i don't understand the difference, please explain.

Passive = the input and outputs are simply connected with wire. Therefore, with no power you still get thru. Active = amplified thus needs power.

The trouble with passive thrus being implemented within the Scratch LIVE interface (SLI) is that there are two different types of inputs signals that the SLI is designed to accept. When you select Phono within the setup screen the SLI activates the built-in phono pre-amps and when you are using CDs you have to select Line, which turns off the phono pre-amps.

Shaun, I dont understand why the pre-amps have to be started when you want to bypass/thru that signal? What does that have to do with it?

I understand. So if you want passive thrus you have to add separate connections for LINE level and PHONO inputs, right???. You can still have a splitter (spliting the PHONO signal) and add a Passive out.
Whatever...i love SSL anyway. I really dont use "real" vinyl anymore, but some other stone age DJs that i work with do. Stone age Djs are blown away by the "PONG" game....hahahahaha.
You can't play Pong with regular vinyl!!!!.

There are two kinds of passive thrus; switched, or not.

If you use piggy backed cables you're using the second kind. This is quite simply horrible, since you are are basically halving an already miniscule signal (phono level). Gaining that signal back up to a usable level, would add a huge amount of noise.

Switched passive thrus would be possible on our box (given a redesign) but you have a massive problem in that the phono signal already has a very hard time making it's way down the cable from the turntable. Making that same signal wind it's way down another cable from the box to the mixer would give normal quality cables a fairly hard time without attenuating the signal quite a bit; end result? more gaining, more noise, less quality.

The pre-amps don't need to be activated to bypass/thru a signal, but the pre-amps do need to be activated within the interface to amplify the control signal while using turntables. Power to the interface is needed, because the "switching" is happening within the circuitry and not the jacks.

Shaun, so w/o power there wont be any switching, means the thrus are dead?

which is what you experience when you restart your laptop when the black box is only powered by usb. Then your thru's don't work either which is why an external power source is preferred.


correct me if i'm wrong, i don't have ssl yet, but have been on this board for a while now...

The thrus are active and need to be powered to buffer the cartridge load going to the outputs.