From Brian Willoughby Sent Sun, Dec 16th 2018, 09:47
From Brian Willoughby Sent Sun, Dec 16th 2018, 09:47
It=E2=80=99s a bad idea to measure voltages and then make assumptions = about whether a piece of gear is balanced or unbalanced. First of all, -10 dBV is only a nominal voltage, not a maximum voltage. = It is well known that the standard output voltage for a CD player is 2 V = RMS. The actual range varies from 1.74 V RMS to 7.2 V RMS. You may have = found it difficult to get more than 300 mV out of a -10 dBV piece of = gear, but that=E2=80=99s certainly not any sort of a guarantee about all = products. Second of all, the music industry follows specifications even less than = the home audio industry. The early Roland drum machines have outputs so = hot that they overdrive standard mixers. Roland =E2=80=9Cfixed=E2=80=9D = this by designing for =E2=80=9Cstandard=E2=80=9D levels in future drum = machines, but techno artists actually preferred to overdrive the mixer. The first, real test of balanced versus unbalanced is to determine = whether there are two conductors or three conductors in the jack. If = there are only two conductors, and they=E2=80=99re not both floating = with reference to ground, then you have an unbalanced output, regardless = of whether the voltage levels are pre-CD line level, CD line level, or = modular levels. If there are actually three conductors, then it can be balanced, even if = the voltages are small. Of course, some systems are not fully balanced, = but maybe only balanced with regard to the impedances to ground. = That=E2=80=99s half the battle, but 6 dB shy of full balanced with = regard to S/N. What=E2=80=99s worse, some balanced systems are neither = balanced in terms of signals nor in terms of impedances. Those will be = as noisy, or perhaps noisier than unbalanced. Finally, there have been many products that were quietly balanced. As = far back as 1983, Roland made the Jupiter-6 with a balanced output. I = recall that the Access Virus is balanced (a friend owned one, not me, so = I can=E2=80=99t verify). Of all the features that a given synth has, = balanced outputs is probably one of the last things they=E2=80=99d take = the space to brag about. You really need to dig into the manuals to be = sure. Brian On Dec 15, 2018, at 1:57 PM, mcc_p <xxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx> wrote: > and there's always the option to crank it up and see if you can get it = close to 1.23 Volts or at least up and over about 1/3 of a volt. Cause I = don't think you can get a -10 piece of gear much higher than ~.3V > P >=20 > On Sat, Dec 15, 2018 at 4:52 PM mcc_p <xxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx> wrote: >> I'm just about willing to bet that synths with balanced outputs would = have added that in to the cost and the promotional material. I'm not = certain, but I bet that any instrument type manufacturer that takes the = trouble to provide a balanced output is going to take the trouble to = legend in a "+4 db" type of indication on the connector panel and maybe = even include an XLR or a switch for selection thereof... >> El Pablo >>=20 >> On Sat, Dec 15, 2018 at 4:45 PM Sevo Stille <xxxx@xxxxxx.xx> wrote: >> Am 15.12.2018 um 13:59 schrieb Boniforti Flavio: >> > Hi all! >> > I'm about to re-wire my studio (which is still in an unwired status = -=20 >> > which means, I can't really work!)... >> > Now I was starting to buy balanced cables for gear with balanced=20 >> > outputs, as my REV-7 has or my Electrix Mo-FX units. >> > For the following gear, I'm struggling to find the needed = information=20 >> > - so I thought some of you could help me out! Thanks in advance! >> > >> > Kawai RV-4 >> > MoogerFoogers (seem to be unbalanced, but need confirmation) >> > MaM RS3 >> > Matrix-1000 (the manual states "standard audio cable (guitar cord)" = -=20 >> > so this is unbalanced?) >> > Boss RRV-10 >> > Boss RCE-10 >> > Boss CE-300 >> > OSCar (I believe this is unbalanced, but just to be sure) >> > Moog MiniMoog Model D Reissue >> > Strymon Big Sky >> > >> > Or may I simply assume that all synths are unbalanced and only take=20= >> > care about the "outboard" FX? >> > >> If any. The top budget rack FX from the eighties were balanced, and = so=20 >> was broadcast level gear - but that will generally be evident by the=20= >> dedicated balanced connectors (Cannon, Tuchel, screw panels). = Wherever=20 >> items from back then have 1/4" jacks, these are unbalanced. =46rom = the=20 >> nineties on, balanced gradually trickled down, and 1/4" TRS balanced=20= >> gear appeared in the mid market. But apart from recent re-issues or = the=20 >> odd after-market modification, I'd expect none of the above to be = balanced. >>=20 >> Sevo >>=20