TRS or RCA? Balanced or unbalanced?
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Posted on Jul 05, 2010 07:20 am
Timoses
Member Since: Jul 05, 2010
Wow, I never thought it would become that complicated.
Hi there first of all.
I want to start recording a bit (acoustic guitar + voice) and decided to buy these components:
Microphone: www.thomann.de/gb/rode_nt...ocal_bundle.htm
PreAmp: www.thomann.de/gb/art_tube_mp.htm
Soundcard: www.thomann.de/gb/esi_juliat.htm
(Do these get along well?)
Now I have some trouble with the connections.
I will connect the Mic to PreAmp with a XLR-Cable (the one included in the microphone-set).
Now the options I see to connect from preAmp to soundcard:
1. Use XLR-Output (balanced) to TRS-input (balanced) or RCA-input (unbalanced)
2. Use 1/4"-output (unbalanced) to TRS-input (balanced) or RCA-input (unbalanced).
Now, should I use the balanced or unbalanced output from the preamp? I don't really know what the difference is, except that balanced has 2 and unbalanced just 1 conductor. Pros & Cons?
Do I need to pay attention as to what adapter I buy?
That's it with the questions for now, I believe..
Hope I didn't miss any topic that already had this in it..
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Jul 05, 2010 10:14 am Your interface only has unbalanced inputs (although it says it will take +4dBu signals - Confusing...
I'd suggest simply using an unbalanced 1/4" (TS) to RCA cable out of the preamp.
Everything aside --
If you haven't already made the purchase, the mic is decent enough. The preamp is... questionable... the interface also. You might be better off with something along the lines of a FastTrack Pro. Also not the greatest preamps (but I easily preferred them over the "toob" MP) and decent enough converters (if not a whisker noisy). But it's all in one USB-powered box, so that takes a lot of variables out of the equation.
Jul 06, 2010 01:33 am Thanks for the reply MassiveMaster.
[quote="MassiveMaster"]Your interface only has unbalanced inputs (although it says it will take +4dBu signals - Confusing... [/quote]
Did you maybe miss that the sound module of the sound card can be
turned around to have 2 TRS inputs and 2 TRS outputs? Which are then balanced right?
So there still is the question: Unbalanced or balanced? Pros and cons?
Edit:
I just read this: www.audioholics.com/educa...d-interconnects
So balanced should be better, right?
Thus, a connection from XLR-output to TRS-input with a XLR->TRS-adapter would be the best solution. Does that make any sense?
Jul 06, 2010 11:30 am Ah - Didn't notice that. Advantage: Longer runs, less noise, better SNR.
The XLR-TRS cable would be fine.
That said, I'd still avoid that preamp...
CptTrippsCzar of Turd PolishMember
Since: Jun 20, 2006
Jul 06, 2010 12:25 pm Agree, I would do an interface with a pre built in. Nothing but bad results with my old Art tuber and I even had the little higher end version of that one. If I had nothing to compare it with I may not have known, but I did and the difference was quite large.
Jul 07, 2010 04:36 am While we're on the topic of preamps, I'm looking at getting an Avalon M5 sometime soon. Anyone here have an opinion on them?
Jul 07, 2010 05:16 am Quote:
"@ CawyStudios: That's expensive ó.Ò"
Yeah, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to a newcomer to recording. I've used an inexpensive TubePre from Presonus that doesn't sound too bad. It has a vacuum tube built in with adjustable drive, which is nice. You can get one of those for a little over $100.
Jul 07, 2010 10:43 am Eh, that's sort of in that same category -- "Cheap, crappy, 'toob' preamps" -- The "toobs" are in there as a marketing ploy (I've seen some that function just fine without them and others that would certainly continue to work if you replaced the tube with properly-placed paper clips).
Cheap-as-hell preamp that is actually an unusually decent preamp: M-Audio DMP3. Solid state (almost all the best gear is -- @Cavvy -- Including Avalon's M5 which I would use over any of their other preamps), solid build - Something you won't be regretting after a few weeks.
Jul 07, 2010 01:44 pm Yeh, I believe that in this price category the quality is "bad". But it should be enough for a beginner who isn't sure at all if he's gonna record a lot or not..
I think I'll go for the Tascam US-144MKII . The M-Audio DMP3 sounds fine, too. But plus an audio-interface it would be too expensive for me..
Thanks for the help though : ).
I might give a short note in here of how satisfied I am with it.
Jul 07, 2010 02:19 pm Quote:
"@Cavvy -- Including Avalon's M5 which I would use over any of their other preamps
Thanks MM. I really appreciate being able to pick your brain here and benefit from your experience and insight. Here alone you've probably saved me $1,000, which is a pretty big deal to me since I'm not swimming in money and I have to borrow the funds for this equipment. Some of the reviews I've read and the guy at GC almost had me sold on the VT-737 SP. After learning more about the differences between the two, I think I'm convinced that the M5 is my best bet. I was also looking at the Solo 610 from Universal Audio, but I think the Avalon is what I'm after.
