Some help about balanced xlr output on pedals please.

[Thin white duke]

Hi, i'm not sure about a thing about balanced out of some pedals, maybe someone here can help me.

For example pedals like the Mooer Radar, or Line 6 Helix Stomp and many others don't have the XLR balanced out, they have a normal instrument cable out but from the manual they say that the output is either balanced or unbalanced

So in these cases all i need to do is buying an XLR adaptor and plug it into the out of the pedal and the output becomes balanced ?

Is it like having a pedal with the XLR out integrated like the Torpedo Cab for example ?

Thanks a lot guys.

 

[Thin white duke]

For example i have this adaptor, from let's say the Mooer Radar i plug short a cable that goes into this adaptor and then i use an XLR cable to go to the P.A.

The short cable that goes from the Mooer Radar to this adapter has to be stereo or mono ?

https://www.thomann.de/gb/neutrik_na3_mj.htm

 

[Old Deaf Roadie]

XLRs are typically intended as a send to the house PA. Skip adapter gadgets & get a real direct box. That is what they are intended for, and will typically include a ground lift and a thru jack.

 

[-Hawk-]

I can’t speak about the Mooer, but can on the Stomp.

TS cable (standard guitar cable) out is unbalanced.

TRS cable is balanced.

You can use one of these to connect to an XLR into the board and don’t need a DI.


Pig Hog PX4T3 XLR male to 1/4" TRS, 3 ft https://reverb.com/item/12965585-pi...are&utm_campaign=listing&utm_content=12965585

 

[Thin white duke]

XLRs are typically intended as a send to the house PA. Skip adapter gadgets & get a real direct box. That is what they are intended for, and will typically include a ground lift and a thru jack.

Thanks man, i will probably do that but i'm curious about this thing, how can a pedal without XLR be balanced ? and, can really a XLR adaptor makes it become a balanced output ?

 

[Thin white duke]

I can’t speak about the Mooer, but can on the Stomp.

TS cable (standard guitar cable) out is unbalanced.

TRS cable is balanced.

You can use one of these to connect to an XLR into the board and don’t need a DI.


Pig Hog PX4T3 XLR male to 1/4" TRS, 3 ft https://reverb.com/item/12965585-pi...are&utm_campaign=listing&utm_content=12965585

Thanks a lot, that's interesting, i can see that the cable is a stereo cable so i probably need to buy a small stereo cable to connect it to the adapter that i've posted and from the adapter using a normal XLR cable...

 

[-Hawk-]

Yea, you’d want a TRS with the Stomp if you were using that adapter. I’d just skip the adapter and find something similar to what I linked though. Fewer parts to keep track of.

I’ve used the one I linked live and it works very well.

 

[Thin white duke]

Yea, you’d want a TRS with the Stomp if you were using that adapter. I’d just skip the adapter and find something similar to what I linked though. Fewer parts to keep track of.

I’ve used the one I linked live and it works very well.

Thanks, very helpful, i'll get a cable like the one you've posted then, so doing that you don't need a D.I pedal do you ?

 

[-Hawk-]

Thanks, very helpful, i'll get a cable like the one you've posted then, so doing that you don't need a D.I pedal do you ?

No, you do not need one with the Stomp since it’s balanced. I just feed a line level signal, make sure my levels are suitable (usually peaking around -6db), and let the sound guy know what to expect.

Keep in mind, if the board has an aux-in, you could also just feed standard TRS cables as well.

 

[Thin white duke]

No, you do not need one with the Stomp since it’s balanced. I just feed a line level signal, make sure my levels are suitable (usually peaking around -6db), and let the sound guy know what to expect.

Keep in mind, if the board has an aux-in, you could also just feed standard TRS cables as well.

Great, thanks a lot again, i hope it would be the same with the Mooer Radar because probably i'll buy that one because it can fit on my pedalboard......

 

[-Hawk-]

Great, thanks a lot again, i hope it would be the same with the Mooer Radar because probably i'll buy that one because it can fit on my pedalboard......

I just took a look at the Radar’s specs. Looks like the output is a mono audio jack. Not sure if what I said regarding the Stomp would apply or not, but I bet the info is out there.

 

[Guitarteach]

Thanks man, i will probably do that but i'm curious about this thing, how can a pedal without XLR be balanced ? and, can really a XLR adaptor makes it become a balanced output ?

The three points in a TRS (stereo 1/4”) can be wired to the XLR pins.

I made adaptors for this in the past and hacked old rack gear with broken 1/4” jacks to function in my amps fx loop via XLR

 

[Thin white duke]

I just took a look at the Radar’s specs. Looks like the output is a mono audio jack. Not sure if what I said regarding the Stomp would apply or not, but I bet the info is out there.

The page 5 of the Mooer Radar manual says this.

The output is either unbalanced (TS) or balanced (TRS). So a simple TRS to XLR adaptor gives you the balanced XLR out that is preferred for many applications.

 

[Thin white duke]

The three points in a TRS (stereo 1/4”) can be wired to the XLR pins.

I made adaptors for this in the past and hacked old rack gear with broken 1/4” jacks to function in my amps fx loop via XLR.

(link removed)

I'm sorry man i'm really bad at electronics, can i do what i asked ? can i use a XLR adaptor to avoid to buy a D.I pedal ?

 

[Guitarteach]

I'm sorry man i'm really bad at electronics, can i do what i asked ? can i use a XLR adaptor to avoid to buy a D.I pedal ?

A TRS to XLR should work if the manual says the output is balanced or unbalanced.

Assume this is to plug direct into the desk? Make sure its the right XLR end.

 

[Thin white duke]

A TRS to XLR should work if the manual says the output is balanced or unbalanced.

Assume this is to plug direct into the desk? Make sure its the right XLR end.

Yes i need to play straight to P.A. without amp sometimes.

-----Make sure its the right XLR end--
What do you exactly mean ?

 

[mkdaws32]

As @-Hawk- indicates, refer to the manual for your actual pedal. A balanced TRS can be connected to a XLR via an adapter IF the impedance is also matched. It probably is, but if not, the sound will be muffled and potentially noisy (hum), depending on how long the run to the board is. The TRS balanced output impedance should be about 600 ohms (low impedance - again, check the manual) to send direct to a FOH board via an XLR adapter, whereas the normal TS mono connection would be very high impedance. However the TRS output could be high impedance on some devices (intended for very short runs < 10'). Again, check the manual, if your pedal's TRS output is high impedance, you will be much better off going with a mono cable to a decent DI box.

 

[Thin white duke]

As @-Hawk- indicates, refer to the manual for your actual pedal. A balanced TRS can be connected to a XLR via an adapter IF the impedance is also matched. It probably is, but if not, the sound will be muffled and potentially noisy (hum), depending on how long the run to the board is. The TRS balanced output impedance should be about 600 ohms (low impedance - again, check the manual) to send direct to a FOH board via an XLR adapter, whereas the normal TS mono connection would be very high impedance. However the TRS output could be high impedance on some devices (intended for very short runs < 10'). Again, check the manual, if your pedal's TRS output is high impedance, you will be much better off going with a mono cable to a decent DI box.

Thanks a lot, the manual says this, what would you do ?

Input: 1/4” mono audio jack.(Impedance: 100kΩ)

Output: 1/4” mono audio jack (Impedance: 470Ω)

1/8” stereo audio jack (Impedance: 10Ω)

 

[the fatch]

Yes i need to play straight to P.A. without amp sometimes.

-----Make sure its the right XLR end--
What do you exactly mean ?

XLR connectors are 'male', like the one on a microphone cable that plugs into the mic, and 'female' like the one that plugs into the mixing desk. So you need a TRS (stereo) jack plug and a female XLR connector.

 

[Thin white duke]

XLR connectors are 'male', like the one on a microphone cable that plugs into the mic, and 'female' like the one that plugs into the mixing desk. So you need a TRS (stereo) jack plug and a female XLR connector.

Ah ok, i already have this adaptor and it's the right one....

https://www.thomann.de/gb/neutrik_na3_mj.htm