Mackie SR244 / SR324 Owner's Manual - Page 52

APPENDIX C: CONNECTIONS Appendices "XLR" CONNECTORS Mackie mixers use 3-pin female "XLR" connectors on all microphone inputs, with pin 1 wired to the grounded (earthed) shield, pin 2 wired to the "high" ("hot" or positive polarity) side of the audio signal and pin 3 wired to the "low" ("cold" or negative polarity) side of the signal (Figure A). All totally aboveboard and in full accord with the hallowed standards dictated by the AES (Audio Engineering Society). Use a male "XLR"-type connector, usually found on the nether end of what is called a "mic cable," to connect to these inputs. SHIELD 2 HOT COLD 3 1 SHIELD 1 COLD 3 2 HOT 1 3 2 SHIELD COLD HOT Figure A: XLR Connectors 1⁄4" TRS PHONE PLUGS AND JACKS "TRS" stands for Tip-Ring-Sleeve, the three connections available on a "stereo" 1⁄4" or "balanced" phone jack or plug. See Figure B. TRS jacks and plugs are used in several different applications: • Stereo Headphones, and rarely, stereo microphones and stereo line connections. When wired for stereo, a 1⁄4" TRS jack or plug is connected tip to left, ring to right and sleeve to ground (earth). Mackie mixers do not directly accept 1-plug-type stereo microphones. They must be separated into a left cord and a right cord which are plugged into the two mic preamps. You can cook up your own adapter for a stereo microphone adapter. "Y" two cables out of a female 1⁄4" TRS jack to two male XLR plugs, one for the Right signal and one for the Left. • Balanced mono circuits. When wired as a balanced connector, a 1⁄4" TRS jack or plug is connected tip to signal high (hot), ring to signal low (cold), and sleeve to ground (earth). • Unbalanced Send/Return circuits. When wired as send/return "Y" connector, a 1⁄4" TRS jack or plug is connected tip to signal send (output from mixer), ring to signal return (input back into mixer), and sleeve to ground (earth). 1⁄4" TS PHONE PLUGS AND JACKS "TS" stands for Tip-Sleeve, the two connections available on a "mono" 1⁄4" phone jack or plug (Figure C). TS jacks and plugs are used in many different applications, always unbalanced. The tip is connected to the audio signal and the sleeve to ground (earth). Some examples: • Unbalanced microphones • Electric guitars and electronic instruments • Unbalanced line-level connections RING SLEEVE SLEEVE RING TIP TIP Figure B: 1/4" TRS plugs RING TIP SLEEVE Figure C: TS plug SLEEVE TIP SLEEVE TIP TIP SLEEVE 50