Cable question (Mixer insert i/o-->soundcard-->Sonar 4)

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agincourtdb
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2005/06/12 01:58:04 (permalink)

Cable question (Mixer insert i/o-->soundcard-->Sonar 4)

This question should probably be in Gear, but I'm recording into Sonar 4 and I figure one of the gurus can answer it easily...

Okay. So I'm getting a 24 channel mixer with insert i/o on the 16 mono channels, so as to multitrack into Sonar. My question is: What kind of cable/snake do I need to go from the mixer's 16 insert points to the 16 analog ins on my soundcard (and it's A/D converter slave.)

The mixer manual says bridged stereo TRS 1/4" to TS 1/4" (so that the signal is uninterrupted through the mixer.) is this available? Sweetwater doesn't have anything called bridged stereo TRS. They don't even have TRS to TS that's not a Y cable. What do I do? I'm hardware inept. Heeeelp meeeeee.


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    Guest
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    RE: Cable question (Mixer insert i/o-->soundcard-->Sonar 4) 2005/06/12 03:35:51 (permalink)
    don't know the mixer, but is it a patchbay style where the send goes out and
    returns from a TRS? If that's the case, you will have to do a little custom cable
    work ( aka soldering iron ). you can buy TS cables and off the TS jack
    on one side .. strip the shield wire back leave a good 1/4" of the center wire
    exposed then solder it to *both* the tip and center leads and shield wire
    to the sleave lead. this shorts the send and return together on the TRS side
    and gives a feed to the TS (of your audio). a tech at a pro-audio place
    can make them for you. don't let him bridge a TRS cable .. this can cause
    trouble on the balanced input of you some A/D's. somebody used to make
    a bridging TRS connector (with an elongated tip) .. but i can't find 'em on
    google.
    jeff
    post edited by jmarkham - 2005/06/12 11:36:25
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    johndale
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    RE: Cable question (Mixer insert i/o-->soundcard-->Sonar 4) 2005/06/12 06:03:00 (permalink)
    Call Sweetwater support Monday. They will fix you up I'm sure. I've always found them helpfull.......................JDW

    http://johndalewilson.com



    #3
    agincourtdb
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    RE: Cable question (Mixer insert i/o-->soundcard-->Sonar 4) 2005/06/14 23:53:20 (permalink)
    First, thanks for the replies.

    The mixer is either my bands' Mackie CFX-16, or my (just bought for cheap) Behringer SL-2442FX-Pro. Balanced insert points on both. The mackie most often, I would wager.

    I'm mostly trying to do a multichannel tap of the mixer during our live gigs, and do it transparently (i.e., in no way effecting the live sound).

    I would have thought the cable solution would be commercially available, considering how many people are doing multichannel recording these days.... Or is everyone using Digital mixers?

    Thanks again for your help guys, and I will send an email question to sweetwater about it.


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    agincourtdb
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    RE: Cable question (Mixer insert i/o-->soundcard-->Sonar 4) 2005/06/15 01:47:26 (permalink)
    Okay, according to Mackie's CFX-16 hookup guide, I can use standard TS-TS patchbay cables: inserting the mixer end only to the first click (i.e., only the tip making contact.) This allows a direct out that doesn't interrupt the signal.

    Opinions? Confirmation?


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    ColinB52
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    RE: Cable question (Mixer insert i/o-->soundcard-->Sonar 4) 2005/06/15 02:13:21 (permalink)
    Dave,

    Yes, you could use TS cables only inserted to the first click,

    BUT,

    if you do, you run the risk that either your recording will have an
    intermittent connection, or that the jack gets pushed in correctly,
    when you will find you've just sent that signal to ground.

    Jeff's cable solution is much the better way to do it, and
    more reliable. Making up the cable should not be too difficult,
    and it will give you a much more reliable solution.

    The problem is caused by the mixer manufacturer's reducing
    costs by not providing a direct Tape out on each channel, so
    you have to use the Inserts.

    Hope this helps,
    Colin.
    #6
    agincourtdb
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    RE: Cable question (Mixer insert i/o-->soundcard-->Sonar 4) 2005/06/15 02:40:49 (permalink)
    Ok, thanks :-)

    I'm going to do some tests (when the mixer arrives on my doorstep) of the tip-only option.

    For laughs I just tried a Hosa unbalanced cable tip-only into one of the line ins of the little Behringer mixer I use as a monitor control matrix for my DAW, and it seems to make a good solid connection (i.e, doesn't want to move either way without some force applied)

    Somebody on the Sweetwater Forums also suggested this, which appears to be a commercially available solution (it's probably what Jeff suggests, premade). But at $10-15 per channel depending on the source, it's an expensive solution.


    #7
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