Question about building a simple talkback box

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

"NickB" wrote ...
> I'm considering building a simple talk-back box. Initially,
> I looked into buying a Mackie "Big Knob" or a Presonus
> Central Station for this purpose, but since I only have one
> set of monitors it seemed like overkill.
>
> Can a talkback box be built by using a spring-return triple-
> pole single-throw switch with two normally closed (for the
> monitors) and one normally open (for the mic) sets of contacts
> or would this simple-minded approach result in loud clicks
> in the headphones and the (powered Event 20/20 bas) studio
> monitors?

It can be made to operate without clicks or other transients if
designed and wired properly. Frequently it involves *shorting*
the undesired signal rather than open-circuiting it. (i.e. shorting
the signal to the CR speakers while UN-shorting the TB mic.)

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On Mon, 04 Jul 2005 15:38:17 -0400, Richard Crowley wrote:

> "NickB" wrote ...
>> I'm considering building a simple talk-back box. Initially, I looked
>> into buying a Mackie "Big Knob" or a Presonus Central Station for this
>> purpose, but since I only have one set of monitors it seemed like
>> overkill.
>>
>> Can a talkback box be built by using a spring-return triple- pole
>> single-throw switch with two normally closed (for the monitors) and one
>> normally open (for the mic) sets of contacts or would this
>> simple-minded approach result in loud clicks in the headphones and the
>> (powered Event 20/20 bas) studio monitors?
>
> It can be made to operate without clicks or other transients if designed
> and wired properly. Frequently it involves *shorting* the undesired
> signal rather than open-circuiting it. (i.e. shorting the signal to the
> CR speakers while UN-shorting the TB mic.)

I'm not sure I completely understand what you are suggesting.

For the talk-back mic, I'm going to be using a spare Sure SM58.
Are you saying that it would be better to short pins 2 and 3 to
quiet the mic, rather than interrupting the wire running from
pin 2?

Currently, my (powered) monitors are fed directly from my Delta
1010 breakout box. If I short this feed to silence the monitors,
would I not be risking damage to the output circuitry of the 1010
break-out box? Or were you suggesting "shorting" out the feed to
a resistive load using a make-before break type of contact
arrangment?

Nick
--

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

"Nick Busigin" wrote ...
> For the talk-back mic, I'm going to be using a spare Sure SM58.
> Are you saying that it would be better to short pins 2 and 3 to
> quiet the mic, rather than interrupting the wire running from
> pin 2?

Absolutely. Shorting 2-3 is the "normal" method of muting
a balanced mic. Opening the circuit is almost guaranted to
be more noisy.

> Currently, my (powered) monitors are fed directly from my Delta
> 1010 breakout box. If I short this feed to silence the monitors,
> would I not be risking damage to the output circuitry of the 1010
> break-out box? Or were you suggesting "shorting" out the feed to
> a resistive load using a make-before break type of contact
> arrangment?

The line-level outputs of virtually all modern audio equipment
can stand a dead short for at least a short time (minutes). Most
can tolerate a dead short indefinitely without damage.

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Nick Busigin <nick8219@xwing.org> wrote:
>
>For the talk-back mic, I'm going to be using a spare Sure SM58.
>Are you saying that it would be better to short pins 2 and 3 to
>quiet the mic, rather than interrupting the wire running from
>pin 2?

I don't know if he is suggesting that, but that is the best thing to do.

>Currently, my (powered) monitors are fed directly from my Delta
>1010 breakout box. If I short this feed to silence the monitors,
>would I not be risking damage to the output circuitry of the 1010
>break-out box? Or were you suggesting "shorting" out the feed to
>a resistive load using a make-before break type of contact
>arrangment?

No, he's suggesting shorting the mike. Do you want to silence things
at the mike or somewhere else along the chain? Normally with these
things you use a switched mike.

I may have a switched Paso desk mike around here somewhere if somebody
wants it.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

In article <pan.2005.07.04.17.26.28.468950.19989@xwing.org> nick8219@xwing.org writes:

> For the talk-back mic, I'm going to be using a spare Sure SM58.
> Are you saying that it would be better to short pins 2 and 3 to
> quiet the mic, rather than interrupting the wire running from
> pin 2?

To mute the mic when you're not talking, yes.

> Currently, my (powered) monitors are fed directly from my Delta
> 1010 breakout box. If I short this feed to silence the monitors,
> would I not be risking damage to the output circuitry of the 1010
> break-out box?

Probably not, but it would be better to open that line rather than
short it.

But one of us isn't clear on what you're going to do. Are you planning
to hook up a talkback to your control room monitors? What's the point
of that? Talkback is supposed to be so that you can talk to the talent
in the studio. Is that where you have the powered monitors that are
connected to the output of the Delta 1010?

When you talk, you want to mute the monitors that are in the same room
as the talkback mic so you don't get feedback. And when you're not
talking, you want to mute the mic so the people in the studio don't
hear your nasty remarks or get your control room monitors added to
their headphone mix.

Generally you send the talkback mic either to a set of monitors in the
studio (that the musicians use to listen to playbacks so they don't
have to come into the control room), a dedicated talkback speaker in
the studio, or to whatever feeds the headphones that the musicians are
wearing (or all of the above).

So who will you be talking to, and where will they be located relative
to your (or your talkback mic)?

--
I'm really Mike Rivers (mrivers@d-and-d.com)
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

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mrivers@d-and-d.com (Mike Rivers) wrote in news:znr1120524043k@trad:

> But one of us isn't clear on what you're going to do. Are you planning
> to hook up a talkback to your control room monitors? What's the point
> of that? Talkback is supposed to be so that you can talk to the talent
> in the studio. Is that where you have the powered monitors that are
> connected to the output of the Delta 1010?

Mike, you're being professional again. You're assuming that the control
room monitors and the studio monitors are on separate mixes.

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

In article <Xns968A5E50118E1gulfjoehotmailcom@207.69.189.191> gulfjoe@hotmail.com writes:

> Mike, you're being professional again. You're assuming that the control
> room monitors and the studio monitors are on separate mixes.

I suppose they could be, but the important thing is that they're on
separate outputs, and are off when you're recording, and on if you
want to use them as a talkback squawk box rather than talkback through
headphones.

But I wasn't sure what the original poster understood was that the
talkback speakers (or headphones) and the talkback microphone are in
different places, at least sound isolated. I was wondering if maybe he
wanted talkback to talk to himself.


--
I'm really Mike Rivers (mrivers@d-and-d.com)
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

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On Tue, 05 Jul 2005 06:04:31 -0400, Mike Rivers wrote:

> In article <pan.2005.07.04.17.26.28.468950.19989@xwing.org>
> nick8219@xwing.org writes:
>
>> For the talk-back mic, I'm going to be using a spare Sure SM58. Are you
>> saying that it would be better to short pins 2 and 3 to quiet the mic,
>> rather than interrupting the wire running from pin 2?
>
> To mute the mic when you're not talking, yes.

Thanks for the clarification.

>> Currently, my (powered) monitors are fed directly from my Delta 1010
>> breakout box. If I short this feed to silence the monitors, would I
>> not be risking damage to the output circuitry of the 1010 break-out
>> box?
>
> Probably not, but it would be better to open that line rather than short
> it.
>
> But one of us isn't clear on what you're going to do. Are you planning
> to hook up a talkback to your control room monitors? What's the point of
> that? Talkback is supposed to be so that you can talk to the talent in
> the studio. Is that where you have the powered monitors that are
> connected to the output of the Delta 1010?
>
> When you talk, you want to mute the monitors that are in the same room
> as the talkback mic so you don't get feedback. And when you're not
> talking, you want to mute the mic so the people in the studio don't hear
> your nasty remarks or get your control room monitors added to their
> headphone mix.

The monitors I want to silence are the ones that are in the control
room with me. Right now, I'm working without a physical mixer and the
unfortunately, routing capabilities of the the Delta 1010 software
mixer are pretty limited. However... you gave me an idea. It would
be better and cheaper if I bought a little mini-mixer that I could put
ahead of the headphone distribution amp rather than building a
talk-back box. That way I could simply plug the talk-back mic' into
this mini-mixer and have it routed only to the talent in the studio.

Thanks Mike for the help.

Thanks also to Richard and Scott.

Nick
--

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

I was wondering if maybe he
> wanted talkback to talk to himself.

Some people just aren't satisfied having old fashioned conversations with
themselves. Now they want microphones and speakers...

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nick8219@NOSPAMxwing.org wrote:
However... you gave me an idea. It would
> be better and cheaper if I bought a little mini-mixer that I could put
> ahead of the headphone distribution amp rather than building a
> talk-back box. That way I could simply plug the talk-back mic' into
> this mini-mixer and have it routed only to the talent in the studio.


If you do that, and the mixer has TRS inserts, you can stick any garden
variety sustain pedal (with whichever polarity the Yamahas and Rolands
have) halfway in, put a mic in that channel, and pedal down mic on,
pedal up mic off. Rout it to talent's headphones or anywhere you
want. That's what we do. With a long mono 1/4 cable a producer lying
on the couch can have his own switch and chime in without you having to
keep hitting it.

That's the way we have it. We are also mixerless generally, but have
a Mackie for routing returns to different places, and the talkback can
be printed or not. Cost not a cent! : )


V

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David Grant wrote:
> I was wondering if maybe he
>
>>wanted talkback to talk to himself.
>
>
> Some people just aren't satisfied having old fashioned conversations with
> themselves. Now they want microphones and speakers...
>
>

It's all about the reverb. Makes it authoritative.

--
Les Cargill

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Les Cargill wrote:
> David Grant wrote:
>
>> I was wondering if maybe he
>>
>>> wanted talkback to talk to himself.
>>
>>
>>
>> Some people just aren't satisfied having old fashioned conversations with
>> themselves. Now they want microphones and speakers...
>>
>>
>
> It's all about the reverb. Makes it authoritative.
>
> --
> Les Cargill

Two cups and a string? Gives it that lo-fi quality.