ART S8-3WAY Mic Splitter
ART·Model S8-3WAY·art-s8-3way
About the ART S8-3WAY
The ART S8-3WAY splits eight mic channels three ways in one rack space: a direct output plus 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. feeds per channel, 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. on the isolated banks. It is the affordable answer when FOHFront Of House — the main mix the audience hears, and the console position out in the room where it gets mixed., 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.
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.
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.
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
- 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.
8-channel 3-way passive mic splitter — direct + 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. outs.
I/O Ports (4)
| Port | Connector | Direction | Signal | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input 1-8 | XLR FEMALE | input | analog audio | 8 |
| Direct Out 1-8 | XLR MALE | output | analog audio | 8 |
| ISO A Out 1-8 | XLR MALE | output | analog audio | 8 |
| ISO B Out 1-8 | XLR MALE | output | analog audio | 8 |
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Rack space, watts, weight and every connector, side by side.
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