Voice out modding

[smak]

Hi all,

everyone using Tempests Voice Outs know that problem. If you plug into a voice out  then this one  gets detached from stereo out which leads to plug'n'unplugging many times. Since its mechanical at some point the "snap" gets bit lossy and in the worst case that audio out must be replaced.
To avoid this and having more comfort with recording the tempest I thought about to mod the Voice outs to still being attached to the stereo out while the voice is plugged. Yet I have not opened my T but I am very curios have look.

I am interested if anyone has thought about this, too or  has already  done some modding to its Tempest?

Regards,
smak

[Yorgos Arabatzis]

I wouldn't do that that's for sure...My guess is that the voices work along T's software so touching the hardware means you have to touch the code also and we all know that T's code it's a well kept secret from DSI..

[DavidDever]

Hi all,

everyone using Tempests Voice Outs know that problem. If you plug into a voice out  then this one  gets detached from stereo out which leads to plug'n'unplugging many times. Since its mechanical at some point the "snap" gets bit lossy and in the worst case that audio out must be replaced.
To avoid this and having more comfort with recording the tempest I thought about to mod the Voice outs to still being attached to the stereo out while the voice is plugged. Yet I have not opened my T but I am very curios have look.

I am interested if anyone has thought about this, too or  has already  done some modding to its Tempest?

Regards,
smak

I'd use a short 1/4" TRS male to dual 1/4" TS female splitter as a sacrificial / port-saver cable, e.g., http://www.guitarcenter.com/Hosa/Y-Cable-1-4-in-TRS-Male-Dual-1-4-in-TRS-Female-Stereo-Splitter.gc

This is a known method for extending the life of expensive network cable testers:


That said–assigning a voice to a dedicated out is as easy as unassigning it, right?

[smak]

I wouldn't do that that's for sure...My guess is that the voices work along T's software so touching the hardware means you have to touch the code also and we all know that T's code it's a well kept secret from DSI..

I will have look first at all but my guess is that it is only a contact (circuit) which works just like a simple switch.

[smak]

Hi all,

everyone using Tempests Voice Outs know that problem. If you plug into a voice out  then this one  gets detached from stereo out which leads to plug'n'unplugging many times. Since its mechanical at some point the "snap" gets bit lossy and in the worst case that audio out must be replaced.
To avoid this and having more comfort with recording the tempest I thought about to mod the Voice outs to still being attached to the stereo out while the voice is plugged. Yet I have not opened my T but I am very curios have look.

I am interested if anyone has thought about this, too or  has already  done some modding to its Tempest?

Regards,
smak

I'd use a short 1/4" TRS male to dual 1/4" TS female splitter as a sacrificial / port-saver cable, e.g., http://www.guitarcenter.com/Hosa/Y-Cable-1-4-in-TRS-Male-Dual-1-4-in-TRS-Female-Stereo-Splitter.gc

This is a known method for extending the life of expensive network cable testers:


That said–assigning a voice to a dedicated out is as easy as unassigning it, right?

Thats a nice solution to avoid this plugging thing.

[muleskinner]

I'd use a short 1/4" TRS male to dual 1/4" TS female splitter as a sacrificial / port-saver cable, e.g., http://www.guitarcenter.com/Hosa/Y-Cable-1-4-in-TRS-Male-Dual-1-4-in-TRS-Female-Stereo-Splitter.gc

How does this help?

You still need to leave it plugged in which means the associated voice will not go to the main outs no?

Maybe I'm not following you correctly!

[LucidSFX]

If you have both mains and voice plugged, sound will only come out of the voice. Unassigning a voice doesnt solve the issue the poster wrote about. Unassignment of a voice  will then freely float around the outputs of the voice outs connect as directed by the voice allocation AI in the Tempest. Meaning a hardwired voice out takes priority of the main outs. Therefore if all voice outs are plugged no sound will come out of the main outs even if they are plugged.

I would lpve to see a mod but I agree woth Yorgos. I am sure that though the audio outs are hardwired, the software (AI) would have to be recoded...which will never happen.

[DavidDever]

I'd use a short 1/4" TRS male to dual 1/4" TS female splitter as a sacrificial / port-saver cable, e.g., http://www.guitarcenter.com/Hosa/Y-Cable-1-4-in-TRS-Male-Dual-1-4-in-TRS-Female-Stereo-Splitter.gc

How does this help?

You still need to leave it plugged in which means the associated voice will not go to the main outs no?

Maybe I'm not following you correctly!

It only saves wear and tear on the physical jack socket itself.

[smak]

If you have both mains and voice plugged, sound will only come out of the voice. Unassigning a voice doesnt solve the issue the poster wrote about. Unassignment of a voice  will then freely float around the outputs of the voice outs connect as directed by the voice allocation AI in the Tempest. Meaning a hardwired voice out takes priority of the main outs. Therefore if all voice outs are plugged no sound will come out of the main outs even if they are plugged.

I would lpve to see a mod but I agree woth Yorgos. I am sure that though the audio outs are hardwired, the software (AI) would have to be recoded...which will never happen.

A friend and I do some electronic projects (mostly building DIY Synths with modular gear) agrees with me that it looks like it works like a simple switch. This weekend I will open my Tempest to see how it can be veryfied how it works exactly. I'll let you know.

[LucidSFX]

Sweet - take pics if you can;)

[smak]

 I have tried to bridge voice1 out one to stereo out. It worked and the tempest still worked flawlessly. See pic. Which proves so far that it has no relation to the code. BUT of course with out any of the stereo FX and volume control because I took the wrong connection.  Then I thought it would require some soldering on the PCB which is what I want to avoid. Then it came to me - Each of the Outs has 3 metal contacts - L/R/GND (as you can see on the pic) and instead of bridging Voice L/R  to stereo out  L/R I will try instead to simulate as the voice is unplugged by putting a little metal clamp on these metal stripe contacts. Still this is not the final conclusion. There should be a possibility without a need to do soldering on the PCB.

[RobH]

You just got a boyscouts bravery badge!

[smak]

You just got a boyscouts bravery badge!

Thanks but this wasn't  dangerous realy

[RobH]

You just got a boyscouts bravery badge!

Electrics is something I know very little about. I know I once got a electric shock from a 600watt ballast that was a cheap thing made in china and got told that there was no way it can hold its charge but the 3 prong marks in my arm and the fact it literally knocked me over from kneeling down said otherwise hahaha. No after that I'm a little weary of things electrical!

Thanks but this wasn't  dangerous realy

[LucidSFX]

If you successfully split the signal does the quality of the putput signal reduce?

[smak]

If you successfully split the signal does the quality of the putput signal reduce?

At this first view I did not looked for this. Could be but I have used just headphones for this POC. As I got sick I 've stopped for now. But will resume. To have no loss in audio quality the contact musst be very solid and possibly soldered on the audioplugs. Not shure yet. I don't want to make an promisse as I do not know for sure if I will do this mod. I think is interesting but of course I dont want do damage my Tempest. Before I do any nonreversable modding I have to be very certin about what I do.

[RobH]

If you successfully split the signal does the quality of the putput signal reduce?

At this first view I did not looked for this. Could be but I have used just headphones for this POC. As I got sick I 've stopped for now. But will resume. To have no loss in audio quality the contact musst be very solid and possibly soldered on the audioplugs. Not shure yet. I don't want to make an promisse as I do not know for sure if I will do this mod. I think is interesting but of course I dont want do damage my Tempest. Before I do any nonreversable modding I have to be very certin about what I do.

Maybe Roger or one of the other designers of the Tempest could chime in on this one subject as it does not require any software rework, ofc warranty would get voided but if your going to attempt this you might as well hear from them if it has any chance of working, Roger does stop by from time to time lets hope he sees this thread!

[LucidSFX]

Any progress on the mod?

[Shea]

I'd use a short 1/4" TRS male to dual 1/4" TS female splitter as a sacrificial / port-saver cable, e.g., http://www.guitarcenter.com/Hosa/Y-Cable-1-4-in-TRS-Male-Dual-1-4-in-TRS-Female-Stereo-Splitter.gc

How does this help?

You still need to leave it plugged in which means the associated voice will not go to the main outs no?

Maybe I'm not following you correctly!

It only saves wear and tear on the physical jack socket itself.

It may seem like this wouldn't work but it doesn't. The tempest doesn't know the difference between a male to female and male to male trs. Not having something plugged in to the extender doesn't change the fact that a male 1/4" is plugged into the voice out, this stealing that voice from the mains.

[DavidDever]

I'd use a short 1/4" TRS male to dual 1/4" TS female splitter as a sacrificial / port-saver cable, e.g., http://www.guitarcenter.com/Hosa/Y-Cable-1-4-in-TRS-Male-Dual-1-4-in-TRS-Female-Stereo-Splitter.gc

How does this help?

You still need to leave it plugged in which means the associated voice will not go to the main outs no?

Maybe I'm not following you correctly!

It only saves wear and tear on the physical jack socket itself.

It may seem like this wouldn't work but it doesn't. The tempest doesn't know the difference between a male to female and male to male trs. Not having something plugged in to the extender doesn't change the fact that a male 1/4" is plugged into the voice out, this stealing that voice from the mains.

It's a fools errand, really–if you use individual outs relatively frequently, your only bet is to leave the cables plugged into your mixer and the Tempest.

Products such as the E-mu Proteus 2K devices have assignable output pairs, which allow you to route the voices on a programmatic basis-barring that feature being added, you're stuck with the existing design.