Balanced Vs. Unbalanced I/O - How It Works  by on ‎04-19-2010
01:42 PM - last edited on ‎01-17-2013 04:25 PM by Community
Manager  Learn the Basics of this Important Audio Concept   By
Craig Anderton    In today’s studio, you’re likely to find some
gear that has balanced analog inputs and outputs, some with
unbalanced inputs and outputs, and some with both. Knowing how
to interface them properly can make the difference between a
quiet, well-behaved signal path, or one rife with signal loss,
mismatches, and general unpleasantness. We’ll give a little
theory about the two different types, then some practical
interfacing examples.     The typical musical instrument cable
is an example of an unbalanced line that has two conductors. One
wire is the ground line, which is also referred to as common,
earth, shield, or DC return. The other is the signal line, often
referred to as the "hot" line. The hot line carries the signal,
and the ground acts as a voltage reference (Fig, 1). Unbalanced
systems typically use two-w