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Hey.
I want to put guitar pedals as inserts on 8 channels of my mixer. problem is impedance and level matching make for poor results when going direct.
Radial make the EXTC-SA Guitar Effects Interface that would do the job, but buying 8 @ >2000$ is out of my budget for additional features I don't need.
So I'm looking for someone who can build me a box with 16transformers. 8 TRS inputs (send/return from mixer), 8TRS outputs (send/return to pedal)

I don't need phase inverters. I don't need XLR. I don't need wet/dry blend. I don't need routing options.
Do I need send & return level control?

Anyone got any ideas of someone to contact for this?


cheaper is 8x Radial ProRMP & 8x Radial ProDI for 1600$....
a DIY build must be feasible.

maybe gut a pair of Behringer Ultra-DI Pro DI800 at 240$ and rewire for trs in/out connections?

yeah, transformers tend to be the most expensive part of this. If you're OK not getting ultra pristine 20-20kHz response jensen style transformers, you can look into EDCOR stuff. They seem to be the best bang for the buck at $11 each instead of $70. (http://www.edcorusa.com/)

Alternatively, buy 16 of the cheapest passive DI's you can find, and throw them in an enclosure since they work in reverse too.

Ultra-DI Pro DI800 would probably be more problematic since you'll have to gut the inline boosts and buffers.

I gather you've got the TRS to mono send/receive loom or otherwise you'd have stipulated standard plugs on the pedal side of the equation, true?

My gut instinct is telling me this is probably more of a levels/gain staging issue than that of impedance mismatch. Low source impedance is rarely ever an issue so long as the levels are good, and *as far as I know* once you make it to the insert stage of the mixer you're in a line level (higher impedance) unbalanced domain anyway. I might be wrong on that one, as all my insert experience is with a TRS to two mono cables in a send/receive configuration and to my knowledge running a balanced line on two conductors returns an unbalanced signal.

So I'd wager the source of your complaints are in knocking down the send level and bringing up the return level from the instrument level devices, plus the benefit of DC isolation the transformer provides?

Transformers are going to be the big hinge of cost/quality.

Were this mine I'd include level controls (maybe even just a hi/lo switch) for utility.

Were it not for the fact that I'm buried in my own backlog I'd take this on, but realistically it's outside my workload scope. Shouldn't be hard to find a tech capable for it. Sorry I can't be of more help.

Be warned, the cheaper you go on the transformer the more likely you loose bass

crochambeau wrote:I gather you've got the TRS to mono send/receive loom or otherwise you'd have stipulated standard plugs on the pedal side of the equation, true?

no, actually. I just figure TRS would cut down on the amount of jacks. (Lets make it a DB25 connector if that's easiest!)
The only fixed thing I have are TRS insert points on my mixer, and TS plugs on the pedals.
I figure wiring 16 TRS jacks on this repedal "magic box" would be easier than wiring 32 moon jacks..
I'd even be open to have the cables hardwired to the box if that works out to be the easiest (I could wire that myself...)

crochambeau wrote:My gut instinct is telling me this is probably more of a levels/gain staging issue than that of impedance mismatch. Low source impedance is rarely ever an issue so long as the levels are good, and *as far as I know* once you make it to the insert stage of the mixer you're in a line level (higher impedance) unbalanced domain anyway. I might be wrong on that one, as all my insert experience is with a TRS to two mono cables in a send/receive configuration and to my knowledge running a balanced line on two conductors returns an unbalanced signal.

inserts are unbalanced. I say TRS because it's got a send & return on the same cable.
mixer insert send >>>>>>>>> "magic box" mixer input > Magic box transfomer to go from line to guitar levels > "magic box" pedal send >>>>> Boss DS-1 (yeah baby!) >>>>>> "magic box" pedal return > Magic box transfomer#2 to go from guitar level to line level > magic box out to mixer >>>>>>> mixer insert return

the two >>>>>>> pair can be wired as a TRS >TRS cable
and the two >>>>> pair can be wired as a simple TRS>dual mono inset cable.
everything is unbalanced.


Lowering the gain, I assume that's easy with an attenuater
adding gain... probably harder to do?

crochambeau wrote:Were it not for the fact that I'm buried in my own backlog I'd take this on, but realistically it's outside my workload scope. Shouldn't be hard to find a tech capable for it. Sorry I can't be of more help.

hugs are help

DRodriguez wrote:yeah, transformers tend to be the most expensive part of this. If you're OK not getting ultra pristine 20-20kHz response jensen style transformers, you can look into EDCOR stuff. They seem to be the best bang for the buck at $11 each instead of $70. (http://www.edcorusa.com/)
Be warned, the cheaper you go on the transformer the more likely you loose bass

I'm not going to hem and haw expecting 20-20k frequency response. This is just to plug distortion pedals into my mixer inserts without them sounding completely gutted due to level/impedance mismatch (as they do now). pedals I have set aside for this job: Dwarfcract HairOfTheDog, Devi SodaMeiser, IronEther oxide, BOSS - ODB3, Boss DS1.... etc. stuff to fuck up multi tracked drums. I can always do band-pass crossblends with the original signal as needed...

I have eventide pedals that let me select line or guitar levels on each the input/output. and using those inline to match the levels always works. Since they're stereo I can I'll put one mixer to eventide with inputs set to "line>guitar" --- then plug desired distortion guitar pedal, then back into a second eventide with the switches set to "guitar>line" and back to mixer. Both eventide pedals are set to bypass (and since they're stereo I can do this for 2 channels... but there's no way I'm buying 8 eventide pedals JUST for level balancing! LOL)