XLR Splitter

[AaronHorn]

This Christmas I will be part running sound and other technical bits and bobs for a charity talent show at school. We have two channels of monitors available, and because of the amount of different acts (bands, dances, singing, comedy etc) I would like to use the school's 12 channel desk to run monitors from side stage.

 

We have eight hard wired XLR channels from stage to the balcony/side of hall areas where FOH will be mixed from (On another desk). Usually we only have one desk and use two aux returns for monitors but I need to use the eight channels we have for mics and other FOH returns.

 

So my idea is to split the mics (maybee six or more (dependant on the cost of multicore hire)) between the two desks. None of the mics will need phantom power (I hope!) but I am concerned about ground hums so I would like some sort of one in two out splitter with isolation (if needed at all). SLx do one channel versions of these for around five quid (hire) but I would like an eight channel version (So eight in, sixteen out).

 

So my question is; Do these devices exist (Or am I looking at some kind of matrix mixer), can these be hired (in the Bristol area (pref from SLx)) and what kind of cost am I looking at on a per day rate?

 

Thanks in advanced.

 

--

Regards,

Aaron.

[david.elsbury]

Hiya

What you are after is a splitter box. Preferably transformer isolated (direct to FOH, Transformer to monitor desk.) The transformers are neccesary to ensure that anything nasty happening at either console will not affect the other one.

> Whirlwind Mic Splitter Tech Note <

It is important to use good quality transformers for the split (a reputable name is Jensen) so that the tone and impedance of the signal is not affected. A Matrix mixer is probably not quite what you are after.

As for ground hums, most split boxes have a ground (pin 1) lift on the transformer out side, for such a purpose. Also try to make sure to power everything off the same earth which will help.

Sorry I can't be more of help regarding the actual hire, as I'm in New Zealand I wouldn't have a clue :o ** laughs out loud **

 

Anyways HTH

David

[paulears]

further to lightdeptnz's post - jenson is a popular tranformer manufacturer that side of the water, and we have a similar manufacturers here, but transformer isolation is not the problem solver people think - Jenson used to have some pretty good user data on their site, Sowter, the UK people (based in Ipswich) are always really helpful. Some issues are sort of commonly mis-understood. Phantom power means some form of direct feed has to be available, bypassing some of the benefits of the transformer. A short on a cable shorts the winding, reducing the output considerably - sometimes so low as to be unusable. The cost, however, is the main issue. You are looking at £40-50 per transformer which ends up being quite dear. Pin one issues remain, as the grounds are common, so if lifting a ground works, then the presence or absence of the transformer probably wouldn't have helped. Many people fit the stage box end with a male and female connector connected to each line, and take a split from here - it works quite well in most cases - for occasional use - worth a go?

[AaronHorn]

Thanks for the replies so far, what I think I want is something like an RSD8 from http://www.wireworks.com/Microphone_Splitt...LR-Splitter.htm to hire in the Bristol area. I know I sound a little like that bloke from Little Britain but any help would still be good :o.

 

Actually, thinking about it, if this is too expensive I could just use a Y-cable, again can you hire these?

[timmath]

Try South West audio or Stage Lx in bristol , or going a bit further you get Skan and Wigwam all are likely to have the BSS's variant of active splits.

 

Regards

 

Tim

[nickb12345]

Hi

 

Could you not feed the mics into the monitor desk and take a pre-fade direct output from that desk for each channel to the FOH desk?

 

 

Nick

[johnhuson]

Don't get too hung up on having an active splitters, a lot of PA hire companies (including ourselves) don't active split the mics between FOH and monitors, they simply have multicore systems that enable the stagebox feeds to be split out for both desks. The only time we use active splits is for things like classical events, where signal integrity is very important due to low mic levels, or when making a split for a recording desk.

 

If you want a cheap and relatively easy soloution, make yourself up some mic Y-split cables (1x Female XLR connector to 2x Male XLR connector). Plug the female XLR connector into the end of the mic cable from the mic, then plug one of the 2x male XLR into the multicore to feed the FOH desk, then use as short mic cable (assuming the end of your multicore is near you monitor desk) to feed into your monitor desk. As mentioned above it is preferable to not have pin 1 of one of the legs (i.e. Male XLR connector) not connected to avoid ground loop problems a.k.a. hum.

 

If you have the time, patience and money you could make yourself up a box with panel mount connectors which would be a neater soloution, or even remaking the end of you existing multicore.

 

Nicks solution is also equally adequate and probably as low cost, but would depend on if your monitor desk has a direct out on each channel.