!!Greetings and Salutations!! (Expression system help!!)

[guitar_goob]

Hello all - my first thread here! Hoping some one can clear this up. I've had my GS for a while now and had just resigned myself that this guitar didn't run as hot as my Big Baby - until I stumbled across one of the the threads here where Joe explains the correct cable to get(TRS male to female XLR) and the adapter.

http://69.41.173.82/forums/showthread.php?t=71933

My dilema: I purchased the right cable, but I'm wondering if I have the right adapter for the XLR to the 1/4? The adapter has 2 black ribs on the TRS(m) plug - that's stereo right? Does that mean it's still balanced and I'm gonna lose part of the signal when I plug into anything unbalanced? I'm kind of a hack when it comes to this(), so any help would be appreciated!

[brightlight]

I'm pretty sure that the 2 black ribs you're talking about are just the space between the tip, ring, and sleeve of your converter so yes the signal will remain balanced all the way to the end of the cable; however this doesn't necessarily mean that this exact same signal strength will transfer to an unbalanced input.

The reason for this is simple, really. Just because you convert a balanced jack type like an XLR to another balanced jack type like a TRS that doesnt mean the device you're plugging into will get the balanced (or stereo) benefit IF that device's input is UNBALANCED.

The reason that the very specific converter that Joe uses retains the full benefit of a balanced cable run is not simply because it has all of the connectors (XLR, TRS, etc...) but also because of the transformer that's inside of the converter. It's this transformer that takes all of the signal passed down from a balanced line and transforms the SAME amount of signal into mono form which any unbalanced input will fully accept.

An unbalanced input does not recieve the signal from the RING portion of a balanced jack, so that portion will always be lost unless the converter you're using has a transformer that can convert stereo signal (and the signal strength associated with it) into mono form. It's the only way to preserve signal strength between inputs and outputs with mismatched impedances.

I hope this makes sense, I can clarify a bit more if my wording was confusing.

[guitar_goob]

I hope this makes sense, I can clarify a bit more if my wording was confusing.

No - crystal clear. Thanks for the reply. Will definitely have to take a trip to Radio Shack tomorrow. Thanks brightlight!!

Can't wait to get this running right!!

[brightlight]

No problem!

Let us all know how it works out for you!

[guitar_goob]

So, used it today for practice at church. Holy cow!! It was hard to believe that the hot signal of amazing awesomeness was coming from my guitar!! Well.. ok it didn't sound that great, but it was definitely hotter. I pulled the middle nob back (med/treb right?) to try and take the mids out, but it was still kinda tubby. It's just a matter of time though - I'll have to try running it through a baggs padi or maybe my aphex acoustic xciter - dunno. At this point I really don't care! It's like my guitar was a zombie and now it's human!!

Brightlight thanks for the help - appreciate it immensely.

[brightlight]

sure thing! and maybe you could try taking some of the mids out at the mixing board you plugged into and just see what happens. you might not need a DI