Hi there,
Read a few other similar threads but would appreciate opinions...
I am outputting audio from a soundcard via a mixer to some monitor speakers in my studio. Problem is, both the soundcard and mixer are on the other side of the room, and so I don't have volume control when I'm sitting at the desk where the speakers are.
I want to build a stereo volume control device that will receive input from XLR and output as XLR.
Would it be best (in terms of sound quality) to build a pre-amp or just throw a volume pot on the line to change output level?
Will I risk damaging my monitors if I use a pre-amp? Will sound degradation become an issue if I don't?
Cheers
Read a few other similar threads but would appreciate opinions...
I am outputting audio from a soundcard via a mixer to some monitor speakers in my studio. Problem is, both the soundcard and mixer are on the other side of the room, and so I don't have volume control when I'm sitting at the desk where the speakers are.
I want to build a stereo volume control device that will receive input from XLR and output as XLR.
Would it be best (in terms of sound quality) to build a pre-amp or just throw a volume pot on the line to change output level?
Will I risk damaging my monitors if I use a pre-amp? Will sound degradation become an issue if I don't?
Cheers
You could just use an L-Pad on the speaker lines if you are not throwing a lot of power into them.
If that does not work...
By XLR am I to assume you mean balanced line?
If so, then an active circuit may be best, which requires something like a pair of INA134 and DRV134 Texas Instrument chips to convert to unbalanced, insert the stereo volume control, and back again to a balanced line out. You will also need a ±15 or even 18 VDC power supply. That seems like a lot of hoops to jump through, but a good solution if sound quality is important.
You can try to simply attenuate the balanced line with a low impedance 4-gang volume pot, but any slight imbalance will create additional attenuations between left and right channels.
There may be a IR remote control you could make or just buy to do the same thing, but balanced lines make it more complex.
Is the input to the power amp also a balanced line or are they powered monitors?
If that does not work...
By XLR am I to assume you mean balanced line?
If so, then an active circuit may be best, which requires something like a pair of INA134 and DRV134 Texas Instrument chips to convert to unbalanced, insert the stereo volume control, and back again to a balanced line out. You will also need a ±15 or even 18 VDC power supply. That seems like a lot of hoops to jump through, but a good solution if sound quality is important.
You can try to simply attenuate the balanced line with a low impedance 4-gang volume pot, but any slight imbalance will create additional attenuations between left and right channels.
There may be a IR remote control you could make or just buy to do the same thing, but balanced lines make it more complex.
Is the input to the power amp also a balanced line or are they powered monitors?
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Do you need balanced impedance connections?
If your answer is yes, then you must go and educate yourself about what is required to allow a balanced impedance connection to operate to it's potential.
Balanced impedance connections are very different from unbalanced. You NEED to understand this DIFFERENCE.
Read
W.Jung
D.Self
W.Whitlock
Rane
Jensen
ESP
If your answer is yes, then you must go and educate yourself about what is required to allow a balanced impedance connection to operate to it's potential.
Balanced impedance connections are very different from unbalanced. You NEED to understand this DIFFERENCE.
Read
W.Jung
D.Self
W.Whitlock
Rane
Jensen
ESP
The xlr in and outputs were described in my original post because I understood that balanced lines carry better sound.
I could very well be wrong.
I can run a regular unbalanced signal (RCA in, 1/4" out) if that is a better (more economical) way to do things.
The monitors are powered.
I guess I am tossing up between re-amplifying signal to a powered speaker (will it blow the speaker amp?) or reducing voltage through the input line to reduce signal strength (will degradation become an issue at lower volumes?)
The output is a 4 channel mixer. On line 1 and 4, turntable in/out. Line 2, computer. Line 3, mic.
Into powered monitor speakers.
Cheers.
I could very well be wrong.
I can run a regular unbalanced signal (RCA in, 1/4" out) if that is a better (more economical) way to do things.
The monitors are powered.
I guess I am tossing up between re-amplifying signal to a powered speaker (will it blow the speaker amp?) or reducing voltage through the input line to reduce signal strength (will degradation become an issue at lower volumes?)
The output is a 4 channel mixer. On line 1 and 4, turntable in/out. Line 2, computer. Line 3, mic.
Into powered monitor speakers.
Cheers.
Balanced lines are great when signal runs are long (i.e., longer than 15 to 20 feet).
However, you must convert the signal from unbalance to balanced, then to unbalanced to the volume control, then back to balanced, then unbalanced again at the speakers.
A better solution probably would be to search for a remote volume control or a servo driven volume control that you could implement between the preamp you have now and the powered speakers.
Placing the volume control physically at your desk will be expensive, so I would be looking at off-the-shelf components you can buy to do the job.
You can run a balanced output through a passive vloume control and keep the whole path balanced. Its much cheaper to do this than unbalance and then rebalance signals.
Here is a link to one I built only last week with a cheap pot just to make sure it works. I have actually got a stepped attenuator coming to build into a more complex setup.
http://www.proharmonic.com/articles/AT78_OTB.pdf
Here is a link to one I built only last week with a cheap pot just to make sure it works. I have actually got a stepped attenuator coming to build into a more complex setup.
http://www.proharmonic.com/articles/AT78_OTB.pdf
You may be interested in our volume-controller who do exactly what you are looking for. Is presented here vicol audio : r-2r volume controller
and here
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/anal...trolers-source-selections-88.html#post3463780
You may control up to 6 XLR channels.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Regards,
Tibi
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Using a digitally controlled analogue attenuator chip like PGA4311 (4 channels) seems a good deal for balanced signal volume control. Commonly used PGA2311 is 2 channels but easily paralleled via daisy chaining feature. See page 10 of PGA2311 datasheet.
That is at 31.5db gain setting which is excessive. If our concern is volume attenuation, gain setting of 0db max is ideal usage of PGA's in my opinion. I've seen some PGA software code has a setting for max 0db operation.
Hi there,
a very interesting question for me. I was thinking of implementing a 4311 in balanced scheme - mostly to decrease its own noise opposed to a regular 2311 unbalanced. (I don't have fully balanced chain, only DAC output, so the resulting signal may be single-ended, no prob.)
But if 2 channels in 4311 have DISbalance of 1dB (worst case of ±.5 x 2) this may result in weird output....
Guess, paralleling the outputs of a 4311 pair-by-pair is no better...
However, I saw some DIY selector/attenuator kits on the Net with single 2311 that were claimed as 1 balanced / 2 unbalanced outputs... Dunno!!
Anybody who actually tried?..
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