• Registered: 2022-02-02
  • Posts: 8

Topic: Connecting a Mic Preamp with Balanced outputs to Babyface Pro In3/4?

Hello all,

I would like to record with more than two microphones and I currently do not own a preamp with ADAT connection. What I do have is an old M-Audio DMP3 (mic preamp with two inputs) that I see could potentially connect to the Babyface In3-4. However, the output of the DMP3 is balanced and the manual says the Babyface Pro In3-4 are unbalanced. I basically have no idea what cable to use and I don't want to risk frying the Babyface. In the DMP3 manual, there are a couple of relevant screenshots I made: https://imgur.com/a/KhwYK2Y

Thanks!

  • Registered: 2021-11-07
  • Posts: 11

Re: Connecting a Mic Preamp with Balanced outputs to Babyface Pro In3/4?

I've used my external preamp's outputs—a FMR RNP—which are balanced into input 3 and 4 of my Babyface Pro FS with no problems. I guess that another solution would be to use balanced TRS or XLR to TS cables, but in that case I think the wiring needs to be a certain way, not sure which.

Macbook Air M1, 16G Ram, 1TB SSD. Rme Babyface Pro FS. KRK Rockit 5. And a bunch of guitars.
  • Registered: 2022-02-02
  • Posts: 8

Re: Connecting a Mic Preamp with Balanced outputs to Babyface Pro In3/4?

Bernard wrote:

I've used my external preamp's outputs—a FMR RNP—which are balanced into input 3 and 4 of my Babyface Pro FS with no problems. I guess that another solution would be to use balanced TRS or XLR to TS cables, but in that case I think the wiring needs to be a certain way, not sure which.

Thanks Bernard! Are you using TS to TS cables for your FMR RNP?

4 Reply by Bernard (edited by Bernard 2022-02-06 23:06:17)

  • Registered: 2021-11-07
  • Posts: 11

Re: Connecting a Mic Preamp with Balanced outputs to Babyface Pro In3/4?

Looks like I wasn't clear—sorry. I've been using 2 TRS cables. It been working fine, while I'm aware that, like I said, there's a possibility of using TRS to TS cables in that kind of scenarios, though if you do you can't take for granted that those you can buy—which are actually hard to find—are wired rightly for that.

Here's a link to a thread in another forum where that TRS/TS issue came up for me...

https://www.logicprohelp.com/forum/view … 74#p846674

Macbook Air M1, 16G Ram, 1TB SSD. Rme Babyface Pro FS. KRK Rockit 5. And a bunch of guitars.
  • Registered: 2022-02-02
  • Posts: 8

Re: Connecting a Mic Preamp with Balanced outputs to Babyface Pro In3/4?

Bernard wrote:

Looks like I wasn't clear—sorry. I've been using 2 TRS cables. It been working fine, while I'm aware that, like I said, there's a possibility of using TRS to TS cables in that kind of scenarios, though if you do you can't take for granted that those you can buy—which are actually hard to find—are wired rightly for that.

Here's a link to a thread in another forum where that TRS/TS issue came up for me...

https://www.logicprohelp.com/forum/view … 74#p846674

So I had another read of the DMP3 manual again and it says that it outputs an unbalanced signal if I use a TS cable for it. So that should be okay...? Haha

  • Registered: 2021-11-07
  • Posts: 11

Re: Connecting a Mic Preamp with Balanced outputs to Babyface Pro In3/4?

Should be fine. I would just try it—I don't think it would "fry" it. Good luck.

Macbook Air M1, 16G Ram, 1TB SSD. Rme Babyface Pro FS. KRK Rockit 5. And a bunch of guitars.