slightly OT: buffering an xlr lead

[kissack101]

Hey,

My brother and I are starting a mobile recording studio. Part of the set up will be a 'breakout box', a case with 24 xlr inputs on connected via a multi-core cable to the hard-disc recorder several meters away. My question: Is it worth buffering either end of the multi-core cable in order to prevent loss of signal? If so, how do you buffer an xlr lead? Would it require a seperate buffer for the + and - ?

Any help would be appreciated.

Adam.

[DuncanM]

It's probably not worth it - the input to the HD recorder is probably going to be +4dB line level and so will presumably be driven by a mixer or preamp of some sort which will have a low impedance output with good current drive.

In live applications multicores are often ten times longer than you are proposing and they are not buffered.....

[kissack101]

Many thanks! I wasn't sure about it either, and then I read an article about peter cornish that said he once built something similar for sting back in the 80s (I think), although I think that lead was about 400 feet long as opposed to the 20 ours is likely to be. I also had my doubts about running power too and from the break-out box and the extra noise that might generate in the signal path. Oh well, I suppose i've just saved myself a whole-lotta-etching...

Thanks again

Adam.

[Satch12879]

+1 DuncanM, and good bit mentioning the drive current, very important and often overlooked.  Low output impedance by itself is meaningless.

Incidentally, that box PC built Sting - Gilmour's got one, too - was for running unbalanced instrument level signals from the control room to his amp room on the other end of his house.

If you're really concerned, any good active DI will keep your signal intact.