Hi-Z guitar input for Behringer Ultragain Mic2200
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- KVRAF
- 1718 posts since 3 Sep, 2003
There used to be a long post here but Hink removed it.
Last edited by Rock Hardbuns on Wed Oct 05, 2011 10:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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- Rad Grandad
- 38041 posts since 6 Sep, 2003 from Downeast Maine
cool 
The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world. It requires profound, purpose‐larger‐than‐the‐self kind of understanding.
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 1718 posts since 3 Sep, 2003
Where did my post go!!!
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- Rad Grandad
- 38041 posts since 6 Sep, 2003 from Downeast Maine
oh shit dude...I'm sorry...I screwed it up...I have extra buttons and I hit the wrong one somehow...damn I feel like a real ass...I'm really sorry 
...it was a long post too 
...it was a long post too The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world. It requires profound, purpose‐larger‐than‐the‐self kind of understanding.
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 1718 posts since 3 Sep, 2003
LOL. That was half an hour of typing!
Don't beat your self up though. Accidents happen.
Don't beat your self up though. Accidents happen.
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 1718 posts since 3 Sep, 2003
Well, here's the result anyway:
Sorry about the image quality.
Top right you have the new hi-z input jack.
The little circuitboard is the input buffer, made from a partial BYOC confidence booster.
It's output goes to the tip connector of the line in jack.
15v power is being leeched from the second wire from the right in the bunch in the middle.
The red blob on the red wire is a repair. I cut it early on because I thought it had 10v in it. Turns out it was just 0.1v and I had used the wrong setting on the DMM.
The only question I have is whether it's ok to grab power in this way. (I noticed there is a -15v wire in addition to the positive one I used.)
Seems to work though.
Sorry about the image quality.
Top right you have the new hi-z input jack.
The little circuitboard is the input buffer, made from a partial BYOC confidence booster.
It's output goes to the tip connector of the line in jack.
15v power is being leeched from the second wire from the right in the bunch in the middle.
The red blob on the red wire is a repair. I cut it early on because I thought it had 10v in it. Turns out it was just 0.1v and I had used the wrong setting on the DMM.
The only question I have is whether it's ok to grab power in this way. (I noticed there is a -15v wire in addition to the positive one I used.)
Seems to work though.
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- KVRAF
- 14739 posts since 19 Oct, 2003 from Berlin, Germany
Wait, weren't these Ultragin modules created as "DI" as well?
I thought they had HiZ inputs.
It at least says so (DI usage) for my Ultragain 200. Though I've never used it for DI signals.
I thought they had HiZ inputs.
It at least says so (DI usage) for my Ultragain 200. Though I've never used it for DI signals.
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 1718 posts since 3 Sep, 2003
It has a 60KOhm input which is more like mid-z. It's good enough if you have a pedal with a buffer in it before, but a bit on the weak side for direct connection. Especially if you have long cables. The increase in bandwidth after the mod is quite noticable.
The Mic200 has a 1MOhm input which is spot on for guitar/bass.
The Mic200 has a 1MOhm input which is spot on for guitar/bass.
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- KVRAF
- 14739 posts since 19 Oct, 2003 from Berlin, Germany
So... in order to convert the "input" from mid-z to high-z, wouldn't there be a normal switch of the input resistor more sufficient?
Just throwing around a guess here. I've never (and by that, I really mean never) used that thing (Mic200) as guitar DI, since it somewhat always produced a crap output for me.
Just throwing around a guess here. I've never (and by that, I really mean never) used that thing (Mic200) as guitar DI, since it somewhat always produced a crap output for me.
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 1718 posts since 3 Sep, 2003
A resistor would just lower the volume of the signal. I am far from an expert on these things but the way I understand it, resistance is like a hill you have to get over where as impedance is like having a heavy backpack. It's heavy no matter which way you are going. Therefor they have very different effects on signals which go back and forth so to speak.
What I did here is very much like putting a simple active DI inside the box. But I am actually quite surprised by the quality of the sound. It may be worthwhile for people who like super clean gain.
Also: I ran it for an hour today. No remarkable heat, smells, flickering or crackling so I guess it's good to go.
Edit:
On second thought, by input resistor, are you referring to a resistor in parallel with the input (like buffers usually have)? That could have been a possibillity if such things were at all visible in the device. The power related parts are pretty normal, big diods and such, but the signal circuitry is all miniscule surface mount electronics.
What I did here is very much like putting a simple active DI inside the box. But I am actually quite surprised by the quality of the sound. It may be worthwhile for people who like super clean gain.
Also: I ran it for an hour today. No remarkable heat, smells, flickering or crackling so I guess it's good to go.
Edit:
On second thought, by input resistor, are you referring to a resistor in parallel with the input (like buffers usually have)? That could have been a possibillity if such things were at all visible in the device. The power related parts are pretty normal, big diods and such, but the signal circuitry is all miniscule surface mount electronics.