John Sayers' Recording Studio Design Forum Archive

Im planning on using XLR/TRS combo jacks around the room for inputs. This will let me plug in either XLR, balanced 1/4", or unbalanced 1/4" using a minimum number of jacks. These signals will travel to my patchbay, where they will get routed to my various DIGI-002R inputs. My question is whether or not I need to create 2 feeds (1/4" balanced for line level, and XLR for mic level) from the patch bay to the DIGI-002R inputs. Most preamps seem to have both and XLR and a TRS input for each channel. Can either input be used regardless of line/mic level, or does the XLR need to receive mic level, and the TRS receive line level? If I have both connected at the same time, will they both receive signal? And finally, is the Hi-Z 1/4" input for direct instruments present on some preamps the same as a 1/4" TRS line level input?

Looking for advice......

Mark

Hi Mark,

The combo jacks have 6 points for connection. Pins 1, 2, 3 for XLR and TRS for the 1/4" connection. You can wire these one of two ways. Use 2 cables, or join them together as 1 (eg: Pin 1 & S for shield, Pin 2 & T for hot, Pin 3 & R for cold/neutral).

If you use 2 cables, you can route one for mic and the other for line.

Thanks for the input Aaron. For devices (such as my Digi002R) that have both a XLR input and a TRS input on the same channel, is it adviseble to have both connected at the same time? What would happen if signal was being fed to both simultaneously?

If I remember correctly, the input selections are a "software" selection in the program to assign what type of input to use (mic or line).

I haven't used the 002, but own an older 001 (which I haven't used in a couple years).