VT cable with xlr connections?

[blueisland]

Does anyone know if it would be possible to make a cable that could connect to the VT card as normal (via the 15 pin contact with all the BNC connectors) but could also have two XLR cables (left and right).

I guess for this I would need a diagram of the 15 pin connector and get someone to make it. Has anyone done this? I really hate the audio that comes out/in of the mini jack sockets, very hissy. (I do not need the SX84).

So if anyone has a diagram can they let me have a copy.

Thanks

[ScorpioProd]

But since the miniplug UNBALANCED connection is still the way in and out of the card, I'm not sure how that would help... You would still have to unbalance the signal with a transformer or active circuit before plugging into the card.

[blueisland]

Thanks for that. As you have guess my knowledge of even basic electronics is sad. But deep down I have this feeling that I do not have to spend over $2000 to solve this problem of unbalenced sound. Don't get me wrong the SX-84 looks wonderful but I use VT only for editing. The minijack connected to speakers is not good enough for me. Any ideas appreciated.

[Jim Capillo]

You may have something wrong with the VT card, or perhaps your equipment. Are you running your VT into an amplifier? If so, does it have "line in" ? May be an impedence mismatch..... Hissy audio is one complaint I don't think I've ever heard.

Please describe your setup a bit more.

[blueisland]

I'm running vt3 with the old vt card - the system was all made /put together by an authorised dealer and I know there is nothing wrong with my gear.

The hiss I refer to shows up on headphones, mixer and amplifier. The solution to eliminate it is to up the treble but this has obvious knock on effects. The hiss is not large but it is there in the background and it is a problem of using unbalance connection with low noise ratios. I think I am correct in saying the minijack output is -10db whereas balanced XLR is +4 with means less amplification and therefore less noise. I do like absolutely crystal clear sound and if you check your minijack output I think you will find a definite hiss.

I am not a sound engineer so excuse any wrong statements in the above.

[Brian Peterson]

Hiss can be caused by many things and a balance input isn't going to necessarily fix anything. While xLR is touted as some sort of god for audio, I've been a disc jockey long enough to know that any type of connector can cause trouble.

On my VT if I leave it running long enough the audio on output will go hissy, this is my indication to reboot and when it comes back the hiss is gone.

It could also be inside your computer, I had a hiss on one computer that I discovered was a power cable who's covering was thin and it was by the audio card.

The first thing I check on an audio system that has hiss is the cables. Have you tried swapping out the cables to see if that rectifys the situation. Cables do wear out and seldom can you actually see where the problem really is.

What else is plugged into that circuit breaker elsewhere in the building? The hiss could be a coffee pot plugged into another outlet on the same breaker.

Have you hit your card connections with some contact clearner?

As a DJ for 16 years I have found all connectors, bnc, xlr, rca, 1/8, 1/4 to be just as "clean" a connection on input as all the others. The problem always lies with something that is not functioning right, has been crossed with something else or is just worn out.

I'm running vt3 with the old vt card - the system was all made /put together by an authorised dealer and I know there is nothing wrong with my gear.

The hiss I refer to shows up on headphones, mixer and amplifier. The solution to eliminate it is to up the treble but this has obvious knock on effects. The hiss is not large but it is there in the background and it is a problem of using unbalance connection with low noise ratios. I think I am correct in saying the minijack output is -10db whereas balanced XLR is +4 with means less amplification and therefore less noise. I do like absolutely crystal clear sound and if you check your minijack output I think you will find a definite hiss.

I am not a sound engineer so excuse any wrong statements in the above.

[John Perkins]

If you have a hiss loud enough to hear and show up on the mixer I'm afraid that you probably do have something wrong. Even if it was all day old equipment and cables I'd say the same thing.

Unbalanced gets blamed for a lot, but the only real difference is in the length of cables you can run and a tiny increase in the dynamic range with balanced. You might hear an insignificantly higher pitch in your hiss with balanced than unbalanced, but that's about it. ;)

Hiss has to be produced by something. It's more than likely a gain control somewhere (low gain can be noisy too) or a failing or low quality component.

[nevmoor]

Being an audio guy, I was also dissatified when I saw the mini connectors on the VT3. I assumed that the audio problem was the VT card. After realizing that the short cable length probably didn''t cause the problem I did some trouble shooting and found out that the gain structure of the facility anf the VT were not "matched". How does the audio get to your VT? I am sure you have checked your external audio mixer, but th VT3 audio mixer metering levels were not quite standard. I ended up downloading a mixer skin that had 0 level markers on it from someone here on the forums. It helped me out.

I have VT4 now so I dont have the files. I did a quick search. Here is a link:
http://www.newtek.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14608&highlight=mixer+skins

[Mark Patrick]

I posted on another thread before I saw this one - sorry. My mini connector out
is hiss-buzzing in my monitors also. Only the VT out does this. I might
send my card back in. I know it is nothing external, I am grounded and
have tried everything I can think of. Now I am afraid when I try to record
audio "in" through those minis, I might capture the buzz.

Like the original poster here, I can't express deeply enough how much
I wish Newtek had some simple pro balanced XLR plugs coming off that
card because I too, do not want to spend $2000 for an SX to shotgun
approach the problem.

[Pete Draves]

The problem exists in all ve cards. There is a lot of couputer hash low in the background. This is caused by poor power supply de-coupling and ground loops. The bob amplifies this noise.

The way to get rid of the noise is easy and not expensive.

A Jenson ground isolator transformer (stereo) is avsailable from Markertek.
It costs about $110 or so you need 2.
the input uses a mini tip ring sleeve to 2 rca plugs from radio shack ( in and out).
The connectors out of the iso xfmr go to a rca to quarter inch adapter and to the line in on an external mixer.
Adjust the gain an all is ok.
Yes (I will get bashed for thei but) the output of the toaster is 12 to 15 db low.this is corrected by the gain adjustment in your mixer.
with this low cost improvement the quality of the sound is much better.
It can compare to other systems quality.
I have set up many systems using this system.

But; alas, some users don't even hear the difference. After all the audio component of vide is often the forgotten component of video.
All of this above rant is how to get better sound from the toaster!!!
Regards
Pete

[Mark Patrick]

Pete,

Thank you for your post, I will try the Jensen. Thanks for warning
us about the BOB.

[jsanfilippo]

Just yesterday, I found what was causing noise in my audio output from the BOB. I was getting a digital noise (not a ground hum - but more of that "digital" noise type of thing) when I sent audio out the "rear" outputs from the BOB.... but NOT when sending out the "front".

After trying everything, I opened up the case and examined the audio cables. The rear outputs are carried from the BOB not across the "audio" HD15 cable, but actually, across the "control" cable (as far as I can tell).

The "secondary" card that has the control and, ummm, audio (i think) connectors is tied into the main VT card by thin ribbon cables.... which means, no shielding. The "control" ribbon was touching the housing of one of the fans. VIOLA! I re-routed the ribbon cable, and the noise was gone!

WOuldn't you think that Newtek would use shielded cables for this?

It was suggested that I could shield them myself. Shielding is little more than tin foil that is grounded at one end... an audio guy suggested I literally try wrapping them with tin foil. I think, for now, I'll leave well enough alone.