mistercharlie wrote:
I have done lots of further testing, running various pairs of outputs into the two channels of the BlacKJack, and using a metering app to match them. I have a lot of annotated screenshots if you’re interested, but the summary is thus:
I tested the following outputs (the input was the same guitar loop, into the INT IN jack).
– DI/LINE OUT XLR > XLR (Line level)
– DI/LINE OUT XLR > XLR (DI Level)
– DI/LINE OUT XLR > TRS (Line level)
– TO AMP > 1/4-in jack (Hi-Z set on BlackJack)
– TO FX > /4-in jack (Line level set on BlackJack)
I paired these up in several combinations, and used the levels app on the iPad, and the gain knobs on the BlackJack to make levels of both channels equal. Then I recorded the pairs to seperate tracks, and normalized each recording. All the knobs on the Mixing Link were at 20 o-clock, except the mix, which was set to give a 100% wet signal to the TO FX output.
RESULT:
Once the levels were balanced at the mixer, the recordings all sound identical (and good), except the DI/LINE OUT XLR > XLR (DI Level). This one has a lot of hiss, largely because I had to crank the BlackJack’s input gain to +35dB to get the level to match the Hi-Z guitar (TO AMP > 1/4-in jack).
Oddly, there seems to be no difference at the BlackJack end if I send a Line level signal into its XLR, or if I spend the same Line Level signal to its 1/4-in jack input. It doesn’t seem to mind.
In the end, then, I decided to just keep the Mixing Link’s output selector dip-switch on LINE LEVEL, and connect it to the mixer via XLR. It sounds great, the levels are good, there’s no noise, and it’s convenient. And it sounds as good as plugging the guitar in direct to the mixer.
Not sure if this will help anyone else, but here it is!
Thank you! Great job! This helped me!
I was wondering what is the deal with the hiss. Even with no mic and everything at zero there is that hiss??? I had not tried the dip switch solution. The ”amp out” gave me cleaner signal and was using so far that one.
