XLR signal tester?

[peter]

I need a battery operated portable mic/line level signal checker. This is to
avoid arguments when dealing with other audio people (e.g. when someone is
supposed to feed me a signal but there is no signal).

I saw one called whirlwind qbox. Is there anything else to choose from?

[Scott Fraser]

> I need a battery operated portable mic/line level signal checker. This is to
> avoid arguments when dealing with other audio people (e.g. when someone is
> supposed to feed me a signal but there is no signal).
>
> I saw one called whirlwind qbox. Is there anything else to choose from?

The QBox is very good & will pay for itself the very first time you
really need it.

Scott Fraser

[Mike Rivers]

peter wrote:
> I need a battery operated portable mic/line level signal checker.
> I saw one called whirlwind qbox. Is there anything else to choose from?

That's one of a very few that you can plug a signal into and listen to
it. You can tell by listening if the signal is present, what the
signal is, and about what the level is. That's a lot quicker and less
trouble than putting in a known signal and trying to detect it at the
other end.

[Scott Dorsey]

In article <NXfwh.3727$Xf4.3514@trndny09>, peter > wrote:
>I need a battery operated portable mic/line level signal checker. This is to
>avoid arguments when dealing with other audio people (e.g. when someone is
>supposed to feed me a signal but there is no signal).
>
>I saw one called whirlwind qbox. Is there anything else to choose from?

A pair of headphones with an XLR-to-TRS adaptor on the end. Not useful for
mike level signals, but a good go/no-go indication for line level signals.

The next step up would be something like the Q-Box.

The step up from that would be a calibrated meter, either something like
the old Hewlett-Packard audio meters or the Neutrik Minirator.

The Minirator is so handy for all kinds of other things that the added
cost may not be as important as it appears.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Mike Rivers]

Scott Dorsey wrote:

> The step up from that would be a calibrated meter, either something like
> the old Hewlett-Packard audio meters or the Neutrik Minirator.

The Minirator is a generator. The Minilyzer is the analyzer/meter.
Like the Q-Box, it has an XLR input that will take a mic level, up to
a modest line level (I think about +15 dBu before it displays its
overload indicator) and it has a headphone jack so you can listen ot
whatever's going into it. It's kind of steep, though, a bit under $600.

[Fletch]

On Jan 31, 10:40 pm, "peter" > wrote:
> I need a battery operated portable mic/line level signal checker. This is to
> avoid arguments when dealing with other audio people (e.g. when someone is
> supposed to feed me a signal but there is no signal).
>
> I saw one called whirlwind qbox. Is there anything else to choose from?


I'm using a Ross CS1000 I think it's called. Tests virtually
everything from RJ-11 to Midi to RCA, but not coaxial. A little
pricey, at around a hundred bucks, but worth it. Behringer makes a
knockoff for less, but I don't know anything about it.

--Fletch

[ernest]

On Feb 1, 3:19 pm, "Fletch" > wrote:
> On Jan 31, 10:40 pm, "peter" > wrote:
>
> > I need a battery operated portable mic/line level signal checker. This is to
> > avoid arguments when dealing with other audio people (e.g. when someone is
> > supposed to feed me a signal but there is no signal).
>
> > I saw one called whirlwind qbox. Is there anything else to choose from?
>
> I'm using a Ross CS1000 I think it's called. Tests virtually
> everything from RJ-11 to Midi to RCA, but not coaxial. A little
> pricey, at around a hundred bucks, but worth it. Behringer makes a
> knockoff for less, but I don't know anything about it.
>
> --Fletch

I use a Behringer CT-100 and has wide variety of connectors. So far
it works. I'm not sure where you get the idea this particular box is
a knock off though.

Ernest

[Geoff]

ernest wrote:
> On Feb 1, 3:19 pm, "Fletch" > wrote:
>> On Jan 31, 10:40 pm, "peter" > wrote:
>>
>>> I need a battery operated portable mic/line level signal checker.
>>> This is to avoid arguments when dealing with other audio people
>>> (e.g. when someone is supposed to feed me a signal but there is no
>>> signal).
>>
>>> I saw one called whirlwind qbox. Is there anything else to choose
>>> from?
>>
>> I'm using a Ross CS1000 I think it's called. Tests virtually
>> everything from RJ-11 to Midi to RCA, but not coaxial. A little
>> pricey, at around a hundred bucks, but worth it. Behringer makes a
>> knockoff for less, but I don't know anything about it.
>>
>> --Fletch
>
> I use a Behringer CT-100 and has wide variety of connectors. So far
> it works. I'm not sure where you get the idea this particular box is
> a knock off though.


Rolls CT-1 gives a good basic open/short test.

geoff

[L David Matheny]

"ernest" > wrote in message oups.com...
<snip>
> I use a Behringer CT-100 and has wide variety of connectors. So far
> it works. I'm not sure where you get the idea this particular box is
> a knock off though.
>
> Ernest
>
Isn't the Behringer a knock-off of the Ebtech Swizz Army cable tester?
http://www.ebtechaudio.com/swizzdes.html

[John Lamp]

L David Matheny wrote:

> "ernest" > wrote in message oups.com...
> <snip>
>
>>I use a Behringer CT-100 and has wide variety of connectors. So far
>>it works. I'm not sure where you get the idea this particular box is
>>a knock off though.
>>
>>Ernest
>>
>
> Isn't the Behringer a knock-off of the Ebtech Swizz Army cable tester?
> http://www.ebtechaudio.com/swizzdes.html

.... or vice versa, or badge engineering.

Cheers
Goaty
--
_--_|\ John Lamp - in beautiful downtown Highton
/ \ meanderings. 2200-2400 Wednesday
\_.--._/ on 94.7 the Pulse - Geelong Community Radio
v http://www.myspace.com/meanderings_thepulse

"You know, if the internet was analogue with tubes, this stuff
wouldn't happen." - Sean S

[thepaulthomas]

On Feb 1, 9:11 am, "Mike Rivers" > wrote:
> Scott Dorsey wrote:
> > The step up from that would be a calibrated meter, either something like
> > the old Hewlett-Packard audio meters or the Neutrik Minirator.
>
> The Minirator is a generator. The Minilyzer is the analyzer/meter.
> Like the Q-Box, it has an XLR input that will take a mic level, up to
> a modest line level (I think about +15 dBu before it displays its
> overload indicator) and it has a headphone jack so you can listen ot
> whatever's going into it. It's kind of steep, though, a bit under $600.


A few months ago I bought a very handy little gadget on eBay called
the "Pink Stick". It's about the size of a roll of quarters and it can
be switched between generating pink noise, a 1K tone, or a pulse. It
runs on phantom power and has already come in very handy on a few live
sound jobs. $50 well spent.

[Mike Rivers]

On Feb 3, 10:34 pm, "thepaulthomas"

> A few months ago I bought a very handy little gadget on eBay called
> the "Pink Stick". It's about the size of a roll of quarters and it can
> be switched between generating pink noise, a 1K tone, or a pulse.

I've seen that on display at the NAMM show. I think it's from the same
company that has the Apex microphones. A little generator like that
can be handy to have, but if you want to hear if something's coming
out the other end, you still need a little amplifier of sorts, unless
you send it out to the PA speakers.

Shure has made a little generator like that for years. It's battery
powered, just a single tone, but fine for checking lines when you
don't want to listen to someone saying "Check One Two" for ten minutes.