What does xlr stand for cable

Although I had previously performed plenty of times as a guitarist, this was the first time using an XLR cable to connect a microphone to anything. Why do microphones use XLR cables? Not all mics use XLR. However, many professional microphones connect via 3-pin XLR cables because XLR carries balanced audio and connects the ground-pin first.

Balanced audio provides clean audio transfer across long cable lengths, and a ground-pin-first connection protects mics from electrical damage.

XLR has become a popular option for professional microphone connections due to its clean sound and protective qualities. Most professional standalone microphones whether they be moving-coil dynamic, condenser, or ribbon mics have an XLR output. These mics, generally speaking, have a 3-pin male XLR connector. Similarly, the vast majority of microphone inputs whether they be in a mixing console, audio interface, audio snake, adaptor, or standalone mic preamps or processors have an XLR input.

These mic inputs are practically all 3-pin female XLR connectors. You could also do this in the reverse order. This is the basic microphone connection via XLR to another device. Now there are two main reasons why professional microphones use XLR: balanced audio and microphone protection. What is balanced audio? Balanced audio is a method of connecting audio equipment that allows audio signals to travel through long lengths of cable effectively without loss of clarity.

Balanced audio does this by carrying two copies of the audio signal in reverse polarity and cancelling out any induced interference. What is each of the 3 pins for in an XLR connector? So the microphone outputs its audio signal with equal amplitude on pins 2 and 3 relative to pin 1 but with opposite polarity. One would think that this would simply cancel the audio signal out. However, this is part of the cleverness of balanced audio. The mic input of any audio interface will likely have a built-in microphone preamplifier.

Within a microphone preamplifier, which expects mic level balanced audio signals, there is a differential amplifier. The differential amplifier sums the differences between the audio signals on pins 2 and 3 of the balanced XLR cable. This is referred to as common-mode rejection. Though pins 2 and 3 are well isolated, there is still potential for EMI radio frequencies, 60 Hz hum, etc.

CMR helps eliminate this interference and allows for extremely long cable runs without significant signal quality loss. Another big reason professional microphones have widely adopted the XLR connector is that XLRs provide protection from electrical damage. For this protection, it is critical to ensure your XLR cables are wired properly and not damaged. So how does this protect microphones from electrical damage?

Active microphones require external power to function. When dealing with active mics with XLR outputs, this external phantom power is most often supplied with phantom power. Microphones that require phantom power are designed to accept and utilize this DC voltage on pins 2 and 3 relative to pin 1. Similarly, most microphones that do not require phantom power some vintage dynamic mics have issues are designed to block the DC voltage on pins 2 and 3 relative to pin 1.

Electrical shorting issues would arise if pin 2 was connected before pin 3 or vice versa. Similar issues would arise if pin 1 ground was not connected before pins 2 and 3.

That's the great thing about XLR cables. XLR connectors have another advantage The latch on the XLR connector is great, it prevents accidental unplugging.

Here is also another thing you should know when using your XLR cables. Doing so might give you a nasty hum around 50 or 60 Hz. We constantly receive messages from people asking us, what makes a good XLR cable? A good cable is the one that fits your purpose. Here are three easy things you should keep in mind when choosing an XLR cable.

And we all want something to rely on. Second, make sure that your cable length is suitable for your recording purpose. Trust me, if your cables are too long, things might get messy quickly. You could even say, some cable products are a total scam. If you want proof, get your friend to set up a blind test for you and let us know if you can actually consistently hear a difference. You might have noticed that X-L-R looks like an abbreviation, but what does it stand for? Some of these answers really make sense, especially the last one.

The original model number series for Cannon's 3-pin circular connectors - invented by them - now an industry generic term. Cannon rearranged the pins and added a latch, and the XL X series with Latch was born. Later Cannon modified the female end to put the contacts in a resilient rubber compound.

They called this new version the XLR series. If you have any further questions, you can contact us any time.

We're always happy to help and eager to learn. Drop me a messsage. It is essential to know polar patterns to get the perfect recording out of your microphone.

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