Yamaha N12 Owners Manual - Page 10

English Recording Basics This is why balanced lines excel at rejecting noise. noise hot (+) phase inversion cold (-) ground (GND) synthesized signal phase inversion noise canceling Connector Variations Audio devices feature various types of connectors. Questions you are likely to encounter when setting up a system for the first time might include "Why all these different types of connectors on the back of my mixer?" and "What is the difference between various types of connectors?" Let's start by taking a look at the most common types of connectors. XLR-type connectors transmitter cable receiver How unbalanced lines work Unbalanced connectors and cables are less expensive than balanced cables. If the level of signals to be transmitted is very high and/or the signal is not susceptible to noise, or all connections are very short, you can use unbalanced lines. Monaural phone jacks and RCA pin jacks (which are often used for consumer AV gear) are always unbalanced. On an unbalanced line, signals travel through a hot (+) conductor and a ground (GND) conductor (which is a combination of cold and ground conductors). Therefore, an unbalanced line does not feature noise canceling (unlike a balanced cable). However, the output signal level through unbalanced jacks is usually high enough that using unbalanced lines is just fine. You can also convert unbalanced signals into balanced signals using a DI (*). noise transmitter cable receiver (*) A DI is a direct injection box that converts unbalanced signals into balanced signals. For example, if you connect an electric guitar to a mixer directly, the sound may be thin or noise may be induced. In this case, you can connect a DI between the instrument and the mixer to convert the signal into a balanced one and avoid a thin, noisy sound. male female An XLR-type connector, which supports balanced lines, is sturdy and less susceptible to deformation. The plug features a lock mechanism, so even if you pull the cable, it will not be disconnected. It is often used in professional environments that demand a high level of reliability. When you connect an XLR cable, the ground conductor on the XLR plug and XLR jack comes in contact first. Therefore, unlike with an RCA pin cable or phone cable, you can avoid pop noises when connecting an XLR cable. Usually, male plugs will output and female plugs will input. Phone connectors stereo/TRS phone plug mono phone plug The name "phone" arose simply because this configuration was first used in telephone switchboards. Phone jacks can be stereo or monaural. A stereo phone jack is also referred to as a "TRS" phone jack, and is set up to handle stereo signals, such as for headphones, and insert I/O signals. A stereo phone jack can also handle balanced signals. A monaural phone jack is unbalanced, and can be used to connect an electric guitar or other instruments, to an amplifier. RCA pin connectors white red This type of unbalanced pin jack has been widely used on home audio/video equipment for many years. The plugs are color coded according to the signals they carry. A white plug is used for the left audio channel, and a red plug is used for the right audio channel. 10 Owner's Manual