Are Control switcher jacks isolated from eachother?

Q & A for building and interfacing your rack gear with Ground Control Pro and GCX-based systems.
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carstenlange
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Are Control switcher jacks isolated from eachother?

Post by carstenlange »

Wanted to know if the sleeve of each control jack is connected to each other or isolated.

I had a new idea I wanted try which would use the Control switcher as a remote relay to send and audio signal to an effect when Tip and sleeve are open and then to ground the audio signal when tip and sleeve are connected?

So one audio input feeding 4 outputs which will have common ground in line splitter box that I build.
Then I guess I would have to isolate the input to each output from each other by putting a 100k resister between input and each output so grounding on output doesn't ground out all of them.

I would then have the control switchers sleeve connection of each CS jack connect to the ground of the line splitter's 4 output jacks and then have the Tips of control switcher connected to each splitter outputs tip.

So enabling one of the control switchers jacks to connect its tip to sleeve it would ground out only that one specific line splitter output.


Now my other question is this. Does the control switchers jacks Sleeve connection have to be used for grounding? Or could I used it to bridge and make an audio connection. So like above idea, instead Line splitters input would be sent to a TRS jack where the input connects to ring and the tip connects to one of the audio splitters output tip.

in this case the control switchers jack would connect to the TRS connection of splitter box and then connect ring to tip when enabled and there by making the connection.

Last question is this. If I use DC to power the CS, does the control switcher need itself to be connected to ground?
Custom Audio Amplifiers PT100
Bogner Ecstasy 101B
Carvin electric guitars

JohnClark
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Re: Are Control switcher jacks isolated from eachother?

Post by JohnClark »

Yes, the 1/4" jacks are completely independent from each other. Each switch simply makes or breaks it's connection between the Tip and the Sleeve with no other connections or references being made.

Powering with DC would work like anything else... I don't quite get the question about having to connect it to ground, but I'm going to go with no as an answer. ;)
The Control Switcher itself needs less than 100mA, add to that any device you are phantom powering from its MIDI In jack.

Good Luck!
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carstenlange
Posts: 163
Joined: Tue Nov 24, 2009 9:53 am
Location: Downers Grove, IL
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Re: Are Control switcher jacks isolated from eachother?

Post by carstenlange »

i see a lot pedals and such set up so the - side of power is connect to sleeve of pedal input providing a connection to the main ground via cable to amp
Custom Audio Amplifiers PT100
Bogner Ecstasy 101B
Carvin electric guitars

JohnClark
Posts: 7494
Joined: Tue May 05, 2009 2:33 pm
Location: The Lab

Re: Are Control switcher jacks isolated from eachother?

Post by JohnClark »

ahh... On a pedal, I think it is actually more a matter of convenience rather than purposely establishing a connection between the audio ground and the input power.
Many pedals use a TRS jack on the instrument input as a way to add an easy battery disconnect. The Sleeve terminal is tied to circuit ground, but the battery - is connected to the Ring terminal. When a mono plug is inserted into the jack, the longer sleeve of the plug ties both the Ring and the Sleeve terminals together as a means of connecting the battery - to circuit ground.

In the end, there is nothing special you have to do to power a Control Switcher with DC power.

I hope that helps!
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