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Lectros with Y-Cable


JDirckze

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Hey all,

Probably a silly question...

The show I'm working on at the moment requires me to run 4 radios + boom, I'm using a PSC Alphamix (4 channel) and wanted to know if I could use a simple Y-Cable to hook up 2 of my 411's into one channel on my mixer? I'm pretty sure I can, but just wanted to double check.

Cheers,

Jason

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Hey all,

Probably a silly question...

The show I'm working on at the moment requires me to run 4 radios + boom, I'm using a PSC Alphamix (4 channel) and wanted to know if I could use a simple Y-Cable to hook up 2 of my 411's into one channel on my mixer? I'm pretty sure I can, but just wanted to double check.

Cheers,

Jason

yes. but obviously, you are controlling both talent lavs with that 1 fader. usually when that happens, try to put the "supporting cast" on that y shared input. keep your lead talent separate.

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Thanks for the confirmation Frank.

Scott, I don't think I have an Aux input on the Alphamix, I could be mistaken though. I'll check today when I get to the production office. Would it perhaps be better to use something like one of the Beachtek units? I guess that way I get level controls for both mics going into the one channel.

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So the (refurbished) Beachtek unit came in, and I chopped off the 1/8" mini jack and soldered on an XLR. There is a HUGE amount of hiss present, and I'm also picking up radio signals.

Before I chopped the 1/8" jack off, I used a Female 1/8" to XLR-M cable, and there were issues there with connection.

Have I done something stupid, or do you think the unit is still faulty. I guess I'll be calling Beachtek on Monday and/or Trew/LSC/Coffee to see if they can sort my life out for me. Is there something obvious I may have missed?

Actually, I think I know what has happened. I need to solder both hot/cold to pin 2, pin 3 is jump'd to pin 1 which is ground??? Doe's that sound right?

The unit is the DXA-6VU.

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So the (refurbished) Beachtek unit came in, and I chopped off the 1/8" mini jack and soldered on an XLR. There is a HUGE amount of hiss present, and I'm also picking up radio signals.

Before I chopped the 1/8" jack off, I used a Female 1/8" to XLR-M cable, and there were issues there with connection.

Have I done something stupid, or do you think the unit is still faulty. I guess I'll be calling Beachtek on Monday and/or Trew/LSC/Coffee to see if they can sort my life out for me. Is there something obvious I may have missed?

Actually, I think I know what has happened. I need to solder both hot/cold to pin 2, pin 3 is jump'd to pin 1 which is ground??? Doe's that sound right?

The unit is the DXA-6VU.

Wait a sec--isn't this a 2 channel unit?  That mini you cut off--that was tip/ring/sleeve?  Normally that would be tip for left channel, ring for right channel, and sleeve for common ground.  You shouldn't wire this to a single 3 pin XLR connector, if that's what you are doing.  Now that you've removed the stereo mini plug you'll have to do some surgery to make this work. Can you do any panning on the Beachtek box--will it make its output mono?  (Didn't look like it on their site.)  I think the easiest thing for you to now is solder on a stereo (tip/ring/sleeve) phone plug, male, wired as above.  Then make yourself  a female TRS phone to whatever you need cable to plug into it.  (Break out to two XLRs, etc.)  You could also put the stereo mini back on the cable and buy yourself a premade adapter w/ female stereo mini to whatever.  In any case, the output of the Beachtek is unbalanced, hence the short cable, just a hot and a common ground for each channel.  If you CAN mono the two channels to a single output then wire up an A3M w/ the hot lead of whichever channel the two inputs are getting mixed to to pin 2, the common ground to pin 1+3.  If you are going to a Sound Devices mixer then forget splitting the ground to pins 1+3, just use 1.

Philip Perkins

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Hey Phillip,

Thanks for responding. Yeah, this is a 2 channel unit, and it does have a mono switch on the back.

Basically, I have to run 4 wireless + boom on my 4 channel Alphamix. I bought the beachtek unit to combine two of the Lectros into one channel, and also enable me individual control of each Lectro.

OK, so I realize that I wasn't thinking with my original soldering. I've done this stuff enough times but I guess my head wasn't in the right place.

So now, I've wired both hot & cold from the Beachtek to pin 2 on the XLR, pin 3 is ground, and I've put a jumper between 1 & 3. This doesn't seem to work either.

I might now try just having the ground on pin 1 like you suggested with the SD mixers

Thanks again for replying!

Jason

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks for that Scott...

It probably wouldn't kill me to read a manual once in a while.

Would you need a custom cable made up to dictate whether the boom would be sent to the left or right? Or just cut the right wire if you wanted to send to the left channel?

The bag is getting heavier by the day, Alphamix, Mix pre, and 4 x lectros. It's a little crowded in there now.

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not quite as sexy as the "604", but it works well for me!

Here is a list of what you see, left to right...

Zaxcom filtered antenna

Senn G2 Tx as an IFB send and mono mix to camera 2

Mix Pre

SD 302

Senn G2 Rx

401

2 X 201's

Edirol R-09 backup recorder

Zax Stereoline Tx

Everything is powered from a pair of 7.2V Li-Ion batteries hidden in the bag and the space to the right of the 302 will soon be filled up by an LCD voltmeter.

post-138-130815077681_thumb.jpg

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Jason,

I have used this set up before though I cram all the same crap into a Petrol 302 bag and wear a fanny pack instead. I just don't like the sound of the mix-pre all that much though I use it. That is why I now will use 2 302 or as scott calls it the 604 set up.

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  • 1 year later...

Old post I know, but thought I would chime in..

If you're still using the alphamix why not try to get your hands on an expansion module?  It's lower profile than adding in just about any other mixer to the bag and bumps you up to 8 channels..  tho god help u if u really need that many inputs for an eng gig..

They're discontinued but pop up on the used market now and then.

-d

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