664 Com out to T4 issue

[BAB414]

Hello!

 

I have a really high noise floor on the R1a's with this combo. I've tried going into the T4 at mic and line level, adjusting slate mic and program gain, different cables etc. I used to send the feed out to a UM400(a?) using this expensive cable and it worked fine. Not so much with the T4. I'm told the COM output is unbalanced stereo. Will this cable solve my issues some how instead of using a regular ta3 to xlr like I have been trying?

 

Anyone have experience with this combo of gear?

 

Thanks,

Ben

[Conor]

If it's unbalanced stereo then you need a cable that either takes only one side of the output, or sums them nicely. You could just tie pins 1 & 3 on either side of a TA3-XLR cable and pan the output to the right.

[PMC]

OH, JEEZ! $150 for your earlier cable with no electronics involved. Just wires and pins. That is messed up. 

[Derek H]

What’s maybe happening is your T4 is set to balanced input and you’re sending it stereo or maybe dual mono on pins 2&3 of the XLR so it’s canceling out and whatever remains you’re having to boost it so much that the noise floor is very high. Does it sound generally just bad and kinda hollow too?

 

 Here’s what I’d recommend with your existing cabling… set the dip switches on the back of the T4 so that it’s expecting an unbalanced signal on pin 2. Now on the 664 on the coms output routing page just send your mix to the “left” output of the TA3 and nothing to the right. This effectively makes it appear as an unbalanced connection on the XLR end. 
 

This kinda stuff is one of the reasons they made the 688 with more sensible routing options. But I use a 664 with a T4 off the coms output currently in a cart setup and I have it working great so it is possible. 
 

If that doesn’t work check back here. 

[OB1]

^this...and also just process of elimination.

 

I had the same issue as you back when I had a 664 and ran it out to a T4. I just started dipping switches and changing the output selections until it sounded crystal clear. Not scientific, but after I found the settings it was left there until unit was sold and it worked flawlessly.

[BAB414]

You guys are right. I completely wrote off the last two dip switch combos simply because I didn't know what they were and in the heat of being on set, didn't care to look it up. Doing what Derek and OB1 suggested worked. No need for a $120 cable after all. Thank you so much.

[Derek H]

Glad it worked out! Yeah the T4 input is kinda goofy with all the dip switches but it does make it flexible.