The Technical Stuff
__________________________________________________________
- 21 -
Making A Custom Insert Cable
In order to ensure unity gain, the input and output to a compressor are normally derived from a
channel or bus insert send and return. Although the inputs and outputs to the 2-LA-2 use standard
XLR connectors, most mixing consoles provide such inserts on unbalanced TRS (Tip/Ring/Sleeve)
connectors, with the tip carrying the send and the ring carrying the return, with the sleeve serving as
common ground. Pre-made “insert” Y-cables that provide a single TRS plug on one end and two XLR
connectors on the other end are commercially available for this purpose. However, it can be
considerably more cost-effective to make your own custom insert cable—something which requires
only basic soldering skills and a few inexpensive parts.
To make such a cable, first acquire the following components:
(1) Female XLR cable connector
(1) Male XLR cable connector
(1) 1/4" TRS cable connector
A suitable length of light gauge unbalanced microphone cable
A short piece of 22 gauge bus wire
Then follow these steps to assemble the cable:
1.
Cut two lengths of audio cable suitable to reach from the 2-LA-2 to the insert point on your
mixer. Light gauge cable should be used in order to allow the two cables to comfortably fit
inside a TRS jack.
2.
Use a short piece of bus wire to tie pins 1 (cold) and 3 (ground) together on each XLR
connector. Only solder pin 3, as you will also need to solder an audio lead into pin 1.
3.
On both XLR connectors, solder the hot (red) lead into pin 2, and solder the cold (black) lead
into pin 1, as well as the other end of the bus wire (as described in the previous step).
4.
Solder the hot (white) lead from the cable connected to the male XLR to the tip connection
point of the TRS jack. Solder the hot (white) lead from the cable connected to the female XLR
to the ring connection point of the TRS jack. As shown in the photograph below, combine the
cold lead and the shielding together at the ground point.
