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Gear / Technical Help => Cables => Topic started by: yug du nord on February 21, 2008, 08:23:01 PM

Title: Balanced 1/4" > Unbalanced RCA???
Post by: yug du nord on February 21, 2008, 08:23:01 PM

Can anyone possibly explain to me the correct way to do this?

I just picked up an ART Dual Pre preamp...  which has BALANCED left and right 1/4" outputs.  I want to run these 1/4" BALANCED outputs > UNBALANCED RCA's on SBM-1.

Is this an issue, or can I simply run 1/4" > RCA???  I don't want to damage anything, so I'm asking before I act!!!

If I run 1/4", should they be TRS or TS???

Thanks!

Title: Re: Balanced 1/4" > Unbalanced RCA???
Post by: yug du nord on February 21, 2008, 10:13:54 PM

Quote from: Moke on February 21, 2008, 09:57:35 PM

there are some good tips on cable building down in the TS.Com Archive
This particular combo is covered in there.

Much thanks to you Senior Purely Evil Global Moderator!  +T

Title: Re: Balanced 1/4" > Unbalanced RCA???
Post by: aegert on February 28, 2008, 10:36:38 AM

You want to build a trs to rca cable i assume. If you already have a trs end wired you need to run the ring and shield/ Sleeve to ground on the rca end... If not you need to run tip to tip and jumper the ring and shield/ sleeve together and run  the shield to shield:

This is the best pictures I could find .. For your purposses  You really want the first pictures right half as an rca and the  for the right half of the cable and the right half of the second cable as the left half of your cable:

1) the 1/4" in the first drawing is the rca...

2) the  tip is  the red wire and the ring is the blue

3) the first picture on the xlr side highlights the jumpering comment



(http://www.mediacollege.com/audio/connection/images/XLR-RCA2.gif)
(http://www.mediacollege.com/audio/connection/images/XLR-stereojack.gif)
(http://www.mediacollege.com/audio/connection/images/XLR-RCA.gif)

Here is the picture of the trs 1/4": note the tip is the tip( typically red wire) the next band down is the ring.. Typically blue wire or clear.. The next band down is the sleeve/shield or ground conductor it is typically a bare drain wire that is coincident with the copper braid that holds the whole cable together directly below the outside rubber jacket..

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Aud_Jack.jpg)

Hope this helps

A :D

Title: Re: Balanced 1/4" > Unbalanced RCA???
Post by: DSatz on March 11, 2008, 10:41:41 PM

There is no standard whatsoever for connecting balanced outputs to unbalanced inputs. I suggest that you contact the manufacturer of your preamp and ask them the best way to unbalance its outputs. No one approach (including the one shown in the diagrams above) is best for all cases, and some equipment can be damaged if connected in certain ways that work fine with other equipment.

--best regards