PINOUT for XLR Connector?
- Thread starter pmark23
- Start date
Baluardo
Well-known member
235 Studios
Veteran
pmark23 said:
XLR is balanced, the 1/4" is unbalanced. Why don't you just buy an adapter? Radio shack, and various other electronic stores sell them ...
pmark23
Veteran
I found a pinout in an old microphone manual; tried it; doesn't work. 
Waltind: I'm in Central Asia -- nearest Rat Shack is several thousand kilometers away. That would be too easy anyway.
Baluardo, one of the diagrams in that link you sent rings a bell, but eyes closing. Must sleep. Dangerous to plug things into DVX when tired. I'll give it a shot in the morning.
Thanks!
Waltind: I'm in Central Asia -- nearest Rat Shack is several thousand kilometers away. That would be too easy anyway.
Baluardo, one of the diagrams in that link you sent rings a bell, but eyes closing. Must sleep. Dangerous to plug things into DVX when tired. I'll give it a shot in the morning.
Thanks!
If you are trying to convert a balanced XLR (most likely low impedance) to a 2 connector 1/4" TS (most likely high impedance) you need some sort of passive or active electronics to handle the conversion, otherwise you will obtain a less-than-optimal signal. I see that you are probably not in a situation where this advice helps, but just an FYI 
discs of tron
Well-known member
yeah. shure makes connectors that match the impedance and provide the physical adaptor. will b&h ship to you? what is the 1/4" device? is it just a cheap unbalanced mic, or is it something with a different level altogether? cuz that could be a whole world of trouble.
khmuse
Tech Guru
The configuration of a XLR balanced to 1/4" unbalanced is different depending upon whether it is being used from XLR to 1/4" or from 1/4" to XLR. Here are both configurations:
XLR to 1/4" - connect pin number 1 of the XLR to the sleeve of the 1/4", connect pin number 2 of the XLR to the tip of the 1/4". There is no connection made the XLR’s pin number 3. This configuration nets out to have a 6 dB (2:1) insertion loss as only the non-inverted output is being utilized.
1/4" to XLR - connect the sleeve of the 1/4" to pins numbers 1 & 3 of the XLR, connect the tip of the 1/4" to pin number 2 of the XLR. This configuration has no gain reduction, but lacks the CMRR (common mode rejection ratio) that a balanced configuration offers.
Both of the above assume normal polarity XLR configurations (as is used on nearly every current product). The mention of impedance issues ("low" and "high") are not really relevant as impedance conversion is not necessary when adapting from balanced to/from unbalanced. There is a possibility that you may need to adjust the level with a passive attenuator or "pad" but in most cases this isn't necessary. If you want to specify the actual equipment and the intended connection configuration, I can provide a more specific answer, but the two configurations listed above will work in nearly every instance.
Kevin Halverson
Senior Engineer
Muse Electronics, Inc
XLR to 1/4" - connect pin number 1 of the XLR to the sleeve of the 1/4", connect pin number 2 of the XLR to the tip of the 1/4". There is no connection made the XLR’s pin number 3. This configuration nets out to have a 6 dB (2:1) insertion loss as only the non-inverted output is being utilized.
1/4" to XLR - connect the sleeve of the 1/4" to pins numbers 1 & 3 of the XLR, connect the tip of the 1/4" to pin number 2 of the XLR. This configuration has no gain reduction, but lacks the CMRR (common mode rejection ratio) that a balanced configuration offers.
Both of the above assume normal polarity XLR configurations (as is used on nearly every current product). The mention of impedance issues ("low" and "high") are not really relevant as impedance conversion is not necessary when adapting from balanced to/from unbalanced. There is a possibility that you may need to adjust the level with a passive attenuator or "pad" but in most cases this isn't necessary. If you want to specify the actual equipment and the intended connection configuration, I can provide a more specific answer, but the two configurations listed above will work in nearly every instance.
Kevin Halverson
Senior Engineer
Muse Electronics, Inc
pmark23
Veteran
I know that technically I need a transformer, but there aren't any available here so I'll have to jury-rig something for a shoot tomorrow.
I checked all the music stores. Do you want to know why music from Asia/Russia sounds like crap? It's because nobody knows how to match impedances (among other things). I had a lot of blank stares yesterday while trying to explain (in Russian) what I needed.
I will have a shotgun (actually a C1000 hypercardioid) and a lav (this is for the lav) to record interviews in a quiet room, so it's not THAT critical other than I like to have audio recorded twice.
Thanks again for everyone's help.
I checked all the music stores. Do you want to know why music from Asia/Russia sounds like crap? It's because nobody knows how to match impedances (among other things). I had a lot of blank stares yesterday while trying to explain (in Russian) what I needed.
I will have a shotgun (actually a C1000 hypercardioid) and a lav (this is for the lav) to record interviews in a quiet room, so it's not THAT critical other than I like to have audio recorded twice.
Thanks again for everyone's help.
skeeziDVXUx
New member
XLR Pinout
XLR Pinout
According to The Recording Studio Handbook (Woram, (c) 1982), a "standard" pinout for this plug does NOT exist! (Ref. p116) He states "Practically all professional microphones use a three pin output plug, with Pin No. 1 used as shield and the output signal appearing across Pins No. 2 and No. 3 . . ." and "this convention is by no means standard, and some European manufacturers may use either Pin No. 2 or No. 3 as shield."
Sadly, this correctly reflects my own exposure to this issue over the past 30 years.
My practice is to go with 1 = shield, 2 = red, 3 = white.
If you buy (in the USA or intended for the USA market) prepackaged XLR cables, this is the standard that is followed.
To isolate myself from the "induced grief" of other standards, I go as far as diplomatically possible in excluding all 'foreign' cables from my (and my client's) facilities. If contractors are involved in running additional cabling, I recommend either terminating it yourself, or insisting (in writing, as part of the contract) on the 1s/2r/3w wiring standard. And I check it BEFORE any equipment is connected to it, and PRIOR to final payment. For domestically sourced equipment, or that intended for the US market, the 1s/2r/3w pinout has consistently provided good solid connections without ground loops, nascent hum, and other 'problems'. That is, unless someone has got into the "box" and made some 'helpful' changes!
If you're doing your own soldering, "keep the unshielded leads short"; i.e., less than 3/4", and don't be afraid to use heat shrink tubing (rather than electrical tape) to not only protect against shorts, but also to seal out a good deal of moisture. If this is shrinking as you solder, you're using too much heat, or the shrink is too close to the action. Get it back away from the bare conductor (1/8" is PLENTY of copper to work with). If this still doesn't do the trick, use a pair of needle-nose pliers with a rubber band around the handles for a quick heat-sync. And DO be sure to use the strain relief (where provided). To free yourself from the problem of the plug "twisting off" the end of the cable, 3/4 of a cc of five-minute epoxy at the cable entry point, firmly connecting the cable jacket to the plug itself, has been found to be extremely effective.
Good luck!
XLR Pinout
According to The Recording Studio Handbook (Woram, (c) 1982), a "standard" pinout for this plug does NOT exist! (Ref. p116) He states "Practically all professional microphones use a three pin output plug, with Pin No. 1 used as shield and the output signal appearing across Pins No. 2 and No. 3 . . ." and "this convention is by no means standard, and some European manufacturers may use either Pin No. 2 or No. 3 as shield."
Sadly, this correctly reflects my own exposure to this issue over the past 30 years.
My practice is to go with 1 = shield, 2 = red, 3 = white.
If you buy (in the USA or intended for the USA market) prepackaged XLR cables, this is the standard that is followed.
To isolate myself from the "induced grief" of other standards, I go as far as diplomatically possible in excluding all 'foreign' cables from my (and my client's) facilities. If contractors are involved in running additional cabling, I recommend either terminating it yourself, or insisting (in writing, as part of the contract) on the 1s/2r/3w wiring standard. And I check it BEFORE any equipment is connected to it, and PRIOR to final payment. For domestically sourced equipment, or that intended for the US market, the 1s/2r/3w pinout has consistently provided good solid connections without ground loops, nascent hum, and other 'problems'. That is, unless someone has got into the "box" and made some 'helpful' changes!
If you're doing your own soldering, "keep the unshielded leads short"; i.e., less than 3/4", and don't be afraid to use heat shrink tubing (rather than electrical tape) to not only protect against shorts, but also to seal out a good deal of moisture. If this is shrinking as you solder, you're using too much heat, or the shrink is too close to the action. Get it back away from the bare conductor (1/8" is PLENTY of copper to work with). If this still doesn't do the trick, use a pair of needle-nose pliers with a rubber band around the handles for a quick heat-sync. And DO be sure to use the strain relief (where provided). To free yourself from the problem of the plug "twisting off" the end of the cable, 3/4 of a cc of five-minute epoxy at the cable entry point, firmly connecting the cable jacket to the plug itself, has been found to be extremely effective.
Good luck!