Carvin SL40C manual Using the inserts, Full insert, Half insert insert Direct out

7. Using the inserts

Full insert

The insert jack is a Tip/Ring/Sleeve (TRS) 1/4” phone jack where the tip is the send, the ring is the return and the sleeve is the ground. When used as an insert point or in full insert mode, the channel is opened up to allow an external piece of equipment to be inserted into the channels signal path. The channel signal coming from the TAPE switch, whether it is the MIC (up position) or the TAPE IN (down position), will be forced to go through the external equipment before it can continue back through the channel. The signal “re- enters” before the low cut filter and continuing on to the chan- nel EQ controls. Most external equipment is not set up for the TRS plug directly, so a special insert cable is required. The insert cable will have on one end the TRS (stereo) plug and two mono (TS) plugs (or jacks) on the other end. The two plugs each have the ground connected to the sleeve. One has the return on its tip and the other has the send on its tip. This allows the send to be connected to the input of the exter- nal equipment and the return to its output completing the insert loop back to the channel. One advantage of using the insert jack is with compressors. With a compressor at this point in the channel signal path, the input signal can be compressed reducing the need to adjust the faders during a show.

Half insert (insert Direct out)

The half insert connection creates a send signal without break- ing the channels signal path. The insert in this mode is no longer used as an insert but it becomes what is called an “insert direct out”. The advantage of an insert direct out is the signal at this point has only traveled through one amplifier stage resulting in the quietest and lowest distortion possible in the console. This is popular when recording tracks in the studio because the EQ and fader may not be needed and can be added in the mix- down. If an insert is needed on the same channel, special cabling is required to perform both functions. The half insertion con- nects the tip of the plug being inserted to the ring of the jack. (See the fig.) If the jack is fully inserted to where the tip of the plug connects to the tip of the jack, the internal jack switch will open and the channel’s signal path will be broken. The con- nection will still function as a direct out but the channel’s signal will stop at the insert and not continue on to the rest of the chan- nel and the masters. The result of the half insert is multiple out- puts for use in multi-track recording.

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15	FULL INSERT
DIRECT
OUT

		TAPE Pre-Amp
TAPE	TIP	TIP: SEND SIGNAL
IN	RING
		RING: RETURN SIGNAL

	TIP		SLEEVE: GROUND
IN
LINE
MIC	RING	MIC Pre-Amp
	PIN 2 (+)

PIN 3 (–)

INSERT

GAIN TAPE

SWITCH

GAIN					INSERT JACK
	PHASE
4	TAPE
	55
	0
-15	LOW				STEREO PLUG
	+15 CUT
HIGH
	0
		HI
	MID
-15	+15
800	1K
	2K
	FREQ
225	4K
	0
	LOW
	MID
-15PAN
	+15			SEND	RETURN
				TO EFFECTS
		15		HALF INSERT
		DIRECT
			OUT
				TAPE Pre-Amp
			TAPE	TIP	TIP: SIGNAL
			IN	RING
					SLEEVE: GROUN
				TIP
			LINE
			IN	RING
			MIC	MIC Pre-Amp
				PIN 2 (+)
				PIN 3 (–)
		INSERT		GAIN
					TAPE
					SWITCH
	GAIN				INSERT JACK
			PHASE
	4	55	TAPE
		0
	-15	+15	LOW
			CUT
	HIGH				MONO PLUG
		0
			HI
			MID
	-15	+15
	800	1K
		2K	FREQ
	225	4K
		0
			LOW
	-15PAN		MID
		+15

TO RECORDER