DB25 audio switcher

[Silvas]

Hello !

Does such thing like the ones used years ago for sharing 1 pc on 2 printers exists, but for audio ?

Of course, i´m thinking on the DIY route, designing a PCB for doing all the switching with 8 DPDT relays (not sure if the grounds can be shared or must be isolated and switched individually)

Thanks a lot.

 

[joaquins]

If balanced ground can be shared... if unbalanced is not a bad idea to switch them.

It depends on the aplication and noise requirements, may click depending on the aplication...

JS

 

[Silvas]

Thanks a lot !

Maybe i can get my hands on some giant rotary switches, sealed four pole, 25 wafers....so i´ll give them a shot before trying the relays.

 

[mikeyB]

Hi Silvas - i,ve used the parallel switch - printer - boxes for switching 8 way audio cables with decent results.

I used 6, 2 way boxes to route a desk between 24 track tape and motu 24 channel  DAW.
All ran balanced with good results.
If you want to go overkill - you could open up the switch boxes, remove the signal wires and replace with short balanced/screened jumpers - but i don't think you'll see much improvement.

I was also asked to implement switching of a 24 track tape between 2 control rooms.
Money was tight, so i got 2 pieces of dexion shelving uprights - you know, the angle iron that has holes on 1"/25mm spacing - bolted these to the side of the 2" tape machine,
Got 48, 3 pole double throw minature toggles, loaded them into the dexion strips (8mm holes - perfect!). Used 3 x 3m 8way xlr looms cut into halves for tape ins and outs on the 24 track. Wired these to the switch poles - 1 strip top to bottom for tape ins and the other for tape outs channels 1 to 24. 3 poles being hot/cold/screen.
Then wired each control room looms to the opposite switch contacts.
Used the angles side holes to tyrap all the multicores to the strips.
It takes about 20 secs max to flick the 48 toggles - much quicker and easier to wire/repair than actually using something like 2 90 way edac to swap!!!
Dd this over 3 years ago - both studios share the live room and tape machine - used virtually all year round - not been called out to it yet!!

Didn't get any pics - but i'm going there soon to record so i'll try and get and post some pics for posterity!

 

[bruce0]

25 Pin serial switch box generally does what you are talking about.  Switches all 25 pins (so if you ran a tascam cable through it it would do the switch), the one I have has relatively short wires, but they are not bundled or shielded in the tascam sets, just 25 short wires (5 or 8 inches total long) from the center to either port.