Using Insert i/o for seperate feed??

[mabozza]

Hi everyone.
I wonder if i can pick the very knowledgable brains here...
I have a Behringer Europower PMP5000 desk that i use for small PA hires.. I have a client who wants me to do a hire,but,wants to run individual lines from each channel (Ch1-12) into his own 16 track multitracker..i can join the 2 by using 12 1/4" Jacks,one connected to the Insert i/o of each channel, but, of course this cuts signal to the output stages of the desk.. anyone know of a way around this, so that i have my post mix sound going to my amps AND the pre mix sound going to the multitracker?
Thanks for any help offered, Cheers.

[Enzo]

Sounds like you don;t have a snake with a splitter., Or you could use that.


An insert jack is just an effects loop in one jack. The jack is a TRS - some folks call that a "stereo" jack - like the one on a headphone set. The tip and ring contacts serve as send and return. I forget which is which.

How to use it as a send adn also maintain the signal through the mixer? You need the cord to the recorder to have a TRS plug on the mixer end. Wire the hot lead to the tip AND ring contacts. In other words, wire tip and ring together in the plug, and attach the signal wire to them. Now the tip to ring connection completes the path through the mixer, and the signal is also sent down the cord.

Follow me?

[Tubebass]

Many mixers have the send of the insert jack on the ring, which allows you to insert a jack halfway into the socket to get a separate feed from each channel. Is this what you were doing? My son and I have employed this trick for live recording several times, and never noticed any signal loss. If your insert jacks are wired the other way (and some are) then Enzo's trick would apply (though it would work in either case).

[Enzo]

Yes, you can generally stick a plug in half way, but i don;t find that secure or reliable.

[mabozza]

Thanks for the help guys, seems far simpler than i thought it would be.
Much appreciated!

[pdf64]

There's a possibility that doing the above could create a ground loop and so introduce hum to both the mixer and recorder. It can be difficult to eliminate such hum (whilst maintaining electrical safety), without resorting to isolating transformers for each channel.
Whereas splitting the signal while it's balanced (at the snake, like Enzo advises), should avoid the need for that.