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TRS / XLR ins and outs

peterpalmieri

peterpalmieri

Supporting Member
Apr 19, 2005
7,887
5,603
Babylon, NY
#1
Hey guys I hope you can help.

I am planning on upgrading to a Digidesign 003 and building a patch bay for my existing and future outboard gear.

I am concerned with how I can configure a patch bay that will mix and match balanced 1/4 outs and XLR in/outs.

As an example let's say I create a signal path which consists of a mic/outboard micpre/seperate compressor then to my 003.

Can I have the option within my patch bay to run the XLR out on the compressor to either a 1/4 line in or XLR in to the 003 even if the compressor (last piece in the analog chain) only has an XLR out.

I hope I have explained myself well enough.

Thanks Pete
 
#2
If im understanding you correctly there is no product that will do all of that in one product. The good news is you could build it or have it built very easily. Im looking into doing something not too different. I mean I guess i could unplug, plug, unplug, but a patchbay is just way easier. www.redco.com Great prices and they will build it for you, though I think its more fun to build myself.
 
#3
Thanks for the info, there are a number of companies that make very nice patch bays.

To clarify I am not planning on building my own patch bay, what I meant to say was I am planning on wiring up all of my equipment through a patch bay and am concerned or unsure if I can patch a TRS output to a XLR input or vice versa.

Let's say all of my mic pres only have XLR outputs and I am currently using all the XLR inputs on my 003 and want to route that signal to a 1/4 line input, is there a problem with signal mismatches?
 
#5
Sorry I didnt understand your question

Im pretty sure TRS and XLR are interchangeable in the regard you are looking at. TRS is wired just as an XLR would be, just the connectors are different.

Hence why you can get TRS - XLR cables and sockets which are both TRS and XLR
Click to expand...

+1, all correct, the only issue I can think of is phantom power. I know they have to be normaled or something to carry phantom power. Id post in Gearslutz.com. Someone will be able to answer.
 
#7
Another option is to have the XLR and 1/4" inputs on separate patchbay channels, and patch between them. You would have outboard inputs and outputs on one part of the bay, or an a separate bay, and then the Digi I/O on another one, and use shorties to make your I/O matrix on the fly. If you think that you need this kind of flexibility on a constant basis, then it is worth making it easy.

Also, read up on patchbay normalling and you might find some other ideas about managing inputs and outputs.
 
#8
I would think that it would be easiest to use a good TRS Patchbay (like the Neutrik), and then use short TRS to TRS for the patching (on the front side). and the necessary length TRS to TRS, TRS to XLR-M or TRS to XLR-F to the send/return (rear) side of the patch bay to your preamps, gear, ... whatever -- depending on the in/out cable requirement.

It worked like a charm for me. That way you get the use of normaling.
 

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