Topic: Phantom Power to XLRs from Soundboard Patch?

[Thepassenger]

Necessary?

[hi and lo]

No, and a very bad idea.

This.

The last thing you want to do to improve taper / venue relations is fry their equipment. There are plenty of cautious venues and sound engineers that won't let anyone plug unknown cables into their console for exactly this reason.

[Fried Chicken Boy]

No, and a very bad idea.

This.

The last thing you want to do to improve taper / venue relations is fry their equipment. There are plenty of cautious venues and sound engineers that won't let anyone plug unknown cables into their console for exactly this reason.

Yes, indeed.  I had a band engineer tell me the first time I recorded with him that he never gave out soundboard patches, despite what their management promised me.  After I saw him and recorded said band a few times (and he realized I wasn't a complete moron; debatable, depending on who you talk to ), he began giving me patches and admitted that his concern for the band/venue's board generally kept him from doing it for just that reason.

[runonce]

No, and a very bad idea.

This.

The last thing you want to do to improve taper / venue relations is fry their equipment. There are plenty of cautious venues and sound engineers that won't let anyone plug unknown cables into their console for exactly this reason.

Yes, indeed.  I had a band engineer tell me the first time I recorded with him that he never gave out soundboard patches, despite what their management promised me.  After I saw him and recorded said band a few times (and he realized I wasn't a complete moron; debatable, depending on who you talk to ), he began giving me patches and admitted that his concern for the band/venue's board generally kept him from doing it for just that reason.

I've always suspected that "allowing" soundboard feeds sounds like a better idea to a band than the poor soundguy.

Its like declaring open season another guys gear. I think soundmen should seek revenge and find guys to show up with guitars, and tell the band "the soundguy said it was open mic - which amp do I plug into, dude...?"

DIdnt someone shut down a Mule show once upon a time like this?

[runonce]

Another thought -

The possibility of this happening is likely at an all time high - with the increased use of multichannel portable gear with phantom power options. Way more guys toting this feature around these days.

Easy to do by mistake - even if you are rock solid familiar with your gear. I've been taping for 20 years - and I do sound...and - I've done it.

[ScoobieKW]

Isolation transformers FTW. When the production company I work for gives a feed to the press, or anyone for that matter, we use a press box to split the feed and isolate our gear from others. I don't record board feeds often, but I have an Iso splitter on my "I should have that " list.

A good Iso split also has a ground lift per channel.

[cybergaloot]

I'm not sure if the Henry Engineering distribution box has any protection built in or not. I know there aren't any transformers.

[noahbickart]

seems like the easiest option for everyone is to use unbalanced rcas for sbd patches.

[MIQ]

Hi Jon,

You may already be familiar with the AES paper "The Phantom Menace Returns" by Bortoni and Kirkwood (THAT Corp).  If not a free copy is available from THAT here:  http://www.thatcorp.com/datashts/AES7909_48V_Phantom_Menace_Returns.pdf

It presents info on common mode, single ended, and "differential" fault mechanisms as well as how to protect mic input circuits from them.  It's written from the standpoint of protecting the mic pre input not the sound board output.  If you haven't seen it you will likely get a kick out of it.

-MIQ

[cybergaloot]

seems like the easiest option for everyone is to use unbalanced rcas for sbd patches.

This is not always possible. I've seen situations where all you could get were XLR out or 1/4 TRS outs. Most boards have a RCA "record" out but sometimes its tied up with other gear.

[hi and lo]

seems like the easiest option for everyone is to use unbalanced rcas for sbd patches.

This is not always possible. I've seen situations where all you could get were XLR out or 1/4 TRS outs. Most boards have a RCA "record" out but sometimes its tied up with other gear.

Agreed. Only bringing RCA's with you is a recipe for not getting a board feed.