Today I connected the individual outs on my keys, and something weird is happening. When I plug in the same cable to main output all is okay but I only get sound when the cable is in half way on the individual outputs. So basically 1/4 inch cable into the individual outs plugged in normally the sound is barely audible and nothing on my mixer. Same cable plugged in half way and its sounds as it should.
I have tried to read up on the individual outputs in the manual but it doesnt say much.
What do you think?
It is just a DB25 Cable which runs out from my mixer and breaks out to a basic 1/4 inch stereo cable. The same cable works on all my synths including the Main outs on the Keys except not on the individual outs. So you think it has something to do with balanced/unbalanced? I think they are balanced cables, they have two sleeves and the tip.
I wouldn’t call it stereo cable in the first place. It’s a TRS cable which can convey 2 signals. If these signals are interpreted as L/R or as balanced connections depends solely on what you connect with them.
Your problem sounds like the mixer is expecting balanced connections, because, for example, the MAIN LEFT output doesn’t output a stereo signal, but a balanced signal (when connecting a TRS cable to it).
When you connect it to one of the individual outs (which provides stereo signals), the mixer treats it like a balanced signal. It inverts one channel and then add both channels together.
When left and right are carrying very similar signals this results in almost silence (just visualize adding a signal to its inverted version). In the worst case (when left and right are completely identical) you won’t hear absolutely nothing.
When plugging it in half way, only one side of the stereo signal connects to the TRS cable. So when the mixer does its inverting + adding together the signal stays the same (maybe it gets flipped upside down depending on which side gets inverted).
The solution to your problem would be to use Y-splitter adapters. The adapter splits the stereo signal into a pair of mono signals. Then either connect a single TRS cable to only one of the mono signals (if you don’t need the panning information of the voice) or connect two TRS cables to send the left and right channel to the mixer.
Hey tnussb thanks so much for your reply I am sure it is a cable issue of some kind. Thank you kindly for your very detailed response, I greatly appreciate it. So not an issue with the Keys then?
Just as long as its not a hardware issue I am cool, I can work out the rest.
Sounds like a Y-Splitter is the way to go, have to be honest I aint all that crash hot when it comes to cables, I have done okay over the years though.
absolutely nothing wrong with just leaving in the cables halfway if you don’t want to bother spending time or money on a another solution. using small splitters would be my next recommendation
Yes, definitely not an issue with the Keys. When looking for an y-splitter make sure it has one TRS/stereo male connector on one side and two TS/mono female connectors on the other side. These adapters are usually very cheap (just a few bucks).
There are also others types around with two TRS/stereo female connectors: these are the wrong ones (they don’t split, but replicate - used to connect, for example, two headphones to a single headphone out).
Yes, they are stereo, because you can pan each voice left or right. But if you don’t use voice panning on the tracks it’s enough to send only the left or right signal to the mixer.
Had any of them standard stereo outputs (one jack)? Because you will run into the very same issue with any stereo output connected to a balanced input via a TRS connection. How much it gets silenced depends only on how similar the left and right channels are.
Rytm MK2 has balanced mono outputs.
Rytm MK1 has stereo outputs which carry one track’s output on the left and another track’s output on the right (requires also splitting).
I am sure it is a cable issue of some kind. Thank you kindly for your very detailed response, I greatly appreciate it. So not an issue with the Keys then?