XLR to TRS Snakes

lumisuto · Post by **lumisuto** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 9:36 am

Hi. I have a little newbie question. Is it okay to connect mics to an XLR to TRS snake, and in the other end connect them to the mixer's preamps or to a patchbay that will later be routed to preamps or to the mixer? Im wondering if it may have some problem with phantom power or something of that kind. Thanks..

wonder · Post by **wonder** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 9:48 am

you should never run phantom or any other type of external voltage through a patchbay...

also, its best to stay in the XLR realm...its not IMPERATIVE but its a good rule of thumb. Also, make sure you always keep TRS with XLR, dont just use 1/4 inch or you'll lose db.

BradLyons · Post by **BradLyons** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 3:33 pm

actually phantom power through patchbays is quite normal. The concern is if you're using a TRS patchbay you need to be careful of patching with phantom power on.... As long as phantom power is off when you patch/un-patch, it's safe but patch/un-patch while Phantom is on then you can cause damage to the gear.

Larry Sheehan · Post by **Larry Sheehan** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 6:54 pm

Specifically, you can short the phantom power supply.

HOSA make a very reasonably priced XLR panel. I got some 1 ft XLr cord made up by Markertek and I was in business. I turned the xlrs around on the panels that got connected to the equipment inputs, so there was no way to misconnect.

wonder · Post by **wonder** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 5:23 am

thats why you should never run phantom power through a patch bay....ONE slip of the mind to forget to turn off the phantom power while patching and you're screwed. Use external phantom power if possible

aboutfaceaudio · Post by **aboutfaceaudio** » Mon Jul 25, 2005 5:38 pm

I would run your preamp ins to an XLR mic panel and your Mic preamp outs to a patchbay. That way you can plug your mics in and still be able to patch your compressors, eqs and whatnot between the preamp stage and the recorder.

This is how I do it. It works well, whether you have a separate room or not.

I can't stress enough how important good cabling is. Hosa is alright, but it degrades fast and you can't repair the cable ends. It's dead easy to learn and you can do it while you're listening to your mixes hundreds of times.

I would also recommend soldering your own cables for your assemblies. Mogami makes the best cable, followed by redco, canare, etc. If you can't be bothered, companies will make assemblies for you. Compare the prices and you'll see why making your own is the cheapest. I have all three types of cable in my studio.in my studio.

Some useful links:

www.haveinc.com
www.redco.com

Sorry for the early morning ramble.

MOTUnation.com

XLR to TRS Snakes

XLR to TRS Snakes

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