Guitar Switching Jack
Guitar Switching Jack
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 NEW PEDALTRAIN PT 2 SC w VOODOO LAB PEDAL POWER II  US $274.55
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 NEW PEDALTRAIN PT 2 HC w VOODOO LAB PEDAL POWER II US $341.05
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 Furman SPB 8 Pedal Board w Soft Case US $100.00
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 1001 4 Stereo Mono Active Guitar Switching JackEJ US $78.00
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 501 4 Stereo Mono Active Guitar Switching JackEJ US $42.00
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 NEW PEDALTRAIN PT JRSC w VOODOO LAB PEDAL POWER II US $255.55
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 NEW PEDALTRAIN PT JRHC w VOODOO LAB PEDAL POWER II US $322.05
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 81 4 True Stereo Mono Active Guitar Switching Jack US $11.99
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 501 4 True Stereo Mono Active Guitar Switching Jack US $49.99
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 2pcsJack Socket 635mm 1 4 Stereo Switched Enclosed2240 US $2.99
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 2pcs1 4 Switched Jack Socket Panel Mount Connector2240 US $2.99
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 2pcs1 4 Stereo Switched Headphone Socket Jack Panel2240 US $2.99
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 2pcs1 4 Stereo Enclosed Active Guitar Switching Jack2240 US $2.99
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 4x 1 4 Stereo Enclosed Active Guitar Switching Jack2240 US $4.99
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 FURMAN SPB 8 STEREO PEDAL BOARD US $100.00
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Active vs Passive Direct Boxes?
Why do you need a direct box if you can plug a guitar or keyboard directly into a mixer with no problems? That's a great question! It's easy to ignore DI's, but they play a vital role in the recording process, both in the studio and especially in live recording. There are several different types of direct boxes, but they all serve two main purposes: they function as impedance-matching devices, which change line level signals into a microphone level signals and they provide ground-lift capabilities to avoid that nasty ground-loop hum caused by faulty wiring.
More importantly, a direct box allows you to get a fatter cleaner sound than plugging directly into a mixing board. This is because a balanced signal can be run for long distances without picking up EMI (electro-magnet interference) or RFI (radio frequency interference). If you've ever heard a radio station suddenly coming out of your speakers, then you know what I'm talking about.
A DI will generally have a ¼" input, an XLR output and a ¼" thru jack that can be used to route the input signal to another sound source. This configuration allows a balanced microphone signal to be sent to the mixing console via the XLR output and, at the same time, allows you to plug your instrument into an on stage amplifier via the thru jack. DI's are also equipped with a ground lift switch, which will allow you to safely lift the ground without the fear of shocking yourself. This method lifts the audio signal's ground, but not the electrical ground which we do not recommend.
DI's come in two types - passive and active. The most obvious difference between them is, one needs power and the other does not. A passive DI is ready to use straight out of the box and needs no external power. They are very easy to set up - just plug in and play. However a DI with active electronics needs some sort of external power to run the internal circuitry. They can be run from standard 48 volt phantom power directly from the mixing board or, if phantom power is not available, they can be operated via a 9 volt internal battery. Active DI's can accept many different types of input signals, which make them much more versatile than their passive counterparts, but they are also more expensive.
Applications:
• Keyboard - direct boxes provide the cleanest sound possible
• Electric Guitar - direct box signals need to be run through an amp simulator, like a Line 6 POD, for some extra processing to fatten them up
• Acoustic Guitar - a direct box provides a clean, but sterile sound. The DI signal can be blended with a microphone signal to add warmth/depth
• Bass Guitar - a direct box provides the cleanest sound. The DI signal is usually blended with a microphone signal to add a beefier bottom end
I Recommend:
Radial and Countryman direct boxes for their ruggedness and quality.
About the Author
Quinton Jones is a Mixing/Mastering Engineer with over thirty years experience in the music industry. He is currently the Director of Operations at MusicPro Magazine. If you found this article helpful, then take a look at more articles and tutorials at:
MusicPro Magazine
How does the current flow through an electric guitar circuit?
Hi. First off, I have successfully wired a guitar before, that sounds pretty good, but I've been kind of baffled by the theory of the whole thing. Obviously, a ground is needed because of the potential for the bridge/strings to get hot, but I'm confused about the feed wire. What is the direction of current through the guitar? Does it start at the pickups, work through the pots/switch, and feed to the jack? How does the ground fit into all of this in a guitar? I came to these questions because it seems like the hot wire would just feed the signal to the amp, without the need for a ground. I know this is a bit confusing, but I can't find a way to phrase my questions any better. There is plenty of info out there on how to wire a guitar, but not enough on the theory behind it.
The signal is generated by the pickups. They are coils with a permanent magnet in the center. The strings are made of an alloy that allows magnetic field to pass through them, easily (will be attracted to a magnet). When the string is nearer the magnet, the total magnetic flux passing through the magnet increases a little, because the string gives that flux a small short cut in its path from the front of the coil, around the sides and back into the rear of the magnet at the back of the coil. When the string moves away from the magnet, this short cut is less effective, and the total flux through the magnet falls a little.
The voltage the coil produces is proportional to the rate of change of the flux passing through the opening in the coil (where the magnet sits), so the changes in flux caused by the moving strings generates alternating voltage as the string cycles closer and further from the pickup. The volume control divides this generated voltage down to some fraction of the original strength and the tone control absorbs an adjustable part of the higher frequencies in the signal. What remains is sent out the jack to the cable to the amplifier, with the shield of the cable (ground) being the zero volt reference against which the signal is seen by the amplifier. That zero volt reference is also tied to all metal parts of the guitar, to allow them to act as a shield to block external AC fields (from power lines, fluorescent lamps, TV screens, etc) from adding in unwanted hum signals to the pickup generated output. The current those fields produce all end up going back to the amplifier on the cable shield and are ignored by the amplifier that only deals with signals on the center conductor.
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Regards,
John Popelish
Vintage Tone Boxx - Guitar Pedal by Jack Deville Electronics Tonebender Rangmaster