Can TRS to XLR cables be used to connect V2 sensors to the 2 XLR inputs on the EVANS Portal?
I have a 5 piece kit and 4 cymbals that I wish to use with sensory percussion sensors and I am trying to see how to get all those inputs into the portal. It’s practically impossible to find V1 sensors so I am trying to confirm if/why V2 sensors are not supported over XLR.
This was originally posted as a comment here Expansion Interface - #9 by nathanpovo but I have created a separate post for better visibility.
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Has there ever been an answer for this question?
This was Patrick’s reply regarding using TRS → XLR adapters
TRS –> XLR adapters will allow the v2 sensors to physically connect to the XLR inputs on the Portal, but they will not be receiving the correct amount of power from the Portal (around 5x the amount they require). This negatively affects the sensor’s performance and could potentially even damage them. We are working on a fool-proof solution for more inputs, but for now you can always add additional analog or MIDI inputs alongside your sensors. If you give me some more info about your existing setup (acoustic vs. electronic, MIDI vs. audio, etc.), I could give you some suggestions to try.
The documentation mentions that the XLR connection will supply 48v phantom power (which seems to be too much) but 1/4 inch jacks do not supply power in the same way. So I asked about using 1/8 inch jack → 1/4 inch jack adapters, and I got this reply from Patrick:
Hey @nathanpovo apologies for the late reply. Connecting via the 1/4” input will not supply power to the sensors. The sensor inputs on the Portal provide the correct amount of power for the v2 sensors, and while some users have had success using a step-down converter from 48v to 12v to connect to the XLR inputs, there is still a risk of damaging your sensor.
If this happens, such damage will not be covered by the Evans warranty. We are looking at official solutions for expanding inputs into Sensory Percussion and hope to have more information about this soon!
So it doesn’t seem like it would be easy to do. I didn’t end up trying connecting the V2 sensors to the XLR inputs so I cannot comment on whether or not it would actually. If anyone else tried it, I would be curious to know if it works.
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