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Location: Battle Creek, MI | Ok....so i finally finished my project of removing my old preamp and replacing with Optima with the XLR out. Honestly, I dont really care that much about the XLR out, but it was part of the circut board so i drilled it all out and installed it. Can anyone tell me if there is any difference in sound between the 1/4 our and the XLR out. Volume doesnt really count because it would have higher gain at the board. I just wonder if anyone can really tell any difference. |
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Location: closely held secret | I don't know if it's measurable by the human ear (certainly not by mine anymore) but the XLR should be 'quieter' noise-wise. I believe it's due to the lower signal, but Temp could explain why better than I could.
There shouldn't be any difference in the true tone of the sound, unless you're picking up so much noise in the 1/4" that it's actually distorting the signal going to the amp.
Arlene, you get 10 points for courage!! |
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Location: NJ | IMHO the xlr sounds tons better than the 1/4
it probably has something to do with the low impedance signal.
all les pauls guitars had lo z pickups he thought they were higher fidelity |
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Location: Scotland | High-frequency response should be better, as a low-impedance balanced line doesn't act like a treble-bleed capacitor in the way that a regular 2 conductor guitar cord can when it's dealing with a high-impedance signal (whether your sound system and/or ears are good enough to percieve that difference is another thing) And as the Wabbit said, running a balanced line gets rid of noise (RF or mains-borne interference for instance) Other than that there should not be much of a difference, tonally.
That said, I always run balanced, though never with the onboard XLR, but that's just because of the peculiaritities my current live setup. I use short cords from the guitars to a DI box then to the board. Amounts to the same thing as using the onboard XLR |
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Location: Battle Creek, MI | Hey thanks for the responses. Thanks to Al again for sending me the optima preamp. When I figure out how to upload photos, I will post some pics of the final installation.....I was a challenge for sure, but I got lots of help from this board and the template for the XLR was very helpful. |
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Location: Warren,Pa. | Hey, Arlene...post a pic of your masterpiece. |
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Location: Battle Creek, MI | I posted a couple of pics of the guitar and the XLR install on the members page. Not sure how that works but it is under Mike Gorecki |
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Location: Battle Creek, MI | Is there some way to post them directly on this page? like as an attachment or some such thing |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | There are directions at the top of the For Sale section. It always takes some trial and error for me. Use the full reply form and keep using the preview post function until it turns out right. |
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Location: Michigan | Here is the link Arlene:
http://ovationfanclub.ning.com/photo/preamp-1/prev?context=user |
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Location: closely held secret | Looks like nice work! |
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Location: Battle Creek, MI | Thanks.....I had to buy a step dril for the larger hole so that was about 25 bucks...but all in all...it came out really nice......but it helps to have the people here on the site giving information and advice......it takes very careful measureing and remeasuring....I found that the hardest part was getting the holes just right for the anchor screws........but it worded and its sort of fun having the XLR....the old S771 never saw it coming |
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Location: Battle Creek, MI | Thanks for the link!! |
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Location: Utica, NY | I agree completely. Having just done one myself I say that yours is a beautiful install. Your advice about carefully measuring and re-measuring is spot on. You only get one shot. Kudos! |
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Location: Battle Creek, MI | Thanks! The XLR template that i downloaded off the board was the most help. That and using a step drill to make the hole. Its just and older S771 but it is a sweet playing guitar and the new install has made it just that much better. |
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Location: VENISE-EN-QUEBEC CANADA | doe's the cable have to be XLR a both end guitar and amp.
Daniel |
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Location: Scotland | Originally posted by flag72:
doe's the cable have to be XLR a both end guitar and amp.
Daniel I guess you could use an XLR to jack but it's pointless and defeats the whole object of the XLR output, as you'll be trying to send a low-impedance balanced signal into a high-impedance unbalanced input. Plus you can't supply phantom power to the pre using that kind of cable. |
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Location: Battle Creek, MI | ok....after many attempts I finally got the post photos concept...I had a few emails about wanting to see the final work on the XLR install so here it is...  |
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Location: VENISE-EN-QUEBEC CANADA | good work Arlene want to do mine :D just kidding but it look's factory install/and thank you P.T.
Daniel |
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Location: SoCal | What model guitar? |
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Location: Battle Creek, MI | That is a S771....here is a pic of the optima ..I replaced the OP24+ as I wanted an onboard chromatic. I added a pickguard and it really changed the overall look...Its a nice playing guitar and the Optima is great.  |
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Location: Battle Creek, MI |
S771 with new optima and custom pickguard |
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Location: Battle Creek, MI | not sure why the pics wont post.....but if you want to look at the pics of the S771 check out my page on ning....search for Mike Gorecki |
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Location: Battle Creek, MI | last try |
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Location: Battle Creek, MI | http://api.ning.com/files/Jww5ekBQ0Cl4CS6OMedPxaYcDSCChTcHnIUkVfOTc...
jTRpnp*n4t-3MvOEdvimZN/preamp.jpg?width=449&height=600
Here is the Optima preamp in my S771 |
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Location: Battle Creek, MI | 
ablolute last try for this image pasting....sorry about that...... |
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Location: Nashville TN. | The XLR is a much stronger signal, plus phantom power means so signal fade. |
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Location: Battle Creek, MI | ya....i guess that is so....but no discernable difference to me in real life playing....if I were using a long long cable...then maybe...but I have a top end 1/4 cable...and really ..there is no hearable difference. |
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Location: closely held secret | Originally posted by arlene:
ya....i guess that is so....but no discernable difference to me in real life playing....if I were using a long long cable...then maybe...but I have a top end 1/4 cable...and really ..there is no hearable difference. Arlene, I think we told you that... |
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Location: Battle Creek, MI | oh ya.....I had no expectations for the XLR...just from time to time I would read on the net that someone could not believe the difference in sound and such.....so it was a curiosity.....mostly I just installed it because it was part of the Optima preamp....and it is part of the circuit board so....unless i unsoldered it...it was just in the way...but if I ever play 1/2 mile from my stage amp, it will be handy |
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Location: closely held secret | People saying what a difference it made may have been using a 1/4" return on a 100' snake to get to the board. Yep it would make a big difference. |
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Location: Battle Creek, MI | But.....the optima is very nice. I really like the OP24+ but the chromatic tuner is really great......The preamp is strong and I do like the notch filter and the push in flush volume and notch controls. |
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Location: closely held secret | The Optima is my favorite. |
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Location: Battle Creek, MI | Ya...excellent........the optima has really cranked up my old S771. |
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Location: Scotland | Originally posted by PEZ:
The XLR is a much stronger signal, plus phantom power means so signal fade. One more time, let's see if we can get this right. The XLR produces a considerably weaker signal. The XLR is a low-impedance output operating at mic-level the standard for which is 15 to maybe 200milliVolts. The 1/4 jack is high-impedance and operates at line-level which is in the order of 1 volt but can be a lot higher with the volume up and the guitar being thrashed. It's the fact that the input sensitivity at the channel mic-level preamp on the board is higher to deal with lower output that gives the impression that the XLR is louder. It isn't. The benefits of using the XLR are not higher volume but the ability to produce a cleaner signal, run long cables without HF degradation and operate the preamp without depending on a 9v cell |
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Location: Marlton, NJ | Very nice work Arlene! I did a similar install using a home made template. I can't remember how I drilled the hole for the XLR - the step drill is a good idea. I seem to recall using a Dremel or a RotoZip. |
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Location: Battle Creek, MI | oh yes...i get that.....my discussion was that i had read that there was some big difference between the 1/4 and XLR even in tone perception and I am saying that other than some hum issue with long runs...and I guess potentially a "cleaner" signal, ts a rather moot issue. When I said cranked up, I meant the preamp. I dont even use the XLR output. |
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XLR output