wireless audio

Jay Massengill · March 23rd, 2017, 03:27 PM

The test worked and required just two off-the-shelf Y cables and no adapters.

However, this should be the basis for making your own custom cable as it's an inelegant solution, but did prove the connection works for summing stereo to mono and connecting into the beltpack transmitter in my test scenario.

Cable #1 is a two-RCA male to one-RCA female Y cable. Connect it to the stereo RCA outputs you have available.

Cable #2 is a two-RCA male to mini TRS male Y cable. You will only use ONE of the RCA connectors, the one that connects signal to the TIP of the mini connector.

First set the beltpack transmitter to Line Level in the menu and then power it off again before making the connections.

Figure out which RCA connector of cable #2 connects to the tip of the TRS mini. Mark it, and connect it to the Female RCA of cable #1. (I had a cable that came already marked Tip and Ring on the RCA's.)

The other male RCA of cable #2 isn't connected to anything. I recommend covering it with an insulator. Don't tape directly on it, that will leave residue. Also don't cut that leg off, it could short the shield to the conductor at the cut and would also ruin the cable for normal use.

This unconnected leg could pick up noise, so use as short a cable as is practical if you must use this solution rather than making your own cable. I was in a pretty bad RF environment and using a 6-foot cable and didn't hear any problem since it was Line Level input. YMMV.

I recommend making your own custom cable with a single RCA male wired to the Tip and Sleeve of a mini TRS connector. The ring of the TRS mini is left totally unconnected.

This way you can use the custom cable alone if you only have a single RCA source in the future. If you need to sum stereo to mono, just add the commonly available Y cable #1 in my example above.

Don Palomaki · March 24th, 2017, 08:05 AM

Just an alternative thought. If the the shoot is far enough in the future you could always ask him to mail his adapter chain for you to use. That way you should be able to give him what he gets on his own. Just test it when you receive it to be sure it works.

Covering for guys who overbook is always interesting. Is he paying you, or is his client paying you, or is this a favor? In any case be sure you cover your liabilities. Some people can get squirrelly if things are not as they imagined they should be.

March 23rd, 2017, 03:27 PM	#31
Jay Massengill Trustee Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Burlington Posts: 1,976	Re: wireless audio The test worked and required just two off-the-shelf Y cables and no adapters. However, this should be the basis for making your own custom cable as it's an inelegant solution, but did prove the connection works for summing stereo to mono and connecting into the beltpack transmitter in my test scenario. Cable #1 is a two-RCA male to one-RCA female Y cable. Connect it to the stereo RCA outputs you have available. Cable #2 is a two-RCA male to mini TRS male Y cable. You will only use ONE of the RCA connectors, the one that connects signal to the TIP of the mini connector. First set the beltpack transmitter to Line Level in the menu and then power it off again before making the connections. Figure out which RCA connector of cable #2 connects to the tip of the TRS mini. Mark it, and connect it to the Female RCA of cable #1. (I had a cable that came already marked Tip and Ring on the RCA's.) The other male RCA of cable #2 isn't connected to anything. I recommend covering it with an insulator. Don't tape directly on it, that will leave residue. Also don't cut that leg off, it could short the shield to the conductor at the cut and would also ruin the cable for normal use. This unconnected leg could pick up noise, so use as short a cable as is practical if you must use this solution rather than making your own cable. I was in a pretty bad RF environment and using a 6-foot cable and didn't hear any problem since it was Line Level input. YMMV. I recommend making your own custom cable with a single RCA male wired to the Tip and Sleeve of a mini TRS connector. The ring of the TRS mini is left totally unconnected. This way you can use the custom cable alone if you only have a single RCA source in the future. If you need to sum stereo to mono, just add the commonly available Y cable #1 in my example above. Last edited by Jay Massengill; March 23rd, 2017 at 07:45 PM.

March 24th, 2017, 08:05 AM	#32
Don Palomaki Wrangler Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Northern VA Posts: 4,487	Re: wireless audio Just an alternative thought. If the the shoot is far enough in the future you could always ask him to mail his adapter chain for you to use. That way you should be able to give him what he gets on his own. Just test it when you receive it to be sure it works. Covering for guys who overbook is always interesting. Is he paying you, or is his client paying you, or is this a favor? In any case be sure you cover your liabilities. Some people can get squirrelly if things are not as they imagined they should be. __________________ dpalomaki@dspalomaki.com