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Author Topic: 3.5mm audio jack in wall plate...how to extend run to board?  (Read 6146 times)

ThomasKay

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Small church/conference room setting:

Trying to configure a permanent wall plate at the position where we will do PowerPoint presentations. To do this, the client will sometimes come out of their computer with VGA video and the 3.5mm analog out to the wall plate. From that wall plate, the signal will be routed to FOH position to the board.

At the moment, our task is to fill out what connections will be on the wall plate.

1) Should I have a 3.5mm jack on the wallplate instead of two RCA jacks? I would think that the RCA's would be stronger over the long run and I worry about how well the 3.5mm jack will hold up.

2) I do not know how to properly extend the signal back to the FOH position when using a wall plate. The extension back to FOH will probably be 50 to 70 feet and will come out of another wall plate as male XLR's. Do I need some sort of DI to run a 3.5mm signal at those lengths? Is the 3.5 a balanced signal?

3) I have considered putting XLR's into the wall plate and using something like the Whirlwind Direct Box that could interface with units with a 3.5mm jack. This would ensure that the jacks would be stronger/

http://whirlwindusa.com/catalog/black-boxes-effects-and-dis/direct-boxes/pcdihw

Thanks.


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Steve M Smith

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Re: 3.5mm audio jack in wall plate...how to extend run to board?
« Reply #1 on: July 28, 2015, 06:09:49 AM »

I would put a stereo 3.5mm jack, two 1/4" jacks and two RCA phonos to cover every likely possibility.


Steve.
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Lee Buckalew

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Re: 3.5mm audio jack in wall plate...how to extend run to board?
« Reply #2 on: July 28, 2015, 06:27:55 AM »

Small church/conference room setting:

Trying to configure a permanent wall plate at the position where we will do PowerPoint presentations. To do this, the client will sometimes come out of their computer with VGA video and the 3.5mm analog out to the wall plate. From that wall plate, the signal will be routed to FOH position to the board.

At the moment, our task is to fill out what connections will be on the wall plate.

1) Should I have a 3.5mm jack on the wallplate instead of two RCA jacks? I would think that the RCA's would be stronger over the long run and I worry about how well the 3.5mm jack will hold up.

2) I do not know how to properly extend the signal back to the FOH position when using a wall plate. The extension back to FOH will probably be 50 to 70 feet and will come out of another wall plate as male XLR's. Do I need some sort of DI to run a 3.5mm signal at those lengths? Is the 3.5 a balanced signal?

3) I have considered putting XLR's into the wall plate and using something like the Whirlwind Direct Box that could interface with units with a 3.5mm jack. This would ensure that the jacks would be stronger/

http://whirlwindusa.com/catalog/black-boxes-effects-and-dis/direct-boxes/pcdihw

Thanks.

Lots of manufacturers have good solutions for this.  Kramer, Extron, etc.  here is an RDL solution. http://www.rdlnet.com/product.php?page=764
And
http://www.rdlnet.com/product.php?page=383
This would give you stereo in to mono out.

You could use this input plate http://www.rdlnet.com/product.php?page=387
And two of these output plates http://www.rdlnet.com/product.php?page=383
to have stereo in unbalanced and stereo out balanced.

These RDL options require power and the powering needs will depend on run length.

If you want audio and video via the same wall plate there are many different options depending upon what video format, distance between TX and RX, switching or scaling needed, etc.

Lee
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Lee Buckalew
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Scott Carneval

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Re: 3.5mm audio jack in wall plate...how to extend run to board?
« Reply #3 on: July 28, 2015, 11:29:52 AM »

Lee's RDL advice is on point. 

I would NOT convert to mono XLR just in case you ever need to run the source in stereo.  The CatX balun will run a few hundred feet without issue. I would suggest a 3.5mm input at the wall and RCA output at the control room.  Then you can use a DI to sum to mono if necessary. 
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Stephen Swaffer

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Re: 3.5mm audio jack in wall plate...how to extend run to board?
« Reply #4 on: July 28, 2015, 06:57:39 PM »

Not sure if this is supposed to work or not, but I have had good success using a 3.5 mm to 1/4" stereo adapter and plugging into our snake  (100 feet long) then using a y adapter to split into 2 unbalanced signals into our mixer.

A 1/4" stereo jack would be easy to install in a wall plate and would be reasonably robust.  Wire would be single pair shielded mic cable.
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Steve Swaffer

ThomasKay

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Re: 3.5mm audio jack in wall plate...how to extend run to board?
« Reply #5 on: July 29, 2015, 01:12:04 AM »

Lots of manufacturers have good solutions for this.  Kramer, Extron, etc.  here is an RDL solution. http://www.rdlnet.com/product.php?page=764
And
http://www.rdlnet.com/product.php?page=383
This would give you stereo in to mono out.

You could use this input plate http://www.rdlnet.com/product.php?page=387
And two of these output plates http://www.rdlnet.com/product.php?page=383
to have stereo in unbalanced and stereo out balanced.

These RDL options require power and the powering needs will depend on run length.

If you want audio and video via the same wall plate there are many different options depending upon what video format, distance between TX and RX, switching or scaling needed, etc.

Lee

Thanks Lee. I'll hang onto those links.
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ThomasKay

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Re: 3.5mm audio jack in wall plate...how to extend run to board?
« Reply #6 on: July 29, 2015, 01:18:01 AM »

I think I have decided to put XLR's into the wall plate and use direct boxes to interface. Thanks for the input!
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Scott Carneval

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Re: 3.5mm audio jack in wall plate...how to extend run to board?
« Reply #7 on: July 29, 2015, 08:47:57 AM »

I think I have decided to put XLR's into the wall plate and use direct boxes to interface. Thanks for the input!

Just make sure you consider the end user.  If you will always have a skilled operator then the DI should be fine.  But if simplicity is a consideration, then a 3.5mm or RCA jack on the input side will be much easier for the end user to figure out.
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Joseph D. Macry

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Re: 3.5mm audio jack in wall plate...how to extend run to board?
« Reply #8 on: July 29, 2015, 09:23:46 AM »

Consider the "iPlate" by ProCo. http://www.procosound.com/iplate
Two-gang plate with 3.5mm and dual RCA plus mono-stereo switch and ground lift.
Transformers on rear convert signal to balanced mic level, stereo or dual-mono.
Can be custom -ordered to output line level.
Downside: I have seen several of these break the 3.5mm jack. I wish they would use a more robust component.
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Joseph Macry,
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Caleb Dueck

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Re: 3.5mm audio jack in wall plate...how to extend run to board?
« Reply #9 on: July 29, 2015, 08:14:48 PM »

Radial also has a tech plate that outputs balanced signal directly.
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Re: 3.5mm audio jack in wall plate...how to extend run to board?
« Reply #9 on: July 29, 2015, 08:14:48 PM »


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