Simple switch box for two balanced stereo lines?

[144dB]

Hey all,

 

I'm not a big fan of my Delta 66 audio card for many reasons, but it's going to be a long time before I can afford to replace it with something else (the RME Multiface II is the leading candidate).

 

With the Delta (AFAIK), ASIO-direct monitoring is only available on Outputs 1 and 2. And in my small home studio, I prefer to drive my powered monitors directly from the breakout box, as opposed to running them through my mixer first. It's a more direct path and for mixing/mastering I don't want *any* unnecessary coloration. So for tracking/headphone purposes and mixing/monitoring purposes, I'm constantly switching out cables under my desk (i.e. swapping the monitor runs with my mixer runs).

 

Even if the Delta supported ASIO-direct on Outputs 3 and 4, Cubase SX2 (my current DAW) is a bit clumsy with output routing. In a Project I can easily set-up a Group Channel as a pre-master buss and then route that buss to either pair of Outputs (1 & 2 or 3 & 4). But the Effects channels don't support bussing, so those channels have to be individually switched to a different output buss. A potential workaround would be to change the physical routing in the VST Connections dialog, but I don't think that would overcome the ASIO-direct shortcoming in the Delta. And I won't be upgrading to Cubase 6 until mid-2012 at the earliest (which offers more in terms of input/output routing).

 

So...

 

I'm curious if I could get a simple box built (or if there is a unit on the market already) that could toggle between two pairs of balanced TRS lines. A patch bay comes to mind, but that's overkill for two stereo pairs. There is the Mackie Big Knob, but it's too expensive for this simple application. Samson makes a similar product (C-Control) for ~$100 and Hosa has a very simple switcher in the SLW333. The Hosa unit is the closest to what I'm looking for, but I'm not sure I trust the quality. Perhaps my friends at Gepco could make something, though anything custom is probably going to be expensive. My father could handle soldering and I could order Neutrik connectors and find a chassis and knob somewhere, but again, quality is a big consideration and my pop's not an audio engineer. But it's one of those unique situations where you have to balance the inconvenience and wear & tear of swapping cables vs. buying something or having something built.

 

Any suggestions?

 

Todd

[MikeRivers]

I prefer to drive my powered monitors directly from the breakout box, as opposed to running them through my mixer first. It's a more direct path and for mixing/mastering I don't want *any* unnecessary coloration.

 

Unless you have a really crummy mixer, I think you worry too much. I wouldn't be concerned about the quality of the Hosa switch, but $120 is pretty expensive for something this simple, but then everything like ths costs too much if you're used to building your own.

 

A switch box is easy to build. The hard part is locating the parts and making the holes in the box to hold it. XLR or 1/4" TRS connectors, whatever you need for the gozintas and gozoutas, are easy to come by. You'll need a 4 pole double throw switch and that's a little harder to find but not impossible. Digi-Key has a few that aren't too small to solder to.

(that's why I suggest a 'power' switch rather than a miniature one)

 

6 connectors of whatever type you need (they don't all have to be the same type as long as you wire them consistently - pin 2=tip, pin 3=ring), a box (aluminum would be a good idea) the 4PDT switch, and some wire is all you need. You can probably draw out the wiring diagram yourself Connect the center terminals (the wiper) of the switch to the output jacks and the top and bottom terminals to the mixer and Delta outputs. You can tie all of the grounds (pin 1 or sleeve) together. No need to switch them unless you have a ground loop problem (which you should solve).

[144dB]

Hi Mike,

 

Thanks for the feedback.

 

I'm running a Mackie 1402 VLZ Pro, and while it's not a terrible compact mixer, it does add a gain stage and it will color the sound to some extent (something that I ideally want to avoid).

 

My father can solder well, and he thinks a chassis might be available through a hobby shop, etc., so then it becomes an exercise in getting a switch and some good TRS jacks.

 

I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do yet... With your background, this is a walk in the park. But for someone who has no knowledge of wiring (i.e. me), just getting the routing and grounding correct is a challenge. I'll give it some thought and do a bit of reading, and then decide what to do. My girlfriend's father is an electrician, so if I had the parts, he could be a resource as well. But neither my father nor her father are audio guys.

 

Todd

[MikeRivers]

 

I'm running a Mackie 1402 VLZ Pro, and while it's not a terrible compact mixer, it does add a gain stage and it will color the sound to some extent (something that I ideally want to avoid).

 

 

Can you hear the difference with and without the mixer in line? If so, you must have either very good monitoring or a broken mixer. Are you sure you aren't just hearing a difference in volume (this is the easiest way to "color" a sound)? Or are you just assuming that all electronics that you don't really need is evil?

 

Perhaps you should consider, rather than a switch in a box, mercury-wetted contact relays or at least a switch with gold plated contacts. Audiophile manufacturers who make $5,000 preamps and switch boxes tend to take that approach, preying on the fears of people like you.

 

OK, my tongue is firmly planted in my cheek there. Really, if you're still in the Mackie mixer stage, running your computer playback through the monitor section will not affect your monitoring. Really.

 

If you want to study this some more, you might want to take a look at an article which is still on line that I wrote in Recording Magazine several years ago. I thought I had a version of this article on my web site, but I don't. Guess I'll have to fix that. The intent of the article was to show how to develop a do-it-yourself project, using a monitor switcher as an example.

[The dman]

I got one of these for $50 on Evilbay. Works great

 

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/LS3

[144dB]

I appreciate it Mike... And I get the tongue in cheek humor, and the overall point.

 

I've read so many books and articles about mastering and the big guys (e.g. Bob Katz, Bob Ludwig, etc.), that perhaps I've applied their level of sophistication and attention to detail to a situation where the end result won't be noticeable. I agree with their approach in principal, but I'm also not monitoring through a pair of $90,000 speakers.

 

I'll give it some additional thought, and in a worst case scenario, I can always go back to my prior setup (routing everything through the Mackie).

[js1]

I built exactly that - which I'm not using any more. If you're in Canada, PM me and you can have it. I'll pick up the postage in exchange for a small donation to a charity.

 

js