring to pass signal back to the insert return. If ring is connected to sleeve you get nothing back to the board. The cable works whether your board is tip-send or ring-send.
 
The OP asked about turning inserts into direct outs, not where to get standard insert cables.
 
thanks bouldersoundguy for the advice and explanation.
 
If you happen to have a patchbay and insert cables lying around, that will do it as well. Just as long as you have them half normalled.
 
colorado hick said:
Thanks for the advice, that sounds right and within my soldering abilities.

How come this works and it does not work to plug a regular TS jack into the insert? I know cause i tried it. Isnt the whole idea to tie the ring to the sleeve?
Click to expand...

A TS to TS cable will work after a fashion to feed a signal to the recorder but what's missing is the return so you can use the same signal on the mixer. Bouldersoundguy's method sorts this problem out.

As others have said, you don't want to tie the ring and sleeve together, it's the tip and ring with the sleeve making its normal connection.
 
Simple long answer (I hope).

TRS one end TS the other, single core cable is used (or 2 core with both cores twisted together). At the TRS end solder the shield to the sleeve, and the core to both the Tip and Ring.

At the TS end wire the shield to the Sleeve and the core to the Tip.

Plug the TRS end into the insert point of the mixer and the TS to the recorder input. Control the signal level with the input gain on the mixer (most cases). The mixer wont see the insert plugged in as the signal is looped back via the Tip and Ring being both soldered to the core of the cable.

Alan.
 
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