Making a talkback footswitch, ideas?

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matta

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 11, 2005
Messages
1,640
Location
Cape Town, South Africa
Hey Guys,

A friend has asked me to come up with a way to have a mic set-up for talkback on a foot switch, i,e when the switch it pressed the mic is live, when not it is not... simple...

The easiest, though maybe not the cleanest way of doing it I think would be to have an XLR cable going from the mic to a small project box containing a momentary switch with an XLR out into his console.

The switch would be a single pole, double throw and have the HOT and COLD pins connected when the switch is pressed connecting it to and disconnected when not switched, witht ground/shield wire not broken.

Any thoughts on this? Is there a simpler way or more elegant way of doing it? Just looking for a seconder on this one.

Cheers

Matt
 
You could just have the switch short both hot and cold to earth via some electrolytics to avoid phantom problems.

I suppose you need to know what functionality you require.
 
use a cv on the switch, and use it to control relays in the box.

use the output of the mic preamp, and either switch between the talk back mic and the source that the destination normally receives (whatever it may be, hp's, studio speaker power amp, etc) OR switch between the normal source and a summed mix of the talkback and source. that will 'auto-dim' the source when talkback is engaged.

at the same time, the control room signal can be padded to avoid feedback.

this kind of thing always just begs to be in a monitor/master type box that has different ins and outs and can control the level going to the CR and to the Live room, and the talkback, and etc etc.

but simple can work too... i'd still use relays, that way any momentary or latching footpedal will work, and can be picked for feel, or looks.
 
[quote author="Scodiddly"]Assuming it's a balanced-output mic, just have the switch short pins 2 & 3 together when NOT pressed. This approach is good with phantom power, too.[/quote]

Good thinking :idea:
 
[quote author="Scodiddly"]Assuming it's a balanced-output mic, just have the switch short pins 2 & 3 together when NOT pressed. This approach is good with phantom power, too.[/quote]

Hey Scott,

Thanks very much! Sounds even simpler, safer than my option with regards to +48V.

Cheers

Matt
 
[quote author="matta"][quote author="Scodiddly"]Assuming it's a balanced-output mic, just have the switch short pins 2 & 3 together when NOT pressed. This approach is good with phantom power, too.[/quote]

Hey Scott,

Thanks very much! Sounds even simpler, safer than my option with regards to +48V.

Cheers

Matt[/quote]

Hey Matt,

We have a whole bunch of foot switches at East Iris that I had the pleasure of making. When the switch is unpressed 2 and 3 short and when pressed they unshort. Simple and sweet. Have fun!

Randolph and Rice has some foot switches.
 
[quote author="peterc"]Matt, you could also plug the talkback mic into a spare channel, & have a footswitch plugged into the insert jack. So the footswitch will make or break the signal cjain.

Piet[/quote]

That's a cool idea!
 
[quote author="peterc"]Matt, you could also plug the talkback mic into a spare channel, & have a footswitch plugged into the insert jack. So the footswitch will make or break the signal cjain.

Piet[/quote]

True, essentially it's the same thing though, and alot more wiring/hassle for the talents. Think about it, you would have to run a mic cable to the panel, then run a cable back to the talents as the foot switch 'send' then another cable from the switch to the panel as the 'return'.

If you just put the switch in series from the mic to the pre it takes care of it.
 
[quote author="Sender"]
True, essentially it's the same thing though, and alot more wiring/hassle for the talents. Think about it, you would have to run a mic cable to the panel, then run a cable back to the talents as the foot switch 'send' then another cable from the switch to the panel as the 'return'.

If you just put the switch in series from the mic to the pre it takes care of it.[/quote]

?

We're just talking about a talkback here, right? Why would anything have to go to the talent?
 
Well in Nashville (the world of the large [usually 8+ player] session) we have foot switches controlled by the players. Session players are often changing the chart on the spot so the need to communicate is key. Now this generally isn't a problem if they are in the same room, but with 4+ iso booths and it becomes a task for everyone to get out of thier chair, bring there instrument (which sometimes isn't possible) and talk about rewritting the chart. So everyone gets a talk back mic with a foot switch. You could just put a talk back mic up and negate a switch, but that is what we call a career killer. :green: :wink:
 
[quote author="peterc"]So the voice artist/singer switches the talkback?

Never thought of that!

Peter[/quote]

Hey Pete!

Yeah news to me as well, only noticed it when I got here as well, the 'talent' have foot switches.

In our case it is normally the drummer as the other players can be heard clearly through their mics (normally singers) and the bassist is in the CR where we have talk back and the guitars can be heard in the room mics.

Will's (Sender's) studio is next door to mine, rather funny hey! LOL It takes me 1 minute to get through there front door and have already had to borrow a ladder and bottle of ketchup (don't ask!).

Will this week is nuts with the session we have and it is closed session but we must hang as soon at it is over (which is next Wednesday) and we can chat about transformers and the like.

Nashville sessions are pretty big Pete, the one we are doing now is 7 players. Drums, Percussion, Bass, 2 Guitars, Vocals, Keys all playing together at the same time.

Cheers

Matt
 
[quote author="matta"][quote author="peterc"]So the voice artist/singer switches the talkback?

Never thought of that!

Peter[/quote]

Hey Pete!

Yeah news to me as well, only noticed it when I got here as well, the 'talent' have foot switches.

In our case it is normally the drummer as the other players can be heard clearly through their mics (normally singers) and the bassist is in the CR where we have talk back and the guitars can be heard in the room mics.

Will's (Sender's) studio is next door to mine, rather funny hey! LOL It takes me 1 minute to get through there front door and have already had to borrow a ladder and bottle of ketchup (don't ask!).

Will this week is nuts with the session we have and it is closed session but we must hang as soon at it is over (which is next Wednesday) and we can chat about transformers and the like.

Nashville sessions are pretty big Pete, the one we are doing now is 7 players. Drums, Percussion, Bass, 2 Guitars, Vocals, Keys all playing together at the same time.

Cheers

Matt[/quote]


I know, there was more cars in your parking lot then there is in mine. Have fun with you're first 'big' session. Are there any heavy-hitting Nashville players there?
 

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