The ART S8-3WAY splits eight mic channels three ways in one rack space: a direct output plus two transformer-isolated feeds per channel, with ground lifts on the isolated banks. It is the affordable answer when FOH, monitors, and a recording rig all need the same eight inputs. Users searched for it by its full product name before this add — high-intent demand fulfilled.
~$399Use retailer rows for current price and stock
01 · What it does—and what that changes in your rig.
Product overview
Start with the payoff, then work through how it functions, where it fits, and the details that change a real build.
The payoff
Splitter decisions, organized around the whole rig.
The ART S8-3WAY is a passive 8-channel mic splitter that answers the most common multi-console problem in live audio: FOHFront Of House — the main mix the audience hears, and the console position out in the room where it gets mixed. needs those inputs, monitors needs those inputs, and the recording truck needs those inputs — all at the same time. In one rack space it takes eight mic-levelThe tiny signal straight out of a microphone — roughly a thousandth of line level. It needs a preamp before anything else touches it. signals and splits each one three ways: a direct pass-through and two transformer-isolatedA magnetic coupling that passes audio between two windings with no wire contact — isolates splits and kills ground-loop hum, no power needed. outputs, with ground liftsA switch that disconnects a cable’s shield at one end to break a ground loop. Lift on DIs and isolators — never on AC safety grounds. available on both isolated banks. That transformer isolation is the whole point. It's what lets three separate consoles share the same microphone without their grounds fighting each other and turning a clean vocal into a hum machine.
Documented outputs
33 destination connections
Documented inputs
1Based on documented inputs
Rack space
1UBuilder checks available rail space
ART product panel1U · 0W
Function
How it works in the path
Passive operation means zero power draw — nothing to plug in, no power supply to fail at midnight, nothing to add to your rack's power budget. The transformersA magnetic coupling that passes audio between two windings with no wire contact — isolates splits and kills ground-loop hum, no power needed. do the work, and at 130 mm deep it sits flat and unobtrusive in a shallow rack. The direct output carries phantom powerThe +48 V a console sends up the mic cable to power condenser mics and active DI boxes — invisible to gear that doesn’t need it. from whatever console is connected to it, which is the standard arrangement: FOHFront Of House — the main mix the audience hears, and the console position out in the room where it gets mixed. typically owns phantom, and the ISO outputs block it from reaching the other desks. If your monitor or recording console needs to send phantom independently, verify your workflow before load-in — passive splitters don't generate phantom, they just pass or block it depending on which leg you're on. At 2.7 kg it's light enough that you won't need to anchor it, but rack earsThe flanges that bolt gear to the rack rails. Desktop boxes without them need a shelf, tray, or drawer to live in the case. and screws are non-negotiable on a touring rig.
Best fit
Where it earns its place in the rack
This box belongs in the rig of a monitor engineer or system tech who regularly works festivals, theaters, or any situation where multiple consoles share a stage boxThe I/O endpoint on stage: mics plug in there and one digital line (AES50, Dante) carries everything to the console. The snake, digitized. without the budget or infrastructure for an active or networked split. At $399 for eight channels of transformer isolationA magnetic coupling that passes audio between two windings with no wire contact — isolates splits and kills ground-loop hum, no power needed. it's a practical choice for regional touring, house-of-worship installs, and production companies building spec racks. If you need more than eight channels, you'll stack multiples or look elsewhere. If your show runs a single console with no recording split, this is more hardware than you need. And if you're in a situation where transformer coloration on high-SPLSound Pressure Level — acoustic loudness in dB. The number that matters for hearing safety inside your ears. transient sources is a genuine concern, a premium active splitter is the better answer — but for the vast majority of working monitor rigs, the S8-3WAY does the job cleanly and reliably.
In the rack
Details worth deciding before load-in.
Assign the direct outputs to FOHFront Of House — the main mix the audience hears, and the console position out in the room where it gets mixed. so that console controls phantom powerThe +48 V a console sends up the mic cable to power condenser mics and active DI boxes — invisible to gear that doesn’t need it. for the whole split — ISO A to monitors, ISO B to recording or broadcast, with ground liftsA switch that disconnects a cable’s shield at one end to break a ground loop. Lift on DIs and isolators — never on AC safety grounds. engaged on both ISO banks until you have a confirmed reason to defeat them.
Label all 24 output XLRsThe standard 3-pin locking connector for mics and balanced line signals — pin 1 is the shield, pins 2 and 3 carry the balanced pair. at the box before the cable run, not after. With three identical banks of eight, an unlabeled split becomes a troubleshooting nightmare in low light during changeover.
At 130 mm depth it will fit in a shallow utility rack without issue, but verify your rack's internal depth against your snakeA multicore cable bundling many channels into one stage-to-console run. A sub-snake collects one corner of the stage into a drop box. connectors — bulky right-angle XLRsThe standard 3-pin locking connector for mics and balanced line signals — pin 1 is the shield, pins 2 and 3 carry the balanced pair. can push the effective depth requirement past what the spec suggests.
If a channel is humming and your first instinct is the microphone or cable, check the ground liftA switch that disconnects a cable’s shield at one end to break a ground loop. Lift on DIs and isolators — never on AC safety grounds. switches on the ISO banks before you start swapping gear — an unlifted ground loopHum from gear seeing two ground paths at slightly different voltage — the classic buzz when two racks share audio and power. between two consoles is the most common culprit in a split rig.
02 · Know the whole path before you buy.
Signal path
Learn the route as a block diagram: source, product function, transport, and destination. Select any block to see what enters, what changes, and what leaves.
Interactive block diagramAuto-looping · hover, focus, or tap to hold a stage
Port-type signalProduct functionSystem boundary
Follow one signal from source to destination
Each block answers the same three questions: what arrives, what changes here, and what leaves.
01 · Source · selected
XLR female
XLR male
01 · Source
1 documented input
XLR female
Arrives as
1 documented input
Connector
XLR female
Signal
analog audio
03 · What this product asks of the rest of the system.
Compatibility
Treat connector names as the start of the check—not the answer. These are the boundaries that determine a complete working path.
Best fit · Splitter
Use it when 1U and 130 mm of depth fit the case.
Plan the companion path
Complete the path with upstream and downstream gear that matches connector, direction, signal type, protocol, and wiring standard.
Connector boundary
Documented connectors: XLR female, XLR male. Match connector, direction, and signal type—not shape alone.
04 · Every connector, grouped by job.
I/O ports
Switch the product view and the documented port inventory updates with it—hardware and data stay side by side.
Every connector, grouped by job.
Switch panels to keep the hardware view and the documented port list in sync.
Front panelRear panel
All documented ports for ART S8-3WAY Mic Splitter
Port
Panel
Connector
Direction
Signal
Channels
Input 1-8
rear
XLR female
input
analog audio
8
Direct Out 1-8
rear
XLR male
output
analog audio
8
ISO A Out 1-8
rear
XLR male
output
analog audio
8
ISO B Out 1-8
rear
XLR male
output
analog audio
8
Showing 4 of 4 documented physical ports.
05 · Compare the decision, not just the price.
Alternatives
The rows are organized around fit, power, I/O, and system role so a cheaper unit cannot hide a more expensive workflow.
S8-3WAYThe ART S8-3WAY splits eight mic channels three ways in one rack space: a direct output plus two transformer-isolated feeds per channel, with ground lifts on the isolated banks. It is the affordable answer when FOH, monitors, and a recording rig all need the same eight inputs. Users searched for it by its full product name before this add — high-intent demand fulfilled.View gear →
PBR XSplit8Black Lion Audio's 8-channel passive splitter with their hand-selected transformer pairs — sits between the budget Seismic / ART tier and the Jensen-equipped Radial JS3 / Whirlwind SP212 in price and audio quality. Common in pro project studios that double as live rigs and care about transparent splits.View gear →
DA-2The Whirlwind DA-2 is a simple, reliable audio distribution amplifier for splitting or combining balanced audio signals. Use it to take a single stereo output from your playback rig and distribute it to multiple destinations, or to sum two sources into one feed. Its straightforward design and rugged build make it a dependable utility piece in any rack.View gear →
S8The ART S8 gives you eight passive Y-splits in a single rack space. Without transformer isolation it does NOT prevent ground loops between the two outputs, so it is best used when both destinations share a common ground (e.g. a stage rack feeding a monitor mixer + a recording rig on the same console). For broadcast or FOH-vs-monitors splits, choose a transformer-isolated splitter instead.View gear →
06 · Resolve the questions that can change the purchase or build plan.
Planning questions
Short, source-backed answers surface rack fit, power, cabling, and connection details before they become surprises.
How will the ART S8-3WAY Mic Splitter affect rack fit and case depth?
It occupies 1U. Its documented depth is 130 mm.
How much power does the ART S8-3WAY Mic Splitter draw?
It is verified passive and requires no AC power.
What connections does the ART S8-3WAY Mic Splitter have?
4 documented physical ports, including Input 1-8, Direct Out 1-8, ISO A Out 1-8, ISO B Out 1-8.
07 · See this unit inside a real rack plan.
Builder preview
Placement is only the start. Builder checks space · depth · weight, power headroom, dependencies, and compatible signal paths around this exact catalog item.Open in Builder
