Unbalanced instrument o/p to balanced mixer i/p

[love_tempo]

I am getting an Amek BC2 console on which all the inputs and outputs are balanced.

I was wondering about connecting high output electronic instruments with unbalanced outputs to this console. I think this will be ok if I adjust the input gain of the mixer?

Or would I be better off using on of those Samson s-box plus DI units that Cristian mentioned to balance the instrument output. This way maybe I would have a cleaner signal path with less noise and cross talk and lower likelihood of hum?

[kay101011]

you are totally right about the signal noise ratio thing .. but there is no real need as long as the cables are not too long .. however if you have enough money do it - but if not don't care about that

[love_tempo]

I might get one stereo one and give it a try. I think it might work fine without though as the output levels from the synths will be very high Cables are short too. I think that it would make more of a difference with low level output signals like those coming from a monitor ouput on a mixer to active monitors as in Cristian's case.

[kay101011]

yeh .. i had that problem with my genelecs .. the cables were very long and not balanced.
so i had this hum. but removing a power supply line from the closer surrounding helped, so i still have those unbalanced cables

[love_tempo]

I've seen those Samson S-Direct stereo boxes for $40 on sweetwater, so I'll give em a go.

[komakid]

yeah, if you once have a fully balanced desk, you dont want to deal with unbalanced anymore, believe me. are the sends and inserts also balanced?

[love_tempo]

The inserts and sends/returns are on EDAC connectors for which the seller is supplying custom looms. Looking at the pinouts of the EDACs there seems to be pins for hot, cold and screen on both inserts and sends/returns. So it's looking like everything is balanced which makes sense for a broadcast desk.

I think I am definitely going to sell my FMR RNC now and get another DBX 160x.

BTW will standard TRS-XLRM cables work for connecting an unbalanced synth to the balanced mixer inputs or do I have to modify the wiring. I reckon it should be ok...

[komakid]

i had onetime a similiral situation were i had to disconnect the mass, because of humming and then it worked. but that was with bananas to T.T. with an trs-xlrm it should work i think.

[love_tempo]

Feck, I'm just glad I waited before buying a rake of unbalanced cable for my old desk. Would have been an awful waste of money.

[komakid]

or you should have to make the good old "go around the rack, put the lamp in your mouth and dig yourself between the wires below the desk" move