[BUILD) Relay based recording chain switcher

[Majestic12]

I finally finished my recording chain switcher unit.
This thing allows you to switch your signal path between four different mics, preamps, eqs and compressors.
So you can easily make A/B decisions between your outboard gear when recording things.

The audio signal only goes through relais which are switched by an arduino board. The unit also provides +48V phantom power for condensor mircrophones and a midi input to controll everything from DAW etc.

 

[spase]

Great unit!

 

[culteousness1]

Nice build!

I am cooking something similar.
May I ask which relais driver you are using?

Cheers,
Carsten

 

[Majestic12]

May I ask which relais driver you are using?

Standard ULN2003 low side driver ICs. I did use single I/Os for the switches and relais since I had enough but when doing this again I would simply multiplex everything together with a few shift registers and reduce the amount of wireing.

 

[AudioCommand]

great work .... respekt!!!

Dom

 

[dipfrik]

Very interesting, because i'am searching right now about a solution for multiplexing audio signals for with arduino, because i'am tired of ugly cable patchbays

Maybe we can think about a new (bigger) project that is a mix between:

a) SSL X-Patch (like matrix and chaining feature)
b) Dangerous Liaison (like the A/B bus topology with the parallel processing loop)
c) M/S Matrix
c) maybe x- Stems of summing (e.g. four stereo groups for mastering)
d) controlled by arduino with recallable presets

Are you in? I'am totally!

Cheers, Sven

 

[Andy Peters]

Very interesting, because i'am searching right now about a solution for multiplexing audio signals for with arduino, because i'am tired of ugly cable patchbays

Maybe we can think about a new (bigger) project that is a mix between:

a) SSL X-Patch (like matrix and chaining feature)
b) Dangerous Liaison (like the A/B bus topology with the parallel processing loop)
c) M/S Matrix
c) maybe x- Stems of summing (e.g. four stereo groups for mastering)
d) controlled by arduino with recallable presets

Are you in? I'am totally!

Cheers, Sven

If you're going to go through all of that effort to build this, forget the Arduino and just put a microcontroller on the board with the rest of the stuff.

-a

 

[dipfrik]

Absolutely right, but i want to play around with big and chunky stuff in the 1st place and then plan the "micro" version.
e.g. i'am currently do some early investigations around the AD8113 crosspoint switch.

Sven

 

[Majestic12]

Absolutely right, but i want to play around with big and chunky stuff in the 1st place and then plan the "micro" version.
e.g. i'am currently do some early investigations around the AD8113 crosspoint switch.

Sven

I already made some tests with the AD8113 but haven't found a usefull concept for it. You first have to really know what you want in the finished design and than work from there on.

 

[nielsk]

Is it programed to mute the output when switching? I had fabbed up a manually controlled version of a similar device once, and put a mute switch on output to engage before switching (very important on powered mics!) but I imagine that writing the program so the it mutes for a time before switching takes place is do-able 

 

[Majestic12]

Is it programed to mute the output when switching? I had fabbed up a manually controlled version of a similar device once, and put a mute switch on output to engage before switching (very important on powered mics!) but I imagine that writing the program so the it mutes for a time before switching takes place is do-able

It does not completely mute but attenuate the output -40dB before switching between the microphones in the chain. All other inserts get switched without muting the output.