JDirckze Posted May 1, 2008 Report Share Posted May 1, 2008 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FSBELLA Posted May 1, 2008 Report Share Posted May 1, 2008 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDirckze Posted May 1, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2008 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDirckze Posted May 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2008 FYI I decided to go with the Beachtek DXA-6VU I'll just replace the mini jack with an XLR-M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Perkins Posted May 4, 2008 Report Share Posted May 4, 2008 Or a Peter Engh P21--fine for wireless sending line-level signals. No batteries, smaller, has its own leads etc so fewer connectors. This really helped me often back in my FP33 days. Philip Perkins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDirckze Posted May 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2008 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Perkins Posted May 10, 2008 Report Share Posted May 10, 2008 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDirckze Posted May 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2008 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDirckze Posted May 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2008 Update: Got the Beachtek unit working, but the amount of hiss was unacceptable. I've now picked up a SD Mix Pre. Should've done that from the start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProSound Posted May 23, 2008 Report Share Posted May 23, 2008 For anyone who needs to add two extra channels. The Mix-pre is always a great choice and has saved me many times Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDirckze Posted May 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2008 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProSound Posted May 24, 2008 Report Share Posted May 24, 2008 Jason, If I need 6 channels I use two 302 mixer together with 5 411a I am sure it is lighter than your rig perhaps your next job you should consider it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason porter Posted May 24, 2008 Report Share Posted May 24, 2008 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProSound Posted May 24, 2008 Report Share Posted May 24, 2008 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek H Posted June 26, 2009 Report Share Posted June 26, 2009 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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