advertisement


XLR line output to PC

JohnyT

pfm Member
Hello, I'd like to hook up the balanced XLR line outs to my Laptop. I was looking at one of the smaller Focusrites but apparently their XLR inputs are only suitable for microphones and guitars.
Is there an affordable usb sound device which has a suitable balanced XLR line input?
 
Hello, I'd like to hook up the balanced XLR line outs to my Laptop. I was looking at one of the smaller Focusrites but apparently their XLR inputs are only suitable for microphones and guitars.
Is there an affordable usb sound device which has a suitable balanced XLR line input?
I have been looking at USB audio interfaces (assuming that's what you seek) but haven't yet bought one. Nevertheless, doesn't the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 for example take balanced line level input on a TRS jack plugged into the centre of a combo input?

So am I mistaken in thinking that a 2i2 plus female XLR to TRS cables like this one should handle up to 9.7 V input from a balanced XLR output with the INST switch set to line mode? Do your XLR line outputs supply more than 9.7 V maximum? Does it have to be an XLR to XLR cable?
 
I have been looking at USB audio interfaces (assuming that's what you seek) but haven't yet bought one. Nevertheless, doesn't the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 for example take balanced line level input on a TRS jack plugged into the centre of a combo input?

So am I mistaken in thinking that a 2i2 plus female XLR to TRS cables like this one should handle up to 9.7 V input from a balanced XLR output with the INST switch set to line mode? Do your XLR line outputs supply more than 9.7 V maximum? Does it have to be an XLR to XLR cable?

I've just dug out the manual and it says: Left and Right 600mv nom 20V max.
Though it does say left and right at the beginning of the sentence I'm not sure if that actually means 10v left + 10v right or 20v per channel.
 
You could consider as an alternative the e1da cosmos adc which archimago uses for measurements.
https://archimago.blogspot.com/2021/09/early-look-e1da-cosmos-adc-affordable.html?m=1
I haven’t tried it but it’s cheap and seems to be state of the art in accuracy. Obviously once you’ve converted to digital you’ll need to use audacity or whatever to record.

This is very interesting. Thanks for the heads up on this. Perhaps also a useful tool for cartridge setup?
 
I have been looking at USB audio interfaces (assuming that's what you seek) but haven't yet bought one. Nevertheless, doesn't the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 for example take balanced line level input on a TRS jack plugged into the centre of a combo input?

So am I mistaken in thinking that a 2i2 plus female XLR to TRS cables like this one should handle up to 9.7 V input from a balanced XLR output with the INST switch set to line mode? Do your XLR line outputs supply more than 9.7 V maximum? Does it have to be an XLR to XLR cable?

The Focusrite inputs are a combi XLR/jack input, and you can use the XLR input for either a mic or line level, by switching the input gain between line and mic. If you select line, you get a balanced input via XLR.

I don't know if the jack is TRS, I could try and peer in and see if there's three connections in there. It very well may be, focusrite include TRS balanced outputs on all their interfaces, well, all of the ones i've used (and i've used a fair few!). But if you are interfacing with a balanced source i'd expect it be XLR so a normal XLR lead will do the trick.
 
You could consider as an alternative the e1da cosmos adc which archimago uses for measurements.
https://archimago.blogspot.com/2021/09/early-look-e1da-cosmos-adc-affordable.html?m=1
I haven’t tried it but it’s cheap and seems to be state of the art in accuracy. Obviously once you’ve converted to digital you’ll need to use audacity or whatever to record.

Looks ideal for measurement use! Or indeed purist two channel digital recording. Russian, so maybe sanctioned now...
 
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
still on Amazon. They have a very low input impedance especially when operating at low voltage input range though so may require caution. But amazing nevertheless for a couple of hundred quid.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09JW79481/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21

Indeed yes. This could be problematic for audio use in some cases. Op amps of around 0.00003% THD when used as a follower are around these days so could be used to buffer the inputs with very little degradation.
 
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
Damn Damn Damn: I've managed to stimulate my own curiosity and I gone and bought one of these things myself. Why? I don't need one of these things. My minidsp SHD has a perfectly decent ADC.
 


advertisement


Back
Top