Gear / Technical Help > Battery Boxes, Preamps, Mixers, ADCs, and Processors
Splitting Solutions
bombdiggity:
I've not necessarily thought about doing this before and have something coming up that would be stepping up my game to a degree. It's probably kind of a newbie question at least in regard to doing this...
The scenario is one where I'd like to get the instrument mics/direct feeds before processing in the board. I don't at this point know what the capabilities of the board are but it will be a small one (and most of what I see at shows I go to are small, old, not very good boards - not digital, not with any built-in multitrack recording path). 4 to 8 channels is probably the most I'd find where I'd need to take this approach.
What would be the best/simplest solution, preferably relatively inexpensive (with specifics if any have recommendations)?
I won't be doing this a lot but will have opportunities from time to time. I don't want to invest in a board or huge pile of equipment to do it.
Ronmac:
This is the right way to do it. You will need to add 2 looms of XLR-f to XLR-m to complete the job, so best to budget on getting those, as well.
http://artproaudio.com/splitters/product/s8/
--- Quote ---Eight Channel Mic Splitter
The ART S8 can be used to split eight balanced low impedance microphone signals into sixteen balanced low impedance microphone signals (eight pairs).
Each channel of the S8 provides one direct output and one transformer isolated output from a single microphone. Applications include sending the direct outputs to the main or Front-of-House mixer, and the second isolated outputs being sent to a monitor or recording mixer. The direct outputs pass phantom power from the main mixer to the microphones for use with condenser microphones.
The S8 includes a ground-lift switch on each isolated output to reduce noise due to ground loops between connected equipment. For versatility the S8 also features an attenuator pad switch on each input that can be used to connect preamplified signals to the two microphone-level outputs on each channel. Typical preamplified signals would originate from instrument preamplifiers, mixers, keyboards, et cetera.
--- End quote ---
yousef:
We run three 8 channel splitters for multitrack jobs and have rarely (if ever) needed to use every channel.
It often involves getting there well before soundcheck so you can get everything plumbed in beforehand. It's always worth thinking ahead about where you want to place the splits too - at the stage end or at the desk, depending on space restrictions. And other restrictions too - I've seen a couple of boards where the inputs are essentially boxed in and inaccessible making a stage side split a necessity.
I don't see any multitrack recorders in your sig - are you intending to pick up a mini mixer and do your own mix on the fly or have you got another recorder in hand?
It might be work looking at the boards you use in greater detail - if they have insert points on each channel which can be configured to be pre-fader and pre-FX it might be easier to make up some custom leads to tap the inputs rather than having to deal with splits + XLRs + set up time + stressing out the engineer.
There's nothing quite like watching all that audio landing unmixed and unmolested in your recorder and knowing that you can take it home and sort it all out in post...
capnhook:
--- Quote from: yousef on December 23, 2016, 06:08:44 PM ---We run three 8 channel splitters for multitrack jobs and have rarely (if ever) needed to use every channel....There's nothing quite like watching all that audio landing unmixed and unmolested in your recorder and knowing that you can take it home and sort it all out in post...
--- End quote ---
You'all have ALL the fun..!
yousef:
--- Quote from: capnhook on December 23, 2016, 11:01:30 PM ---You'all have ALL the fun..!
--- End quote ---
:)
Well, it is a double edged sword, of course... But it's definitely worth it for those times when you know that even a board feed + mics would be compromised.
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