Gearslutz.com - View Single Post - Flipping the phase of 2 XLR outs on a DAC?

ulysses · 25th February 2010

What happens if you use your polarity-flipping adapters on the output of the 002? If this does NOT cause the polarity to become inverted, then the simple and obvious problem is that your polarity-flipping adapters are not polarity-flipping.

If the adapters DO flip the polarity on the 002, then they aren't the problem.

Based on everything you've told us here, I'm confident there are only two possible explanations:

1. Both Mytek and Calrad sold you equipment that is wired with polarity that's different from what it's supposed to be.

2. Operator error. That's you. It sounds like you know what you're doing, but there's just no other legitimate possibility based on the info you've provided us.

3. The third hypothetical which is NOT a legitimate possibility is that the Mytek manages to produce a different polarity when you use the Calrad adapters than it does when you don't use the adatpers.

Besides using the adapters to route the 002's outputs back into an ADC, the other thing you can do to get to the bottom of this is to use a multimeter to check the connections on your polarity adapters. Look carefully to be sure you're connecting your test probes to the pins you think you're connecting them to at each end of the adapter. Use the "continuity" setting of the meter for an easy "Go/No-Go" beep. Or just open them up and look inside.

Seems odd that Calrec would miswire two adatpers and ship them both to the same guy who got a miswired Mytek converter.

Also seems odd that Mytek would build a converter with connectors installed with wire, the only possible way to get an accidental inversion on one unit. If that's the case, an assembler would have had to miswire both channels. More likely would be that they used PC-mount XLR connectors, which cannot be accidentally miswired. It would have to be a design flaw, one that surely would have been noticed by other users of the same product sometime in the past 5 years.

It kind of sounds like I'm piling on and saying this has to be your error, but I'm really just trying to help you work through the variables. Believe me, I've made far sillier mistakes than this.
But while I'm being pedantic and thorough, I have to say that I doubt your assertions that you've heard adapter cables color your audio, or that you can identify an absolute polarity inversion by ear. Relative polarity inversion (such as right-vs-left or two mikes on a single source) is very easy to hear. Absolute inversion (everything flipped together) is nearly impossible on a very few sources under ideal conditions, and totally impossible on everything else.

25th February 2010	#20
ulysses Lives for gear Joined: Mar 2003 Location: Minneapolis and Wiesbaden Posts: 1,452	What happens if you use your polarity-flipping adapters on the output of the 002? If this does NOT cause the polarity to become inverted, then the simple and obvious problem is that your polarity-flipping adapters are not polarity-flipping. If the adapters DO flip the polarity on the 002, then they aren't the problem. Based on everything you've told us here, I'm confident there are only two possible explanations: 1. Both Mytek and Calrad sold you equipment that is wired with polarity that's different from what it's supposed to be. 2. Operator error. That's you. It sounds like you know what you're doing, but there's just no other legitimate possibility based on the info you've provided us. 3. The third hypothetical which is NOT a legitimate possibility is that the Mytek manages to produce a different polarity when you use the Calrad adapters than it does when you don't use the adatpers. Besides using the adapters to route the 002's outputs back into an ADC, the other thing you can do to get to the bottom of this is to use a multimeter to check the connections on your polarity adapters. Look carefully to be sure you're connecting your test probes to the pins you think you're connecting them to at each end of the adapter. Use the "continuity" setting of the meter for an easy "Go/No-Go" beep. Or just open them up and look inside. Seems odd that Calrec would miswire two adatpers and ship them both to the same guy who got a miswired Mytek converter. Also seems odd that Mytek would build a converter with connectors installed with wire, the only possible way to get an accidental inversion on one unit. If that's the case, an assembler would have had to miswire both channels. More likely would be that they used PC-mount XLR connectors, which cannot be accidentally miswired. It would have to be a design flaw, one that surely would have been noticed by other users of the same product sometime in the past 5 years. It kind of sounds like I'm piling on and saying this has to be your error, but I'm really just trying to help you work through the variables. Believe me, I've made far sillier mistakes than this. But while I'm being pedantic and thorough, I have to say that I doubt your assertions that you've heard adapter cables color your audio, or that you can identify an absolute polarity inversion by ear. Relative polarity inversion (such as right-vs-left or two mikes on a single source) is very easy to hear. Absolute inversion (everything flipped together) is nearly impossible on a very few sources under ideal conditions, and totally impossible on everything else. __________________ Justin Ulysses Morse Roll Music Systems Minneapolis, MN Put a bottle of juice in your Lunchbox.