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[ShoNuff]

volca outputs are labelled as 'headphone' output.
so the signal is on both Left and Right, whether it's a mono output or stereo.

question: are the mono volca full 100% signal on both sides? or is it 50/50?
is the signal boosted, as with a headphone amp output? or does the output detect is there's a line input at the other end? (and output line level)

reason for the question: this eats a lot of mixer inputs. i was thinking of summing both sides, whether mono or stereo, to a single mono line level output. eg: have resistors on both sides, and make a summing cable - or in fact a summing box, for multiple volcas: minijack stereo to 2x RCA, then the summing circuit, and 1/4" jack ouputs. thus avoiding many adapter plugs. a little conversion box.

any thoughts?

[LM]

The Volca Bass, which is mono, has its output signal split and going into two separate boosting amps internally, before the headphone jack. I suppose it's the same with all the other mono Volcas. I just use a cable with an 1/8" TRS at one end and two RCA at the other, leaving one of the RCA disconnected when plugging into the mixer.

[ShoNuff]

[synthpeter]

[ShoNuff]

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[ShoNuff]

[synthpeter]

[ShoNuff]

[Irishluck]

I’ve tried several different methods for getting the audio from my Bass and Sample to my mixer. Sample is in stereo unlike the bass. I made a stand to hold both units and hardwired a 1/8”’trs male for the headphone jack and soldered it to a 1/4” female output jack on the stand I made. Putting the required resistors in place on the jack. So I could just grab a regular guitar cable and plug it into that and run it straight to my mixer. Then I decided to try a different method. I got rid of the summing jacks and replaced them with two separate 1/4” jacks for each unit. One for right and left for both units. So I’ll run right and left from the Sample to a stereo channel on my mixer and just run one from the bass to a mono channel on the mixer. I’ve noticed the mono channel for the bass has more gain than the stereo channel for the Sample. But it sounds great. In my opinion it sounds better than the summed outputs. Makes it easier to do different things with the outputs and not have to use a bunch of adapters too. Just leave the dedicated 1/8” trs into the headphone jack and do whatever I need to with the two 1/4” tr output jacks.
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[synthpeter]

[ShoNuff]

right, so you're only dropping your level summing it to mono anyway?
is that it? so the level is as high as you need it, on both sides?
no problem then. just use one side. with the other available for parellel processing, if need be.

[Irishluck]

Ya, the levels are enough to bring my mixer beyond clipping. There’s plenty of volume and enough left over to keep it sounding clear. I was a bit surprised since they seemed to have a low output, but anything would sound weak going through that built-in toy speaker. The bass output is noticeably higher any way I tried it. I even tried 1/8” stereo to XLR on the mixer. I think that was the clearest and most powerful of everything I tried. But having dual XLRs for the Sample isn’t practical since it would take two mixer channels and you’d be having to adjust right and left separately and that would be more hassle than it’s worth. If it were the Sample that had a stronger output I’d use the XLR for the Bass and two 1/4” on a stereo channel for the Samole and they would have a closer output to each other. My guess is the XLR channel runs through the mixers mic preamp. So if you’re only using one Volca to the mixer you might try that too. The tip and ring go to pin 2 and pins 1 and 3 go to the shield and are bridged, and this is a Hosa cable I used, one of the few of mine I didn’t cobble together. Hope that helped a little.

[synthpeter]

[ShoNuff]