I need a 1U rack-mount mixer in my studio and I'm considering the BEHRINGER RX1602 V2, which is perfect for my needs but there is a slight snag: it has unbalanced outputs. However, the audio interface that it would be connected to (RME UCX II) has balanced inputs, so does that even matter?
My reasoning is that if I connect an unbalanced source to a balanced input using a balanced cable, the ring contact would be unconnected at the source, but still connected at the balanced input, so any electromagnetic noise arriving at the balanced cable would affect both the ring and the tip wires equally, therefore the balanced input would get two identical noise signals that would cancel out, leaving just the clean audio signal from the tip wire. The only slight drawback is that the signal would be 6 dB quieter, but I can crank up the gain to fix that. Of course the reverse wouldn't work, in other words, connecting a balanced output to an unbalanced input, since the noise rejection action happens at the input.
I have a sneaking suspicion there are holes in my theory and I wanted to run it past people with a better understanding than me. The other thing I'm not sure about is how the outputs of this mixer are connected internally (it could be a TS socket but it could also be a TRS socket with one pin connected or unconnected) and whether my UCX II will treat the signal as balanced or unbalanced.
My reasoning is that if I connect an unbalanced source to a balanced input using a balanced cable, the ring contact would be unconnected at the source, but still connected at the balanced input, so any electromagnetic noise arriving at the balanced cable would affect both the ring and the tip wires equally, therefore the balanced input would get two identical noise signals that would cancel out, leaving just the clean audio signal from the tip wire. The only slight drawback is that the signal would be 6 dB quieter, but I can crank up the gain to fix that. Of course the reverse wouldn't work, in other words, connecting a balanced output to an unbalanced input, since the noise rejection action happens at the input.
I have a sneaking suspicion there are holes in my theory and I wanted to run it past people with a better understanding than me. The other thing I'm not sure about is how the outputs of this mixer are connected internally (it could be a TS socket but it could also be a TRS socket with one pin connected or unconnected) and whether my UCX II will treat the signal as balanced or unbalanced.