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Question: Using the Emu Outs for a FX loop ?

PostPosted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 1:22 pm
by RichardLichten
Hi All,

i seem to remember that there ist a possibility to use the - or one of the- Emu (in the EIV Range) audio outs as an Effect loop via a stereo cable; however, my manual of my ebayed Esynth doesn?t say much about it (it only describes EOS anyway). Is here anyone who know how to do this (which out or subout to use etc) ?

Thanks for the help !

Richard

PostPosted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 5:57 pm
by vermis_rex
Not that I'm aware of... the EIV series (all the ones I know of) all had balanced outs, which would preclude functions like inserts. None of their strictly playback units (the Proteus family of modules) ever had balanced outs, so they implemented a send/return function on their sub-outs, but not on the samplers.

:edit, several minutes later:
Gak! OK, I forgot the keyboard versions... they had unbalanced sub-outs, which did have the send/return function configured. (or so says the manual for the E-Synth Keys that I'm reading... E4K too)

OK, so "no" on the rack, "yes" on the keyboard versions.

PostPosted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 9:01 pm
by gcoudert
I could be completely wrong about this, but I think I read somewhere that you could achieve this by pushing stereo jacks half way into the sockets.

I'll try and look for the article. I hope it's relevant.

Edit: Bingo!

I would also like to point out (as I do in every Emu review I write) the excellent arrangement on the stereo sub-mix sockets, as most Emu owners still seem blithely unaware of the unique possibilities they offer. Inserting a mono jack all the way into any of the six sub outputs (arranged as three stereo pairs) gives you the normal sub output. But push a jack halfway into these sockets (or use a stereo jack with the ring wired separately, if you're that fussy) and you have an effect return input which is summed passively to the main outputs (ie. it works even when the E4K is switched off). The number of times this unique Emu feature has saved my bacon when I am running out of mixer channels is beyond number!


Here's the full article:
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1996_articles/apr96/emue4k.html?print=yes

Gilles

PostPosted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 10:13 pm
by Ole
Wow, that means they are directly connected to each other? You sure this is'nt possible on the rack variants?

PostPosted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 10:22 pm
by gcoudert
The comment below suggests this is possible on many E-mu products. Unfortunately, I only have an E4K so I can't try it myself but would be interested in finding out whether it works on rack versions of the EIV. The last sentence of the above quotation suggests he's done it before with other E-mu products.

I would also like to point out (as I do in every Emu review I write) the excellent arrangement on the stereo sub-mix sockets, as most Emu owners still seem blithely unaware of the unique possibilities they offer.


Gilles

PostPosted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 7:22 am
by vermis_rex
It is possible on a large number of E-mu products, but not on any of the E4 rack units.

All of the Proteus modules, from the old Proteus1, through the UltraProteus and Planet Phatt, through Proteus2000 and Mo'Phatt, and on through XL-7 and Proteus 2500 (and everything in between, for a span of almost 14 years)... ALL of the Proteus modules have that send/return feature on the sub-outputs with passive summing of returns to the main stereo out (I'm still trying to work out if the sub-out returns are summed to the S/PDIF on Proteus2000 series modules).

The feature appeared on the Emax II and ESI series samplers.

The feature also appears on the E-Synth Keyboard and the E4K (which the review is talking about).

All of the E4 rack units have balanced sub-outputs, which aren't wired with summing returns (both tip and ring of the TRS connector carry the hot signal, sleeve as ground). The others had unbalanced sub-outs, which could be wired as summing returns (tip as send, ring as return, sleeve as ground).

It was a really great feature, and I miss it on my e6400Ultra. Luckily, I still have the Morpheus and PX7 on the same rack...