• From: USA
  • Registered: 2011-01-10
  • Posts: 8

Topic: how to cable UFX line outs for separate headphone mixes

Hi:

I have a UFX and I will soon need to record 3 performers, sending separate headphone mixes to each performer.

I am trying to decide what kind of cables I should get.  I know I need to use 3 pairs of line outs for 3 separate headphone mixes, and I know how to use TotalMix for this, but the cabling gives me pause.

For each headphone mix, I could use an unbalanced Y-cable with 2 TS male connectors on the UFX side to receive a pair of main outs, with 1 TRS female connector on the headphone side to connect a TRS headphone cable into.

Is this the way I should cable each pair of outs for separate headphone mixes?

I suppose I should keep these Y-cables short as possible to minimize the length of unbalanced cable.  Would it be okay then to extend the headphone side with a balanced male TRS-to-female TRS cables?

Is there a better way to do all this? 

Thanks!

Regards,
Gary

2 Reply by Runepune (edited by Runepune 2013-01-03 20:00:09)

  • Registered: 2011-12-16
  • Posts: 59

Re: how to cable UFX line outs for separate headphone mixes

Line outs are not designed to drive headphones. Depending on headphone impedance and sensitivity, you may get something out of them, but I'd really advice on using headphone amp(s) for this!

E.g. something like this: http://www.smproaudio.com/index.php/en/ … -amps/hp6e

Or this one, to let musicians balance sources themselves: http://www.mackie.com/products/hmx56/index.html (Out of production, I see...)

3 Reply by 2pulse (edited by 2pulse 2013-01-03 20:57:05)

  • Registered: 2013-01-03
  • Posts: 4

Re: how to cable UFX line outs for separate headphone mixes

It makes no difference from a "signal integrity" standpoint whether the "Y" cable or the TRS cable is the longer of the two; neither is balanced, as it is sending two unbalanced mono signals to the left and right phones.  Remember that "Stereo" does not equal "Balanced", even though they may occasionally use the same type of cable. 

For cable management purposes, you may want the "Y" cables to be short, just to cut back on the spaghetti explosion from the back of your UFX.

In the end, I really wouldn't worry about long headphone runs, despite being unbalanced.  Whatever miniscule amount of RF interference or high frequency loss that might occur will most certainly not be noticed by musicians in a tracking situation.

  • WKG
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  • Registered: 2012-03-13
  • Posts: 4

Re: how to cable UFX line outs for separate headphone mixes

I use these to send the appropriate lineouts on the UFX into the aux inputs on a Samson S-Phone when I need more headphone mixes.

Cable Up Insert Cable

Samson S-Phone

There are 4 channels on the S-Phone with 3 headphone outputs each, separate volume, HF & LF eq on each channel. Works great and haven't had anyone complain about the audio.

  • Registered: 2013-01-03
  • Posts: 4

Re: how to cable UFX line outs for separate headphone mixes

I've found the UFX line-outs quite capable of driving my Beyer DT770 (80 ohm) and Grado SR225i (32 ohm) headphones.  There has been no apparent distortion, and the volume range and frequency balance is quite comparable to the dedicated headphone outputs.  Am I risking damaging the UFX by drawing more current than the line outs are designed for?

6 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
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  • From: Germany/Thailand
  • Registered: 2007-04-06
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Re: how to cable UFX line outs for separate headphone mixes

Not at all.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

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