Basic Splitter for Live recording

[RedEyeJedi]

Hi guys

I am bit of Noob with live recording, but i got a gig to do next week and i'm wondering whats the deal with splitters...

For the purpose of this gig it is a corporate function i need to record and it is a single channel mono mic going into my laptop sound card...

Basically I want to take the signal (obviously!) out of the mixer and into my sound card, but i want to send another line of the same channel into a portable hdd recorder as a backup in case laptop is bitchy!

Can someone please help me out in terms of how i would do this and what i need to buy?

appreciated in advance

[rcrowley]

Is this YOUR mixer, or the mixer at the event/venue? If it is YOUR mixer, then just use a separate output for each device.

If it is THEIR mixer, then take line-level output and "split" it with a passive Y-cord and feed both of your recording devices. If you are the only one recording, I would ask them for TWO outputs, one for each device. Of course you would want to arrange this in advance. Asking for anything at the last minute is a serious gamble and not recommended practice.

Of course, the downside of using a dumb Y-cord is that there no isolation and if one input is shorted it would take the signal away from the other one as well.

The proper way of doing this would be to use a "press box" which takes a line-level input and puts out many (4 to 64) isolated mic-level outputs so that the media can come in and plug into the press box as it if were their own microphone. You can probably rent/hire a press-box in Johannesburg.

[RedEyeJedi]

Originally Posted by rcrowley

Is this YOUR mixer, or the mixer at the event/venue? If it is YOUR mixer, then just use a separate output for each device.

If it is THEIR mixer, then take line-level output and "split" it with a passive Y-cord and feed both of your recording devices. If you are the only one recording, I would ask them for TWO outputs, one for each device. Of course you would want to arrange this in advance. Asking for anything at the last minute is a serious gamble and not recommended practice.

Of course, the downside of using a dumb Y-cord is that there no isolation and if one input is shorted it would take the signal away from the other one as well.

The proper way of doing this would be to use a "press box" which takes a line-level input and puts out many (4 to 64) isolated mic-level outputs so that the media can come in and plug into the press box as it if were their own microphone. You can probably rent/hire a press-box in Johannesburg.

It is my mixer, but would prob be using someone elses mixer at some stage so good to be prepared...

Is there any signal quality loss by using a Y-Chord?
I was reading some forums here where they indicated youneed a quality splitter with good transformes ala jensen...
I see the Radial JS3 i think it is which looks great but is very pricy...
Otherwise there is the Samson 3-way S-Split which is cheap but im sure not the greatest quality...

[rcrowley]

A wire that carries electricity is a cord. A cluster of musical notes is a chord.

The amount of signal quality loss (if any) is only partially dependent on whether you are using a passive simple Y-cord. Under ideal conditions, a simple Y-cord will have LESS signal quality loss than more sophisticated methods (build-out resistors, transformers, or active circuitry, etc.)

You only need transformer isolation if you are interconnecting different systems (such as splitting microphone lines between recording and FOH reinforcement). If all the pieces are yours (the mixer and the two recorders), there is no obvious need for isolation transformers. Presumably you have tried and tested all the pieces working together before the actual event.

You typically need isolation transformers when you are splitting the "raw" microphone signal. But you indicated that you are taking the (presumably line-level) output from the mixer (whether yours or others'), and that does not automatically require the use of isolation transformers.

The Radial and Samson splitter products are mic-level devices. You said that you are taking the OUTPUT from the mixer. Taking a low-impedance, high-level signal from the output of a mixer does not require those kinds of transformers.

If you are recording a corporate speech, the difference between the Radial and the Samson products will be indistinguishable.

[RedEyeJedi]

Originally Posted by rcrowley

A wire that carries electricity is a cord. A cluster of musical notes is a chord.

e my bad

[RedEyeJedi]

Ok, cool thanks for the heads up...
I think I will just get the Y-cord for now as we have our own mixer... Any brands u recommend??

[rcrowley]

I question your basic premise of using a Y-cable (or splitter) at all. You have provided no details about your mixer, your computer, or your recorder. You have jumped to the solution of thinking you need a splitter or Y-cable. I don't buy any of those assumptions. If you want our help to interface your mixer to your computer and recorder, tell us what they are and we can suggest the appropriate interconnections. IMHO, that does NOT include either splitter transformers OR a Y-cable.

[hbphotoav]

Originally Posted by RedEyeJedi

Ok, cool thanks for the heads up...
I think I will just get the Y-cord for now as we have our own mixer... Any brands u recommend??

If you have your own mixer, do you not have a L/R output (pan at 12 o'clock, feed both recorders) or a couple of AUX mixes (pre/post fader probably doesn't matter in this instance). Even if you feed your mixer with source audio from another mixer, no need for a Y-cord.

If you insist on that solution, HOSA make a decent line of molded cables, in almost any configuration. I usually just heat up the soldering iron and build whatever I need. Saves money, I know the connections are right, it's precisely the length I need, and if I don't smell hot solder at least once a week, my universal frame of reference gets skewed...

[recordinghopkins]

I'm betting this can be done for free with the gear you already have. I would also like to know more about the equipment on hand. That's what a mixer is for... signal routing and summing. Route the channel direct out to one machine, and use a pre-fader aux for the other. Set the pre-fade aux modestly in case of overages on your primary, post-fader machine connected to the direct out for that channel. If you must, a post fader aux will work as well, you'll just not have the luxury of digital clip protection as well as failure protection.

Cheers

[recordinghopkins]

Originally Posted by hbphotoav

...if I don't smell hot solder at least once a week, my universal frame of reference gets skewed...

You should add that to your signature!

OP: I'm with Harry on this one. A mixer provides many options for sending the same signal multiple places.

I'll do you one more and suggest the subgroup direct outputs or insert jacks. Then you have separate faders for each device. Make sure the groups are not assigned to L/R!