Octatrack splitter cable?

[mixthe76]

Hello. So I am trying to get my setup finished for a live music stream I’ve been preparing for. So I need to run the two main L/R Octatrack 1/4 inch outs into the 3.5mm stereo input of my Zoom H1N, which I’m using as an audio interface. Is there a cable specifically for that? I have a splitter cable but I’ve heard that it’s not good to use it “backwards” (running two outputs into one input).
Any advice would be appreciated, thanks!

[brucegill]

I can’t see why an audio cable would be “backwards” or “forwards”? I may be wrong.

But one of these would be perfect

Hosa Stereo Breakout 3.5mm to Dual 1/4 Ts 3ft : Amazon.co.uk: Musical...

[pselodux]

@mixthe76

I’ve heard that it’s not good to use it “backwards” (running two outputs into one input).

FYI in this use case it’s not the same as running two outputs into one input. The Zoom H1n has a stereo 3.5mm input, and the Hosa cable posted above takes two mono plugs and converts them into one stereo plug (or vice versa). It’s the standard and expected way to connect the devices.

[PofM]

@brucegill

I can’t see why an audio cable would be “backwards” or “forwards”? I may be wrong.

The cable itself doesn’t care which way you use it, but the gear might do. A splitter cable is called a splitter for a reason, not a joiner cable. To combine two inputs you need a summing cable (or a mixer) and trying to use a simple splitter can damage the gear:

EU vendor for stereo summing cables

The resistors are there to prevent the current from the outputs going back into the other output (i.e. left output sending current to right output, and vice versa). Lowering by 3dB won’t help, if I understand correctly. This is an excellent article: http://silentsky.net/wordpress/archives/624

But in this case there is no need to combine two signals into one, because a stereo signal is not a single signal, it’s still two. So that hosa cable will work fine.

[PofM]

@mixthe76

I have a splitter cable but I’ve heard that it’s not good to use it “backwards” (running two outputs into one input).

If you have an actual splitter cable that splits one mono signal into two identical copies of the mono signal, i.e. TS to 2xTS, don’t use that to combine two different mono signals into one. That kind of cable is for splitting not joining.

You want a cable that has TRS at one end and 2xTS at the other. That isn’t combining the 2 mono signals together, it just routes them to different pins of a stereo plug (one signal-carrying Tip goes to the stereo plug’s Tip, and the other goes to the Ring).

[brucegill]

@PofM

The cable itself doesn’t care which way you use it, but the gear might do. A splitter cable is called a splitter for a reason, not a joiner cable. To combine two inputs you need a summing cable (or a mixer) and trying to use a simple splitter can damage the gear:

I’d not considered the OP would have a joiner/summing cable though as he’s dealing with a TRS input on the Zoom and will have two mono from the OT - so no joining or adding at all, just sending one to the tip and one to the sleeve

[PofM]

@brucegill

just sending one to the tip and one to the sleeve

One to the tip and one to the ring, I think. The two sleeves from the mono outputs get combined, but that’s ok because they are just the ground, not carrying the signals

[mixthe76]

Ok this is what I was thinking of, so I ordered one of the cables linked above, I appreciate all of the information everyone