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  #1  
Old 08-21-2008, 08:25 AM
Anibal Anibal is offline
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Default external talkback mic for D-Command

how do you connect an external mic for talkback on a D-Command?
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Old 08-21-2008, 02:02 PM
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one of the multiconnectors on the back of your X Mon is called TB/LB Util.

The first input on this multiconnector is for External Talkback use.

So ...

Your external mic ---> external pre amp in ---> external pre amp out --- external talkback mic input on the X Mon.

(you of course need a 25 pin to XLR split to connect to your Xmon ... )


From this point on you treat the external talkback exactly the same as the internal one. In other words ... you assign the talkback to a cue send for example and you engage the external talkback switch in the monitor section instead of the internal one.

Now when you press your talkback button things get routed from the external talkback input. Set levels etc etc ... make the artist happy and there you go ...
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Old 08-21-2008, 02:50 PM
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Chris, why the external preamp? I've got a 57 plugged right in and it works perfectly.
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Old 08-21-2008, 02:57 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dmazurek View Post
Chris, why the external preamp? I've got a 57 plugged right in and it works perfectly.


hmmm ... really ? never tried that ...

I was thinking condensor ... phantom ...

Chris
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Old 08-21-2008, 04:28 PM
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If it's like the listen mic inputs, they have phantom already. I have a cheap Cascade mic plugged directly into the Listen Mic input and the X Mon powers it.
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Old 08-21-2008, 09:58 PM
Anibal Anibal is offline
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thank you chris, it will be a big improvement over the internal one
why is it so bad...?
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Old 08-22-2008, 02:43 AM
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Is the built-in talkback mic really so bad that people doesn't use it? What is the problem?
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Old 08-22-2008, 08:43 AM
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Well ... the internal talkback isn't exactly the quality you would expect if you would buy a very expensive german microphone like a Neumann or a Schoeps or something like that. I would think that makes sense.

The purpose of a talkback mic is to establish a communication link between the Control Room and wherever else you need to be communicating to ... the tracking room for example.

Now ... How 'good' do you need that mic to be right ?

Good enough so you can be understood on the other end and silent enough so it doesn't bother the people on the other end.

And that is the 'problem' with it I think. It's quality is good enough ... people understand you on the other end and the signal is clear.

It is the background noise that seems to bother people in some situations.

That tiny little internal microphone seems to be VERY sensitive. And it needs to be. I tend to kinda compare ot to a listenback mic setup. They are tricky to conveniently set up as well ... usually heavily compressed and gated with an attack at the speed of light so it closes off fast enough when the drummer hits something so it doesn't blow the woofer of your speaker right at your head.

It seems to be worse in rooms that have 'hearable' airco's for example. The talkback mic seems to pick those up quite easily. I have a Super Silent airco installation in my room and yet I can clearly hear the difference between the airco being switched on or off.

A computer fan in your room ? Forget it ... it will sound like the engine of an airplane on the other end. Unless you have an extremely quiet room the internal talkback is always going to be noisy,

Now all that said ... friend of mine has an SSL Axiom ... think it's much better ? .... think again .... same deal : noisy room ... noisy talkback.
I remember using A Neve VR some time ago ... same story.
I used to have a Yamaha O2R ... sjeez ... those were earbleeding sharp eve in a silent room.

To some extend it IS inherent to internal talkback systems. Could it be better ... Yes, I'm sure it could be and hopefully at some point it gets improved.

Most people I know have an external / less sensitive mic set up and even in those situations ... I've seen them high pass the signal before going to the cue signal to filter out some rumbling noise from the room.

You kinda have to set your treshold for these things imvho : if your room is prone to a certain amount of background noise coming from computers / Hard Discs / Airco's and other stuff that adds up to the ambient noise floor level of your room then you may probably have to consider setting up an external tackback system. Either that or move everything that makes that noise into a Machine Room. It does make a HUGE difference.

Even if digi at some point would change something, make it less sensitive or change the mic or whatever ... it is never going to 'sound' like your U47 with VF14 going through a Neve 1083 or something like that ... No Way ...
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Old 08-22-2008, 08:57 AM
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Thanks a lot for the thorough explanation, Chris. Very informative.

Well, I don't need the mic to be "stellar", but it is fairly important that those working with me are happy. The only noisy thing in the control room is the 192-interface + the constant humming from the Rhodes MK-80. I'll just have to wait and see, I guess.
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  #10  
Old 08-22-2008, 03:34 PM
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What Chris is trying to say is... they used a crappy mic when they designed the ICONs, simple as that.
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