Replacing XLR ins/outs with Bantam jack for my sta-level

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cannikin

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 8, 2005
Messages
1,009
Location
Seattle Washington
Hey guys;

I'm finally starting to construct my Sta-level it will be a table top version..
Just before I plugged in the drill I had a thought...

I have a 96pt TT bantam patchbay in my studio. Instead of wiring up XLRs to the back of the sta-Clone what if on the front of the unit I just put 2 Bantam jacks (for input and output).

It would save me a lot of time rewiring my patchbay, making new XLRs to the Sta-clone.. etc.

why hasn't this been done before? Or at least I haven't seen it... are there potential noise issues that you don't have with XLRs?
 
It would save me a lot of time rewiring my patchbay,

I`m not sure it would save you "a lot" of time. When you consider how long it will take to make the sta level, spending 10 mins to make some leads is not a great deal.

On the other hand I don`t think you will have any extra noise problems using bantam sockets. I guess it depends where the sta level is in relation to your patchbay. It`s worth pointing out that the sta level generates quite a bit of heat, & siting it should take this into consideration !!
 
cool thanks Rob

And comparatively the time spent on the gates and wiring up cables from the patchbay would be easy... But its time that I don't care to spend, buying more cable, buying more male & female XLRs.. Disconnecting the patchbay, pulling out the patchbay, solder, rerunning the cables everywhere.... :mad:
 
Bantams are great, except for the fact that they suck :mad: I'd use a longframe if I felt that I MUST use a telephone jack.

If making adaptor cables is really a hardship, let me know and I'll whip up a couple and give them to you at AES.

Really, I'd stick with an XLR. Or do it real old-school he-man style and use a barrier strip. :thumb:
 
..... guess I'm just being lazy... I'll go with the Xlrs then..

thanks again fellas..

I really appreciate all your input.. couldn't do it without you guys.

Cheers
 
Really, though, the offer to make the adaptor cables stands, if you don't want to hassle with ordering the wire and connectors. Is 4' long enough? I have a few TT patch cables, 8' with molded plugs. I could hack one in two and add XLRs to the ends.
 
Thanks NYD

Nah. its cool.. I really appreciate your offer and most of all the generosity :grin:

But I'm probably going to have a bunch of questions for you once I run power through the Sta-clone.

Oh.. Is there a plan for people to meet up and have a beer during AES? I've been out of touch....
 
No solid plan yet, just a lotta talk. (See the "Official AES Thread" in the Brewery). What'll probably end up happening is that someone's gonna hafta be a dick and take charge and say "OK, we're going HERE!" :wink:
 
Hey Dave;

I have a question for you...

In conversations involving tube gear, I see people talk about the B+

What's your B+ voltage?? is the common phrase.

First of all what is B+ voltage?
Secondly, what is its significance?
Thirdly, Where or how can you find it on a schematic or piece of gear?
 
Put simply, B+ is the positive power supply voltage that feeds the plates of the tubes (as opposed to the filament supply, which feeds the heaters). The "return" or (usually) grounded side of this supply is sometimes called B-. The term dates from the days of battery-powered radios: the A battery was for the filaments, the B battery for the plates, and the C battery for grid bias.
 
On this side o' the pond, the term "high tension" is used, but reserved for power transmission lines carrying kilovolts.

Guys who work in that world laugh at our feeble little 300- and 400-volt supplies :wink:
 
Im abig believer in the patchbay and have built a few things that I didnt want to wire into the bay with bantam connectors on the front panel, its completely not a big deal. Im not gonna argue that there are better sounding alternatives to bantam jacks out there, but if you have bantam bays, you have bantam bays and even if you put an XLR connector on the sta level, it still needs to go down to a bantam jack so any advantage of the XLR I think is completely lost on the fact that it has to interface with a bantam jack, sonically. Now you've gotta have a special cable that you either cant find when you need it or never unplug from the sta level which clutters when you arent using it. If you are committed to the sta level and are committed to the bantam bays its completely logical from where I see it to put bantam jacks on the front of the unit. You could always put XLR's on the back if you ever want to sell it. Switchcraft makes a panel mount bantam jack that isnt so bad, I think digikey or mouser carries them, only thing is that it mounts with a screw or bolt to the front panel, so they dont look as nice. Ive used these a bunch, they are really rock solid, but drilling the two mounting holes can be a little daunting sometimes. Ive messed up a few of those in the past... I dont know who makes them but I know I got from mouser bantam jacks that were plastic and just mounted on a threaded jack, like your average trs connector would. Not near the same robust quality, but only one mounting hole and looks much better ont he front panel. Cant do any normalling with those, but for wat you need them for, they'd be fine and of course they are slightly less money.

dave
 

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