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[Brian Jojade]

Don't get hung up on the different types of connectors.  You want 2 inputs, and you want to be able to switch between them, and never have a need to use both at the same time.  So, the easiest thing is to wire up a physical switch that does that.  You can put whatever connectors you want on the switch for your personal convenience.  You can mount said switch in a convenient place. 

Adding any other electronics into the mix, such as a small cheap mixer would mean your audio is now also running through said electronics.  Sometimes cheapie mixers can color the sound quite a bit.  A simple switch avoids all of that.

[Mike Caldwell]

https://www.radialeng.com/product/backtrack

I think that would work. But is sounds to me like you really only need a DPDT switch mounted in a box and wired to appropriate connectors.

For stereo balanced line it would need to a 4 pole double throw... or 2 DPDT  switches.

[Mike Caldwell]

A project box with some XLR ins and outs is not a bad investment for the audio experimenter. You can build different things inside it as necessary, such as summers, splitters, pads, phantom blockers, transformers, or weird things no one has thought of
--Frank

So you have seen some of my project box projects!!

[Steve M Smith]

If I were to do that and just wired everything in parallel, does anyone know if it would be safe to leave the XLR inputs in the box all the time and simply plug in TRS 1/4" from the QU when needed? That way I wouldn't even have to pull out the XLR's.

If you use the 1/4" sockets with pass through contacts, you can wire it so that when you plug in a TRS plug, it disconnects the XLR. This is probably the easiest method.







Without the TRS plugged in, XLR in goes straight to XLR out.  Plug in a TRS input and this disconnects the XLR input and connects TRS in to XLR out. You just need this twice.


Steve.

[Mike Caldwell]

If you use the 1/4" sockets with pass through contacts, you can wire it so that when you plug in a TRS plug, it disconnects the XLR. This is probably the easiest method.


Without the TRS plugged in, XLR in goes straight to XLR out.  Plug in a TRS input and this disconnects the XLR input and connects TRS in to XLR out. You just need this twice.

Steve.

I haven't my coffee yet this morning but I think your schematic shows the input and output XLR connections wired to the wrong sides of the switch contacts in the TRS jack for the jack input to pass
to the XLR out.

[Steve M Smith]

I haven't my coffee yet this morning but I think your schematic shows the input and output XLR connections wired to the wrong sides of the switch contacts in the TRS jack for the jack input to pass
to the XLR out.

Indeed they do.  Swap XLR in and XLR out and it will work.


Steve.

[Lev Raber]

Check Sonifex Redbox mixers. I use RB-PMX4 for summing from different stereo sources. 

[Tracy Garner]

I posted here because this might end up being a live sound product solution:

 I have a need for something and not sure what will do the trick in the 'best' way.

When I record for band demos and personal projects, I use my desk top Mac with logic Pro, my QU-PAC as interface, my Presonus HP60 for headphone monitoring and a powered sub and HS near field speakers for studio speaker monitoring.
This set up works really well for me but I can't leave it set up this way because of where it is situated so I have to set up and strike each time.
My studio/computer sub has 3 sets of inputs - XLR, TRS and RCA and for normal use I have a cable from my computer going into the XLR left and right into the sub. This is how I use it for my everyday computer audio. 
When I record though I connect the L & R outputs from the QU to the Presonus for headphone use and  I connect the QU alt out L & R (alternate main outs) from the QU to the TRS ins on the sub. This way I can use the dedicated knob on the QU face for the volume of alt out and can quickly turn the speakers on and off leaving the headphone amp always on.
The TRS inputs on the sub take priority so when I plug them in, only the TRS inputs function.

So to my question..... Although I don't need to have the computer audio output going through the speakers whilst I am recording (and I would not be able to do so anyway as plugging in the TRS inputs, disconnects the XLR inputs) , it would be nice to not have to pull out my sub and connect/diconnect the TRS inputs each time. I'd like to be able to have some kind of switch/combiner/mixer between the computer and sub in a readily accessible place so I can have the outputs from the switch connected all the time to one set of inputs in the sub, the audio cable from the computer plugged into the switch and  be able to connect the TRS from the QU to the switch when needed.

Did I explain that clearly? I just read it back and I'm not so sure......

All the simple switch boxes I come across only allow one channel to be used at a time, decent small format mixers are all powered and probably overkill and this leaves combiner boxes.
I own an Art XLR combiner box:
Art Combiner
 that could take care of one side - say the left inputs from the 2 sources and I could get another for the right side but I need to know if this will work or if there is an easier way to do this. As usual I might be overthinking things....

What about this? I see them on deep discount lately.

JBL M-Patch Active-1 - https://jblpro.com/en-US/products/m-patch-active-1

[Ned Ward]

Rane has their MLM 82S rack mixer - 4 mic and 4 stereo line inputs. 1 RU.
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MLM82S--rane-mlm-82s-mic-and-stereo-line-mixer

[Debbie Dunkley]

I have spent the last few days looking into all suggestions and possible solutions.
I think I am at a point where unless I build something myself, which as I said before would end up being very basic and NOT fully what I had planned on (switchable sources), then I will be spending more money than I had anticipated to get what I want and the quality to go with it.
I did try a Hum eliminator like the Ebtech that I forgot I had and although it works and would have been an OK solution,  it affects the low frequencies adversely - not much but I can hear the difference. So, for now I am simply going to use a headphone splitter - take the alt outs from the QU into the splitter and then out into the sub using the same cable I have hooked up anyway from my MAC.
I'll continue to look for exactly what I want - maybe I want too much ( my husband has told me that a few times)....

[ProSoundWeb Community]