Seismic Audio SA-RMSS-8 Mic Splitter
Seismic Audio·Model SA-RMSS-8·seismic-sa-rmss-8
About the Seismic Audio SA-RMSS-8
A budget-tier 8-channel mic splitter with transformer isolationA magnetic coupling that passes audio between two windings with no wire contact — isolates splits and kills ground-loop hum, no power needed. on the secondary outputs, providing ground-loop immunity between the FOHFront Of House — the main mix the audience hears, and the console position out in the room where it gets mixed. console (direct out) and the monitor or recording rig (isolated out). Specs are not in the same league as the Jensen-equipped premium offerings, but for project-tier touring and rehearsal rigs the SA-RMSS-8 lands the basics at a fraction of the price.
The SA-RMSS-8 is an 8-channel passive mic splitter that solves one of the most fundamental problems in a multi-console rig: getting the same microphone signal to FOHFront Of House — the main mix the audience hears, and the console position out in the room where it gets mixed. and your monitor or recording world without dragging a ground loopHum from gear seeing two ground paths at slightly different voltage — the classic buzz when two racks share audio and power. between them. Each of the eight inputs feeds two output paths — a direct out that passes the signal straight through, and a transformer-isolatedA magnetic coupling that passes audio between two windings with no wire contact — isolates splits and kills ground-loop hum, no power needed. out that breaks the ground reference between the two destinations. At $349 for eight channels of isolation in 2UThe standard slice of rack height: 1U = 1.75″. A 3U box takes three slices; half-rack gear pairs two units side by side in one., it sits squarely in the budget tier, and Seismic Audio is transparent about that positioning.
Passive means zero power draw, which is genuinely convenient — no IECThe standard three-prong appliance power inlet on rack gear — the kettle lead. C13/C14 in spec-sheet speak. cable to route, no slot on your power conditionerFilters venue AC, clamps surges, and gives the rack one tidy inlet. Not a voltage regulator and not a battery — just cleaner power. to reserve. The 180mm depth is shallow enough to fit most shallow-depth tour racks without drama, and 3.2kg won't punish a two-person carry. What you need to be honest about is the transformerA magnetic coupling that passes audio between two windings with no wire contact — isolates splits and kills ground-loop hum, no power needed. quality. The isolation transformers here are not Jensen or Lundahl units, so if your rig has a particularly noisy ground environment or you're splitting into a high-headroomThe margin between your normal level and where things clip — headroom is what absorbs the snare hit you didn’t see coming. analog console that will expose subtle coloration, you may hear the difference. For a rehearsal studio, a project touring rig, or a monitor worldThe side-stage domain of the monitor engineer — console, IEM racks, and everything feeding the band’s ears instead of the audience. that's pulling signals from a reasonably clean 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., it does the job.
This belongs in a rig where the alternative is no splitter at all, or where budget constraints are real and the signal chain isn't being recorded to a release-quality multitrack. Touring engineers running premium analog consoles on both ends of the split, or anyone feeding a DAWDigital Audio Workstation — the recording and playback software (Logic, Ableton Live, Pro Tools) at the center of a computer rig. for broadcast or album capture, should look harder at splitters built around Jensen transformersA magnetic coupling that passes audio between two windings with no wire contact — isolates splits and kills ground-loop hum, no power needed. — the cost gap closes fast when you factor in what's at stake. But for a club residency, a rehearsal facility rack, or a production company building out a second IEMIn-Ear Monitor — earpieces that replace floor wedges, feeding each player their own mix. The reason this whole rack exists. rig on a tight budget, the SA-RMSS-8 is a defensible call.
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 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 the FOH console passes through unimpeded — the isolated outputs block DC, which means your monitor desk cannot supply phantom through the isolated path on most passive designs like this one.
- Label both output banks at patch time, not during soundcheck. With 16 male 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. on the rear of a 2UThe standard slice of rack height: 1U = 1.75″. A 3U box takes three slices; half-rack gear pairs two units side by side in one. box, distinguishing direct from isolated outputs by feel alone in a dark rack bay is a fast way to wire the wrong console into the wrong path.
- Keep this away from switching power supplies in the rack — passive transformersA magnetic coupling that passes audio between two windings with no wire contact — isolates splits and kills ground-loop hum, no power needed. can pick up interference from cheap SMPS units at close range, and at this transformer spec you have less headroomThe margin between your normal level and where things clip — headroom is what absorbs the snare hit you didn’t see coming. to absorb it than you would with a premium unit.
- If you're using this in a rehearsal facility where multiple engineers plug in over time, thread a short piece of colored cable tie through the direct-out row and a different color through the isolated-out row so the split orientation survives every changeover.
8-channel transformer-isolatedA magnetic coupling that passes audio between two windings with no wire contact — isolates splits and kills ground-loop hum, no power needed. splitter — direct + isolated outputs.
I/O Ports (24)
| Port | Connector | Direction | Signal | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input 1 (XLR) | XLR FEMALE | input | analog audio | — |
| Input 2 (XLR) | XLR FEMALE | input | analog audio | — |
| Input 3 (XLR) | XLR FEMALE | input | analog audio | — |
| Input 4 (XLR) | XLR FEMALE | input | analog audio | — |
| Input 5 (XLR) | XLR FEMALE | input | analog audio | — |
| Input 6 (XLR) | XLR FEMALE | input | analog audio | — |
| Input 7 (XLR) | XLR FEMALE | input | analog audio | — |
| Input 8 (XLR) | XLR FEMALE | input | analog audio | — |
| Direct Out 1 (XLR) | XLR MALE | output | analog audio | — |
| Direct Out 2 (XLR) | XLR MALE | output | analog audio | — |
| Direct Out 3 (XLR) | XLR MALE | output | analog audio | — |
| Direct Out 4 (XLR) | XLR MALE | output | analog audio | — |
| Direct Out 5 (XLR) | XLR MALE | output | analog audio | — |
| Direct Out 6 (XLR) | XLR MALE | output | analog audio | — |
| Direct Out 7 (XLR) | XLR MALE | output | analog audio | — |
| Direct Out 8 (XLR) | XLR MALE | output | analog audio | — |
| Isolated Out 1 (XLR) | XLR MALE | output | analog audio | — |
| Isolated Out 2 (XLR) | XLR MALE | output | analog audio | — |
| Isolated Out 3 (XLR) | XLR MALE | output | analog audio | — |
| Isolated Out 4 (XLR) | XLR MALE | output | analog audio | — |
| Isolated Out 5 (XLR) | XLR MALE | output | analog audio | — |
| Isolated Out 6 (XLR) | XLR MALE | output | analog audio | — |
| Isolated Out 7 (XLR) | XLR MALE | output | analog audio | — |
| Isolated Out 8 (XLR) | XLR MALE | output | analog audio | — |
Deciding between two?
Rack space, watts, weight and every connector, side by side.
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