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RCA to XLR (for the meantime)

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Viewing 8 posts - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)
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  • October 6, 2014 at 9:41 pm #2068631
    DJ Vintage
    Moderator

    Not recommended. There is a big mismatch between the signal level the RCA puts out and the XLR inputs expects. Also you are going from unbalanced to balanced.

    Depending on what you are connecting to, more often than not there will be a set of RCAs to hook up to (especially true if you are hooking up to a DJ mixer, but even most live sound mixers will have at least one channel or 2TR input with RCA).
    As long as the distance is somewhere around 5-6 feet max., using rca-rca cables (of decent quality!) is not a problem.

    If you need longer cable runs and/or have to go into an XLR/balanced Jack connectors because nothing else is available, it pays to get a little box that allows you to convert two rca unbalanced inputs to two XLR/Jack balanced outputs

    Read some of the recent other posts on the subject.

    October 6, 2014 at 10:29 pm #2068682
    Andy Lara
    Participant

    thanks, what about an rca to 1/4 inch jack output? my friend also mentions that rca, 1/4 jack inputs are usually available in clubs. i usually only do gigs with my own equipment and this is my first club w/o my own equipment.. i have until saturday to prep.

    October 7, 2014 at 12:09 am #2068712
    Chad Lehew
    Participant

    Can you call or ask the sound engineers at the club?

    Most permanent club setups will have a mixer that you can plug into. Just go RCA from your controller to an empty channel in their mixer.

    October 7, 2014 at 7:57 am #2068801
    DJ Vintage
    Moderator

    RCA to 1/4″ unbalance would work. Still, like Chad said, check with the club what they have you hooking up to (if they don’t know just get make/model of the mixer you are plugging into and we can figure it out) and go with that.

    October 9, 2014 at 6:42 am #2070072
    rc@dc.rr.com
    Participant

    I have the same issue. It’s not for a gig, but I just received my 2 qsc k12s and a jbl 518s sub. I have a similar mixer ddj-sb, and yes only RCA master out. Went to guitar center and they sold me 2 RCA to xlr cables. But the RCA sides of the cord is a mono or single. So I needed 2, one for the left And right Chanel. I didn’t know this would not sound as good as it can get. Not sure what to do. I have 4 other xlr cables I guess Ill chain all the speakers together with.

    But do I go from the mixer to the sub, then the tops or what. Please shine light in this.
    2xk12 1xJbl 518s and a intro mixer ddj.

    October 9, 2014 at 8:52 am #2070191
    DJ Vintage
    Moderator

    I think I have to make a sticky for this 🙂

    Get something like this (preferably this one, since it works a charm):

    http://artproaudio.com/artcessories/audio_solutions/product/cleanbox_pro/

    Just stick your (good cable) RCA plugs into your DDJ-SB output and into this box’s input. At the other end stick in XLR balanced cables and run them out to your speakers.

    Don’t know the QSCs intimately, but generally the subs have the cross-over and high pass outputs so you’d indeed go into the subs with BOTH cables and then into the tops. The QSCs also have a crossover, but you leave that be.

    October 10, 2014 at 4:48 am #2070772
    Isaiah Furrow
    Participant

    Chuck, at $65 that Art box might be something I want in my gig bag… can it be used for two separate mono sources, such as guitars?

    Anyone have any opinion on the ART brand, I’ve seen a couple other bits they make that caught my eye, namely the Graphic EQ. Not cheap and not a brand I’ve heard of before.

    Always good into to be found on these forums…

    October 10, 2014 at 10:33 am #2071071
    DJ Vintage
    Moderator

    I have several ART pieces and they are sturdy, good value for money and well built. Also, most units have the same physical shape and dimensions, making for easy stacking.

    I don’t know about the guitars, I think it’s more of a line level device. Electric guitars are usually mic’ed on the backline (or if the guitar amp has a DI built-in you can use that – still wise to use the mic too), semi-acoustic is usually through a regular DI.

    I use it the box a lot when hooking up “exotic” gear from third parties. I used to use it to hook up laptop sound (for presentation and such) where the laptop would sit a long way from the mixer. But for that I now have a very nice Peavey box that goes USB to windows/mac laptops (no drivers on both!) and balanced XLR stereo out (with a stereo/mono switch).

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