Topic: FF802: turning the headphones output into balanced connections?

Hi everyone!

I have a FF802 and I was toying with the idea of sending a pair of analog outputs to my TK Audio Blender unit, so I could plug in two different effects processors and use the Blender capabilities (put them in serial, parallel, whatever).

However, I'm tapped out of analog outputs, as they are all going to a Dangerous Music summing box.
The only analog outs I have left are the two headphone outputs at the front, but they're not balanced, and the Blender unit only accepts balanced connections.

Can someone please advise if this reasoning is correct to try and balance the signals using the two pairs of headphone outs?

1. In the TotalMix, convert the stereo playback signal to be processed into two mono tracks, panned hard left and right, respectively;

2. Send left track to headphone out 9/10 so the same mono track is feeding both L & R channels, and flip the phase on one of the channels;

3. Repeat with the right signal: send that track to output pair 11/12, and flip the phase on one of the channels;

4. Now send the signal via two TRS plugs from the front panel, "kind of electronically balanced", to the Blender's balanced input.

This way output pair 9/10 would carry a balanced Left connection, and the same for the 11/12 output pair with the Right channel.

Would this work?
Am I getting something wrong?

Or would I be better off just forgetting about the balancing and send it as an unbalanced signal and compensate with volume?

Thanks.

André

2 (edited by andretoscano 2018-10-31 19:47:58)

Re: FF802: turning the headphones output into balanced connections?

ramses wrote:

Balanced connection is something completely different, pls. google for that.
This is nothing that can be compensated by FM FX settings.

My reasoning was that since the headphone outputs use a TRS connector as output (Tip for the Left signal, Ring for the Right), then if I sent just one "+ signal" to the tip and one "- signal" to the Ring, I could probably balance a mono signal on that output pair (and repeat the process for the other channel, naturally).
But I get your point.

More reasonable would be to upgrade your FF802 via ADAT with an RME ADDA converter like ie
http://www.rme-audio.de/products/adi_8_ds_mk3.php

Thought about that, but they're crazy expensive at the moment.
And also, I guess it would be kind of weird to purchase a full fledged external converter just to plug a couple of old noisy analog delay units...
Would be perfect to be able to use the Headphones out, as I never use them (I monitor from the Dangerous Music box). But, well, eventually maybe a second-hand two-channel convert will do the trick.

Thanks!

Best regards,

André

3

Re: FF802: turning the headphones output into balanced connections?

Sorry Ramses, but you are wrong. The described method from the first post works 100%.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

Re: FF802: turning the headphones output into balanced connections?

MC wrote:

Sorry Ramses, but you are wrong. The described method from the first post works 100%.

Sorry didn't know, thanks a lot for clarifying.

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub13

Re: FF802: turning the headphones output into balanced connections?

MC wrote:

Sorry Ramses, but you are wrong. The described method from the first post works 100%.

Thanks for clarifying, Matthias.
I will try this method later on.

Best regards,
André

Re: FF802: turning the headphones output into balanced connections?

Clever hack!  Very nice.  cool

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