Neutrik RCA to xlr adapter, suitable for location audio?

D

Daniel Postilnik

Junior
Jan 14, 2011
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San Francisco, CA
My roommate just bought a Tascam DR-680 (a combination field mixer and solid state recorder). It's primary drawback is that it only has unbalanced outputs, so unlike conventional field mixers, it doesn't play nice with camera xlr inputs.

I found that neutrik makes the following: NA2M-D0B-TX - Neutrik

Is this all that would be required to successfully pass audio from an unbalanced RCA output to balanced xlr camera audio inputs? If not, what would else would be needed?

Thanks.
 
Re: Neutrik RCA to xlr adapter, suitable for location audio?

That will work fine IF your camera can handle line level signals on the XLR inputs, as this box is a 1:1 transformer. If your camera struggles with the volume, then a traditional DI box that attenuates the line level to mic level would be better.
 
Re: Neutrik RCA to xlr adapter, suitable for location audio?

TJ Cornish said:
That will work fine IF your camera can handle line level signals on the XLR inputs, as this box is a 1:1 transformer. If your camera struggles with the volume, then a traditional DI box that attenuates the line level to mic level would be better.
Click to expand...

With that tiny transformer you want to keep the level down anyway. It will not handle the levels seen in typical broadcast line level applications.

Mac
 
Re: Neutrik RCA to xlr adapter, suitable for location audio?

mackerr said:
With that tiny transformer you want to keep the level down anyway. It will not handle the levels seen in typical broadcast line level applications.

Mac
Click to expand...

The camera has a mic/line switch and gain control. Will this make it easier to handle the line-level signal coming from the DR-680? This isn't broadcast, it's documentary, so levels aren't going to be as hot.
 
Re: Neutrik RCA to xlr adapter, suitable for location audio?

Daniel Postilnik said:
The camera has a mic/line switch and gain control. Will this make it easier to handle the line-level signal coming from the DR-680? This isn't broadcast, it's documentary, so levels aren't going to be as hot.
Click to expand...
Yes. As long as you've got a volume knob on your Tascam and your camera can handle line level, this adapter will work. The issue that Mac is referring to is real, and the best practice would be a good quality DI from Whirlwind/Radial/Countryman, but if the small size of this box is really attractive to you, I don't think you'll be disappointed.
 
Re: Neutrik RCA to xlr adapter, suitable for location audio?

Daniel Postilnik said:
Is this all that would be required to successfully pass audio from an unbalanced RCA output to balanced xlr camera audio inputs? If not, what would else would be needed?
Click to expand...

You're taking a -10dBu signal and passing it to a +4 or vice versa? If it's as you described you shouldn't have any issues other than trimming your audio up a little on the camera. You can always do that gain increase in post.
 
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