HW inserts, balanced 002 to unbalanced gear - Q

[bigbubbaj]

I have a Digi 002R, and am using my FMR RNC as a channel IO insert.

Works great, BUT the RNC is ubnalanced.

Will the balanced in/outs of the digi 002r harm the RNC, or vice versa?

What do you recommend? Is this ok to do or should I use some type of converter or make something?

THis must be a common issue.

Here is the insert wiring.

OO2 OUT 5 (BAL)---\__(UNBAL)RNC IN L ----> RNC OUT R (UNBAL)---\___(BAL) DIGI 002 IN 5
OO2 OUT 6(BAL)---\__(UNBAL)RNC IN R ----> RNC OUT R (UNBAL)---\___(BAL) DIGI 002 IN 6

Thanks!


-Bigbubbaj

[Chris Cavell]

You're fine so long as the cable runs are short.

[albee1952]

Chris is right(as usual) but I would like to take it a bit further for any newbies. The balanced jacks on the DIGI002 will operate unbalanced by using tip/sleeve (guitar) cables. Any unbalanced cables should be kept as short as possible as a general rule. This is because unbalanced cables do not have any "common mode rejection" where any noise induced in the + and - are equal but out of phase, thereby cancelling each other out at the next circuit stage. You could experiment with a "quasi-balanced" hookup of your RNC (or any unbalnced device) by making cables that use a TRS plug at the DIGI end (wired T=+, R=-, S=shield), and the other end would get a TS plug with one of two wiring options. Option 1: wire the + to the tip, -to the sleeve and don't connect the shield. Option 2 would be the same with the shield connected along with the - wire to the sleeve. Option 1 could be refered to as a "floating" ground as one end of the shield "floats". It is also a common trick in balanced connections to float the shield at the inputs so noise/interference is shunted "upstream" as your signal travels "downstream". This also avoids ground loops when connecting several units in an audio system. This is what the "ground lift" switch on a direct box does.

[theMeanTeam]

Hey Chris, this is Brandon

I'm having kind of the same issue here. I got a BBE 482i Sonic Maximizer unit (the unbalanced one) thinking that it'd be fine going between the balanced connections of the 002r. The manual for the 002 said it would take unbalanced connections fine.

The deal is, when i run anything through it, its like i'm overpowering the BBE because it just totally clips and distorts on the way back in.

Any suggestions? Or do i just need to go back and add $50 to get the model with balanced connections?

[tele_player]

make sure the level switches are set correctly on the 002 line ins/outs.
Try -10 on input and output.

[Chris Cavell]

Hey brandon....long time no see...I'm moving back to Lafayette at the end of the month, but I'll probably be back and forth quite a bit. Check out my profile and shoot me an e-mail...I'm pooped for the night...answer to follow tomorrow...