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Microphone Cables: Difference between revisions

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Microphone Cables (view source)

Revision as of 10:58, 6 October 2011

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According to the 'Behringer CT100' Cable Tester, the connections for the cable are as follows:
YSTV's Canon XM2 and HVR-1000E cameras both ship with stereo audio connectors, yet outboard microphones (dynamics, and powered rifles) are inherently mono. We have therefor defined a wiring standard that is a little convoluted:


{|border="1"
* stereo minijack TIP - XLR pin 2
|-
* stereo minijack RNG - XLR pin 2
|XLR
* stereo minijack SLV - XLR pin 3
|3.5mm Jack
* XLR pin 1 (gnd) - disconnected
|-
|1
|1/Sleeve
|-
|2
|2/Tip
|-
|3
|3/Ring
|}


In this table the accuracy of the phrases 'Sleeve', 'Tip', and 'Ring' with relation to pins '1', '2', and '3' at the XLR end were confirmed with the multimeter.
This results the total hot & cold (+/-) difference across the microphone (not just + or - to gnd, which would be half the amplitude) being sent in parallel to both the left (ring) and right (tip) channels of the camera. The camera's ground line (sleeve) becomes the "cold" or "-" which is by now you know, the other side of the mic!


It should be noted that none of the pins are shorted together, ie each pin of the XLR end is connected only to its corresponding pin at the 3.5mm jack end.


 
Why this way? we used to have a mapping of stereo sleeve = XLR 1, stereo ring = XLR 2, and stereo tip = XLR1, and stereo sleve = XLR3. This meant audio would only exist on the left channel, and be half the amplitude it could have been! This was understandably silly, and would result in people having to "fill with left" in the edit, but people would inevitably forget to do so... We then went with a T = 2, R = 3, S = 3 mapping. This made audio on both channels, both the left and right would be oppositely phased: this meant on mono systems, the audio would be cancelled out when played back, and not noticed in the edit! Then I, (Mike Chislett) discovered it and changed it to our now more sensible mapping. This means no more Fill with left, and no more phase issues! Yey! Happy days.
With the small black switch of the rifle mic in the up position (ie towards the microphone end of the mic, and away from the XLR socket) gives slightly better performance than with it in the down position. It may be an on/off switch but this is unclear. This is true for the Sony HDV cameras, and the Canon DV cameras.
 
 
The microphone gives stero signal on the Sony HDV cameras (IE audio signal to both right and left, though this may not truly indicate which direction the sound's coming from).
 
 
The microphone gives signal to the left channel only on the Canon DV cameras, with the signal to the right channel fluctuating minimally on the camera's AU display.
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