AUDIO CONNECTORS | XLR, 1/4-Inch, 3.5mm, SpeakON, RCA, & More

If you're working in audio production, it's  important that you can identify each type of cable   connector so that you can choose the right cable  in any given situation. By the end of this video,   you'll know each connector type and its common  uses. But if you're new to this channel,   my name is Kyle. You can learn audio production  online by checking out the weekly videos I post   to the Audio University YouTube channel.  Learn more at AudioUniversityOnline.com. Let's start with an XLR connector. XLR  cables, sometimes called microphone cables,   consist of three wires - a positive signal wire, a  negative signal wire, and a shield. XLR cables are   most commonly used to make a balanced connection  between two devices. A balanced connection is a   method that helps to prevent noise from entering  a signal. XLR connectors are the standard   in professional audio for carrying microphone  level or line level signals. You'll find them   on microphones, amplifiers, mixers, and  many other types of pro audio equipment. Now let's talk about quarter inch connectors.  There are a few different types. The type of   signal that a quarter inch connector can transmit  will be determined by the amount of connection   points on the connector itself and the amount of  connection points on the cable that's being used.   A quarter inch TS connector consists of two parts  - a tip and a sleeve. The most common use for a   quarter inch TS connector is an instrument  cable or a speaker cable. Although these   cables look identical from the outside, the main  difference is the type of cable that's being used.   You can learn more by watching this video.  A quarter inch TRS connector contains three   sections - a tip, ring, and a sleeve. This  allows for three connections between the devices.   Quarter inch TRS connectors are most commonly  used for a stereo connection or a balanced line   level connection. A TRS can only facilitate  up to a single channel of balanced audio.   When a TRS connector is used for stereo, such  as the left and right channel of headphones,   two unbalanced signals are carried  over the single TRS connector. The same principles that apply to quarter  inch connectors also apply to eighth inch   or 3.5 millimeter connectors. The number of  channels and the type of signal that can be   carried by a connector is determined by how  many connection points are on the connector   and the type of cable that's being used. A 3.5  millimeter TS connector contains two sections - a   tip and a sleeve. They're not very common, but  you'll sometimes see them on consumer microphones.   A 3.5 millimeter TRS connector contains  three sections - a tip, a ring,   and a sleeve. Although a TRS connector could  in theory facilitate a balanced connection,   in most cases a 3.5 millimeter TRS is used for a  stereo signal. They're often found on headphones,   auxiliary inputs, and line outputs from consumer  devices. It's really important to understand that   a stereo TRS carrying a left signal and a right  signal is always an unbalanced connection. So   even if you have a 3.5 millimeter to XLR adapter,  that adapter is limited by the 3.5 millimeter TRS,   which can only facilitate an unbalanced set of  stereo signals. And finally, you may encounter   a 3.5 millimeter TRRS which contains a tip,  two rings, and a sleeve. 3.5 millimeter TRRS   connectors are usually used for headphones with  a microphone input. The left the right output   channels plus the microphone all share the same  reference to ground. There are a few different   standards for the pinout of 3.5 millimeter TRRS  connectors. That means that the left and right   channel and microphone channel won't always be  sent over the same pin, so you may need an adapter   for using a DSLR camera that you wouldn't  need for using a smartphone, or vice versa. Let's move on to RCA connectors. Although RCA  connectors are most commonly used in consumer   audio, you will sometimes encounter them in  professional audio. RCA connectors contain   a pin and a sleeve, and they're usually paired  together in sets of a white and red connector   for the left signal and the right signal. This  allows them to carry stereo unbalanced signals.   RCAs are most often found in consumer audio and  home theater equipment but you will occasionally   see them in an audio mixer. Be aware that there  are different voltage level standards for consumer   and professional equipment. You can  learn more by watching this video. Another common type of connector in professional  audio is a phoenix connector or a euro block.   These are usually custom-made for  each type of equipment you're using   and they usually contain three pins  for balanced connections - a positive,   a negative, and a ground. You'll usually encounter  a phoenix or euroblock connector on an audio DSP,   an amplifier, or some other device that's being  installed in a rack. You can fit a lot more   inputs and outputs using phoenix connectors  than you could using say XLR connectors.   However, XLR and quarter inch connectors are much  more rugged than euroblock and phoenix connectors,   and because of that you'll rarely see  euroblock and phoenix connectors being   used in situations where the connections  will be connected and disconnected regularly. You may also encounter SpeakOn connectors  for connecting amplifiers to speakers.   There are three basic types - NL2,  NL4, and NL8. SpeakOn connectors are   used for speaker circuits and a speaker  circuit requires two pins per circuit.   An NL2 contains two pins, so we can facilitate  one speaker circuit. An NL4 contains four pins,   so it can facilitate two speaker circuits. And an  NL8 contains eight pins for four speaker circuits. There are many more audio connectors out there.  For a more complete list, check out the full post   at AudioUniversityOnline.com/Audio-Connectors/.  If you got value out of this video hit the   "Like" button and check out the next video that's  coming up to learn more about audio production.

Channel: Audio University

Views: 71,434

Keywords: xlr, 1/4 inch cable, xlr cable, audio cables, audio connectors, 3.5mm connector, 3.5mm cable, xlr wiring, nl2, nl4, nl8, speakon, rca, rca connector, phoenix connector, phoenix plug, microphone connector, xlr pinout, ts, trs, trrs, ts pinout, trs pinout, trrs pinout, ts connector, trs connector, trrs connector, wiring diagram, audio cable guide, audio connector guide, connector types, cable types, audio production, home studio cables, live sound cables, sound cables

Id: cA7cmrQTXBw

Length: 6min 36sec (396 seconds)

Published: Fri Jan 15 2021