A/B/Y For vocals + an effects loop for "B"?

[sevenisthenumber]

I have someone who is wanting an A/B/Y for vocals so they can go XLR into a box and have a clean xlr out, effects loop xlr out. They want the effects loop to be on the "B" part of the a/B and have it 1/4" for using guitar pedals, etc...
Ive never really worked with XLR and dont know where to start on this??? ANy help is appreciated!

Heres an idea sketch...

[MikeH]

I order to go from a normal, mono, guitar type 1/4" to an xlr, you have to split the signal and invert the phase of 1/2 of it, that's where the third connection comes in. 

I think- don't quote me.

But once you figure that out it's a simple as making and aby box, and sneaking in some send and return jacks in the 'B' path.

[punkin]

I'm a little rusty but if nothing else think of this as a little bump.

I was thinking that a couple more questions need to be asked. Are we working with microphone levels, mic-preamp output levels or something else? Also, balanced (presumably with the XLR but maybe not) or unbalanced? Hopefully someone with application specific experience will chime in.

[sevenisthenumber]

Its for a studio. So that clean vocals and effected vocals can be split.

[MikeH]

Oh, when I want to do that I just use 2 microphones 

Or duplicate the track and add effects afterward.

[aziltz]

you probably don't want it to be passive if its going to have a Y function, and then you might as well isolate one of the outputs.


however, why not just build a Y where one of the outputs goes to effects, and from effects to the mixer/recorder instead of back to the stompbox?

[sevenisthenumber]

This is just what he wants.... He also wants it to have live abilty to turn clean or effected off..

[MikeH]

So it will have a balanced mic input, a mono 1/4" fx loop, and 2 balanced outputs?

[sevenisthenumber]

yea! thats why im kinda confused on how to get the balanced thing rollin...   

[MikeH]

Wiring up balance jacks is just simple as wiring 1/4" jacks and such, you just have 2 signal leads instead of one.  Just like a normal aby box, just with 2 signal paths.  You'll also probably need to use 4pdt switches because you'll have twice the number of signal leads to switch.

The tricky part is going to be converting the balance signal to mono for the fx loop and back again.  I don't know exactly how it's done, but it can't be that hard to do, and should be easy enough to find out.

[sevenisthenumber]

maybe someone can chime in with the know how of the balanced wiring...

[thereverend]

isnt there potentially an issue here regarding phantom power?

and something tells me you should start looking at DI units for the switching of balanced to unbalanced and vice versa. i might be wrong though. i'm sure someone much more knowledgable than me can point you the right direction on this.