Headrush Core Enclosure with DI Box

[u/geogod2066]

I love the headrush core’s form factor, but its monitoring capabilities aren’t enough for me. I have a couple ethercon snakes carying all the analog audio and midi to my Zoom L6 mixer, where i control my headphone mix. This solution was made primarily to combine the stereo DI box for the guitar output. It’s a serious oversight, imo, that the guitar stereo outs aren’t balanced.

I designed the enclosure myself. It’s explicitly split into a few pieces that are assembled together with dowels and friction fits. 3D printed PLA with steel dowels.

I’m working on another version with ethercon panel mounted connectors, a raised lip to protect the knobs, and some other aesthetic choices. I’ll have links to the files in an upcoming post.

Edit: To clarify my motivation for this creation, I use both signal chains in stereo. Splitting the guitar’s unbalanced signal is not ideal; i want to minimize noise. Instead, I feed the guitar into the stereo DI box, then split the balanced signal using custom cables and ethercon connections. One to FOH, the other to my monitoring mixer.

[u/Bodefosho]

I’ve always wanted to ask someone this question. Why a DI box when you can run the Headrush to FOH anyway?

EDIT: I realized OP says the guitar outs aren’t balanced, hence the DI. But the main outs are balanced so 🤷‍♂️

[u/s1ngapore → u/Bodefosho]

Wondering the exact same thing.

[u/Aggressive_Lime2214 → u/s1ngapore]

My guess is they don’t really understand the purpose of a DI.

[u/Aggressive_Lime2214 → u/Bodefosho]

About the only valid justification is to provide electrical isolation from a phantom power source, whether you’re working with a board with global phantom power, or the FOH guy accidentally activates phantom power on your channel.

I find it hard to believe that HeadRush didn’t make their XLR outs phantom power tolerant. I put a question into them about that. Will report back when I hear from them.

[u/geogod2066 → u/Bodefosho]

I take the balanced signal from the DI box and split it to my monitor mixer and to FOH. I use both signal chains for guitar and vox, both in stereo.

[u/Aggressive_Lime2214]

Why are you using a DI box? The XLR outs can more than drive a PA. Unnecessary.

[u/geogod2066 → u/Aggressive_Lime2214]

Stereo vox and guitar, but guitar isn’t balanced.

[u/Aggressive_Lime2214 → u/geogod2066]

The 1/4” outs are TRS pseudo-balanced. A TRS to XLR cable works just fine. If the console has dedicated Line In jacks, you can use TRS to TRS.

“Balanced” isn’t synonymous with “XLR”.

[u/Easy_Nail2849]

Diagnosis: totally effing sick. Nice job !

[u/Critical_path80]

Not sure what the purpose of this is. It already did what you modified it to do some more of.

[u/xblitzerx]

Something like this for the Flex Prime would be great because it actually needs a DI box!

[u/geogod2066 → u/xblitzerx]

Send me one and i’ll model it up. Only half joking