Doubling up in a floor box

[bhorst]

I was looking at floor boxes and wondered if anyone had ever wired a XLR & 1/4" together in a box so you could use one or the other, but keep the same mixer input. (both inputs would be numbered identical so you would have to use one or the other)

We normally use direct boxes, but curiosity made me want to ask it on here anyway.

[Brad Weber]

I've done it but I more often use these, http://www.neutrik.com/en/xlr/combo-i-series/ncj5fi-s, and jump the 1/4" and XLR connections on the rear of the connector. That allows connecting to it using either an XLR or 1/4" plug but prevents ever being able to use both simultaneously.

[Frank DeWitt]

You probably know this, but XLR and 1/4 inch implies but doesn't require that the signals are different level, and unbalanced for 1/4 inch, unless it is TRS balanced for XLR

Example. If you are running a guitar through a direct box into a microphone input of your board and instead remove the direct box, the board will not be happy. If you go 1/4 at the stage and line in at the board and your board is a long distance from the stage you will not be happy with the sound.

Put another way. The direct box changes the level, and converts to a balanced output with a separate shield.

Frank

[bhorst]

Do you guys have any good recommendations for where to buy floor boxes. I found these and liked the fact they can have power on one side and inputs on the other.

http://www.proaudio.com/product_info...oducts_id=9932

We have the Whirlwind boxes right now in our old stage and we put the AC power in the bottom, so if you have cables and AC cords plugged into the box it is a tight fit.

That is my only complaint as they have lasted for a long time and still look new.
http://whirlwindusa.com/catalog/pane...s/fp1-and-fp-2

[Frank DeWitt]

I like Ace Backstage.
http://www.acebackstage.com/abc_page...ckets_ace.html

Frank

[wogster]

Originally Posted by bhorst

I was looking at floor boxes and wondered if anyone had ever wired a XLR & 1/4" together in a box so you could use one or the other, but keep the same mixer input. (both inputs would be numbered identical so you would have to use one or the other)

We normally use direct boxes, but curiosity made me want to ask it on here anyway.

We have a couple of little phantom powered converter boxes, they have a 1/4" input and 1/8" input and an XLR input along with an XLR output. If you need 1/4" input you plug one of these into the XLR and plug the 1/4" into it, and your good to go. We used one to let the digital piano run through the board, we don't do that anymore, it's built in speaker is actually good enough for the size of the room.

[Tim Padrick]

Do not parallel the XLR and the TRS. If the console's phantom power is turned on, the connected instrument may be damaged by the phantom power (or the channel's phantom power current limiting resistors might burn out).