Fender Series 3000 Owners Manual - Page 50

Connectors, Cabling

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• Connectors and Cabling As simple a subject as this may seem, faulty connectors and cabling are the source of a majority of sound system problems. Well-made cabling, of the proper type, with the right connectors for the job, on the other hand, will keep your system operating at maximum efficiency with a minimum of noise pickup. Here are some tips on how to do it right. Some General Notes on Cable A "cable" is a group of two or more wires, usually in a single outer (insulating) sheath, and designed for a particular function. Cables for portable audio systems should always be made from stranded, not solid, wire. Solid wire cables will break after the repeated flexing of portable usage. Shields should be braided wire, not foil, for the same reason. Some General Notes on Connectors There are only a few types of connectors in general use in professional audio. The most common of these are: XLR (male) XLR (female) 1) "XLR" Type Connectors The term "XLR" was first used by the Cannon Company but has almost become a "generic" label for these high-quality audio connectors, now made not only by Cannon but also by Switchcraft, Neutrik, ADC and others. XLRs are the connector of choice for any balanced low-level or line-level audio signal. Y4" T/S Phone (Tip/Sleeve) 1/4" T/R/S Phone (Tip/Ring/Sleeve) 2) 14/ " Phone Plugs The term "phone" comes from the telephone company who used a type of phone plug in their early, non-automated, switchboards. Recording studio patch bays are close relatives of these telephone switchboards and, again, use-some type of phone plug. The most common type of phone plug used in pro audio has a'/4" diameter shank and comes in two-wire (known as "Tip/Sleeve" or "T/S") and three-wire (known as "Tip/Ring/Sleeve" or "T/R/S") versions. 14/ " phone plugs are commonly used for instrument amplifiers, hi-Z microphones and are the type used on your 3000 Mixer. Beware when you purchase a blisterpack phone plug, however, because smaller diameter varieties exist (and won't work in most audio equipment). Smaller verities of phone plugs, like those used on portable hi-fi equipment, are seldom used in pro audio. Unlike XLRs, which are almost invariably highquality, the quality of commercially available phone plugs can vary widely. Your best bet is to purchase a wellknown brand name at a reputable audio store (like your Fender dealer). "RCA" Phono 3) "RCA" Type Phono Plugs Note the term phone, not phone indicating that these plugs got their start on phonographs (assumably those manufactured by the RCA company). Phone plugs, or "RCAs," are used primarily on hi-fi equipment but you may need to use them to, say, adapt a hi-fi tuner to an input on your Fender Mixer. Phono plugs, however, are fragile and would not make good general purpose pro audio connectors. Cable and Connectors for Microphones and Other LowLevel Devices Lo-Z balanced microphones (most professional microphones, including the Fender series microphones are in this catagory) use shielded, two-wire cable and XLR type connectors. Hi-Z (unbalanced) microphones usually use a 14/ " phone plug connector. Microphone cable should have a flexible, tough outer sheath, a braided shield and stranded inner wires. Although the XLR type connector is an industry standard for lo-Z -balanced microphones, unfortunately, the wiring of these connectors is not completely standardized. While pin 1 on the connector is almost always connected to the cable shield, some manufacturers use pin 2 as "high" or "+" and other manufacturers use pin 3 as "high" or "+" (with the remaining pin "low" or "-"). This means that if you use two microphones, from different manufacturers, with different "+" pins, the two microphones will be "out-ofphase" with each other and that can cause undesirable effects like "comb filtering" when the microphones are very near each other and both picking up the same source (see "What Do We Mean By Phasing and Polarity"). About your only defense against this problem is to make sure you know which is the "+" pin on any microphone you use (and on any mixer you use!) and try not to use both types in the same system. Your Fender dealer may also be able to help you resolve this problem with a special type of adapter known as a "polarity reversal" or "phase-reversal" adapter. 48

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•
Connectors
and
Cabling
As
simple
a
subject
as
this
may
seem,
faulty
connectors
and
cabling
are
the
source
of
a
majority
of
sound
system
problems.
Well
-made
cabling,
of
the
proper
type,
with
the
right
connectors
for
the
job,
on
the
other
hand,
will
keep
your
system
operating
at
maximum
efficiency
with
a
minimum
of
noise
pickup.
Here
are
some
tips
on
how
to
do
it
right.
Some
General
Notes
on
Cable
A
"cable"
is
a
group
of
two
or
more
wires,
usually
in
a
single
outer
(insulating)
sheath,
and
designed
for
a
particular
function.
Cables
for
portable
audio systems
should
always
be
made
from
stranded,
not
solid,
wire.
Solid
wire
cables
will
break
after
the
repeated
flexing
of
portable
usage.
Shields
should
be
braided
wire,
not
foil,
for
the
same
reason.
Some
General
Notes
on
Connectors
There
are
only
a
few
types
of
connectors
in
general
use
in
professional
audio.
The
most
common
of
these
are:
XLR
(male)
XLR
(female)
1)
"XLR"
Type
Connectors
The
term
"XLR"
was
first
used
by
the
Cannon
Company
but
has
almost
become
a
"generic"
label
for
these
high
-quality
audio
connectors,
now
made
not
only
by
Cannon
but
also
by
Switchcraft,
Neutrik,
ADC
and
others.
XLRs
are
the
connector
of
choice
for
any
balanced
low-level
or
line
-level
audio
signal.
Y4"
T/S
Phone
(Tip/Sleeve)
1
/
4
"
T/R/S
Phone
(Tip/Ring/Sleeve)
2)
1
/
4
"
Phone
Plugs
The
term
"phone"
comes
from
the
telephone
company
who
used
a
type
of
phone
plug
in
their
early,
non
-automated,
switchboards.
Recording
studio
patch
bays
are
close
relatives
of
these
telephone
switchboards
and,
again,
use
-some
type
of
phone
plug.
The
most
common
type
of
phone
plug
used
in
pro
audio
has
a'/4"
diameter
shank
and
comes
in
two
-wire
(known
as
"Tip/Sleeve"
or
"T/S")
and
three
-wire
(known
as
"Tip/Ring/Sleeve"
or
"T/R/S")
versions.
1
/
4
"
phone
plugs
are
commonly
used
for
instrument
amplifiers,
hi
-Z
microphones
and
are
the
type
used
on
your
3000
Mixer.
Beware
when
you
purchase
a
blister
-
pack
phone
plug,
however,
because
smaller
diameter
varieties
exist
(and
won't
work
in
most
audio
equipment).
Smaller
verities
of
phone
plugs,
like
those
used
on
portable
hi-fi
equipment,
are
seldom
used
in
pro
audio.
Unlike
XLRs,
which are
almost
invariably
high
-
quality,
the
quality
of
commercially
available
phone
plugs
can
vary
widely.
Your
best
bet
is
to
purchase
a
well-
known
brand
name
at
a
reputable
audio
store
(like
your
Fender
dealer).
"RCA"
Phono
3)
"RCA"
Type
Phono
Plugs
Note
the
term
phone,
not
phone
indicating
that
these
plugs
got
their
start
on
phonographs
(assumably
those
manufactured
by
the
RCA
company).
Phone
plugs,
or
"RCAs,"
are
used
primarily
on
hi-fi
equipment
but
you
may
need
to
use
them
to,
say,
adapt
a
hi-fi
tuner
to
an
input
on
your
Fender
Mixer.
Phono
plugs,
however,
are
fragile
and
would
not
make
good
general
purpose
pro
audio
connectors.
Cable
and
Connectors
for
Microphones
and
Other
Low
-
Level
Devices
Lo
-Z
balanced
microphones
(most
professional
microphones,
including
the
Fender
series
microphones
are
in
this
catagory)
use
shielded,
two
-wire
cable
and
XLR
type
connectors.
Hi
-Z
(unbalanced)
microphones
usually
use
a
1
/
4
"
phone
plug
connector.
Microphone
cable
should
have
a
flexible,
tough
outer
sheath,
a
braided
shield
and
stranded
inner
wires.
Although
the
XLR
type
connector
is
an
industry
standard
for
lo
-Z
-
balanced
microphones,
unfortunately,
the
wiring
of
these
connectors
is
not
completely
standardized.
While
pin
1
on
the
connector
is
almost
always
connected
to
the
cable
shield,
some
manufacturers
use
pin
2
as
"high"
or
"+"
and
other
manufacturers
use
pin
3
as
"high"
or
"+"
(with
the
remaining
pin
"low"
or
"-").
This
means
that
if
you
use
two
microphones,
from
different
manufacturers,
with
different
"+"
pins,
the
two
microphones
will
be
"out
-of
-
phase"
with
each
other
and
that
can
cause
undesirable
effects
like
"comb
filtering"
when
the
microphones
are
very
near
each
other
and
both
picking
up
the
same
source
(see
"What
Do
We
Mean
By
Phasing
and
Polarity").
About
your
only
defense
against
this
problem
is
to
make
sure
you
know
which
is
the
"+"
pin
on
any
microphone
you
use
(and
on
any
mixer
you
use!)
and
try
not
to
use
both
types
in
the
same
system.
Your
Fender
dealer
may
also
be
able
to
help
you
resolve
this
problem
with
a
special
type
of
adapter
known
as
a
"polarity
reversal"
or
"phase
-reversal"
adapter.
48