"www.HassanAnsari.com - Writer / Singer / Rapper / Producer"

wrote in message
ups.com

How would you connect a preamp that only has an XLR output to an
interface that doesn't have any line level XLR inputs?

My preference would be to get an adaptor cable. Connector adaptors would be
my second choice because they can put more mechanical strain on the
connectors.

Would you buy a XLR to TRS cable?

Been there, done that although I usually made said cable up myself.

Would that distort the sound a bit?

Not in the least!

For example, if you have an Avalon 737SP and a Digi 002 rack, what
would you do to connect the Avalon to the Digi 002?

A cable that was long enough and had the right connectors. ;-)

I have a Presonus Eureka right now with an Audiophile 2496 soundcard.

The soundcard has S/PDIF connectors but I would need to buy an ADAT
card for the Presonus to connect it like that. Right now I use a
little adapter that goes into the TRS output in the the Eureka and
gives me an RCA connection and I put the RCA cable into my soundcard
recording the sound in mono.

This could be about as good as it gets.

I'm thinking about moving to the Protools world and need some help on
how I would connect it, and is Windows XP recommended, or should I
just stick with my nice little Adobe Audition setup.

I'm fine with Audition. Certainly, there are no sound quality issues with
it.

So the real question is, should I just buy a card for my Eureka and
hook it up with the S/PDIF in my soundcard? Or should I try going into
the Protools world? Or should I just leave everything alone and use
the rca cables with my Eureka as I'm doing now?

Unless you've got some problems with audible hum and noise, what you have
could be about as good as it gets.

Oh, and how do you get sound from a preamp that has only XLR out to an
interface that has only 1/4" inputs?

Usually, getting a cable with the right connectors on each end does the job.
;-)

There's a standard reference that shows the best way to handle all sorts of
situations like this, which can be found at http://www.rane.com/note110.html
.. It's on the conservative side, which I think is exactly right. IOW, there
are sleezier alternatives that might work as well as what they say, but then
again maybe not in every circumstance.

I think a little common sense goes a long ways with questions like this. If
you hook things together you generally get:


(1) Good sound
(2) Less sound than you expected, but still its all good.
(3) No sound at all.
(4) Sound with audible hum and/or noise.
(5) Really badly distorted sound.
(6) Something is subtly wrong with the sound.

Item one is the usual case. Item 2 is disappointing, but its one of those
things you can get used to. Items 3-5 are pretty obvious and beg to be dealt
with. Item 6 is pretty rare.