XLR3 cable connectors, female on left and male on right

The XLR connector is a rugged electrical connector design. XLR plugs and sockets are used mostly in professional audio and video electronics cabling applications. Home audio and video electronics normally use RCA connectors. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1280x960, 128 KB) Description: Male and female XLR connectors Source: self-made Photographer: Michael Piotrowski (2005-06-04) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): XLR connector ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1280x960, 128 KB) Description: Male and female XLR connectors Source: self-made Photographer: Michael Piotrowski (2005-06-04) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): XLR connector ... An electrical connector is a device for joining electrical circuits together. ... A plug is: a device which is designed to stop a fluid from flowing through a hole. ... In electronics, a jack is a socket. ... A U.S. Postage Stamp commemorating one hundred years of sound recording. ... Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images which represent scenes in motion. ... The field of electronics comprises the study and use of systems that operate by controlling the flow of electrons (or other charge carriers) in devices such as thermionic valves (vacuum tubes) and semiconductors. ... RCA Plugs for composite video and stereo audio An RCA jack, also referred to as a phono connector or CINCH/AV connector, is a type of electrical connector which is commonly used in the audio/video market. ...

In reference to its original manufacturer, Cannon (now part of ITT), the connector is colloquially known as a cannon plug or canon. Originally the "Cannon X" series, subsequent versions added a Latch ("Cannon XL") and then a Rubber compound surrounding the contacts, which led to the acronym XLR.^[1] Many companies now make XLRs. The initials "XLR" have nothing to do with the pinout of the connector. XLR connectors can have other numbers of pins besides three. This article is about a company named Cannon. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

They are superficially similar to the older and less rugged DIN connector range, but are not physically compatible with them. 5 pin 180° DIN connector 4 pin Mini-DIN S-Video connector Speaker DIN line socket (left) and plug DIN connectors are multi-pin electrical connectors based on a DIN standard. ...

Patterns of XLR connector

Variety of male and female XLR connectors with different numbers of pins

The most common is the 3-pin XLR3, used almost universally as a balanced audio connector for high quality microphones and connections between equipment. The XLR3 is also the standard connector for DMX digital lighting control. XLR4s with four pins are used for ClearCom, Tecpro intercom systems, 12 volt power, and the older AMX analog lighting control. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2903x1895, 1405 KB) Group of XLR connectors File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2903x1895, 1405 KB) Group of XLR connectors File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Balanced audio connections are extremely important in sound recording and production because they allow for the use of very long cables with reduced introduction of outside noise. ... A microphone, sometimes referred to as a mike or mic (both IPA pronunciation: ), is an acoustic to electric transducer that converts sound into an electrical signal. ... DMX512, often shortened to DMX (Digital MultipleX), is a communications protocol used mainly to control stage lighting. ... Intercom system in the Pittock Mansion An intercom is an electronic communications system within a building or group of buildings. ... AMX LLC, commonly known as AMX, is a manufacturer of audio/visual control devices. ...

Many other types exist, with various pin numbers. Most notable are two now obsolete 3-pin patterns manufactured by ITT Cannon. The power Cannon (also called the XLR-LNE connector) had shrouded pins and red insulation, it was intended as a mains power connector, but has been superseded by the IEC mains connector and increasingly, more recently, the PowerCon connector developed by Neutrik. This article is about a company named Cannon. ... Type F Mains power plug & socket The term “mains” usually refers to the general purpose AC electrical power supply (as in “Ive connected the appliance to the mains”). The term is not usually used in the United States and Canada. ... A power connector is an electrical connector designed to carry a significant amount of electrical power, usually as DC or low-frequency AC. Some types of RF connector may also carry large amounts of power, but are considered as a separate category. ... IEC connector is the common name for the set of thirteen line sockets (called the connector in the specification) and thirteen panel plugs (called the inlet) defined by International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) specification IEC 60320. ... The PowerCon is a connector manufactured by Neutrik for connecting mains power to equipment in a small space. ... Neutrik are Liechtenstein based companys that specialises in making professional audio connectors such as XLRs. ...

The loudspeaker Cannon had blue or white insulation (depending on its gender), was intended for connections between audio power amplifiers and loudspeakers. At one time XLR3 connectors were also used extensively on loudspeaker cables, as when first introduced they represented a new standard of ruggedness, and economic alternatives were not readily available. The convention was that a 2-conductor loudspeaker cable had XLR3F connectors on both ends, to distinguish it from a 3-conductor shielded signal level cable which has an XLR3F at one end and an XLR3M at the other. Either pin 2 or 3 was live, depending on the manufacturer, with pin 1 always the 'earthy' return. This usage is now both obsolete and dangerous to equipment but is still sometimes encountered, especially on older equipment. For example, some loudspeakers have a built-in XLR3M as an input connector. This use was superseded in professional audio applications by the Neutrik Speakon connector. In electrical and mechanical trades and manufacturing, each of a pair of mating connectors or fasteners is conventionally assigned the designation male or female. ... An amplifier is a device which changes a small movement into a larger movement. ... Closeup of a loudspeaker driver. ... Neutrik Speakons are a type of cable connector commonly used in pro audio systems for connecting loudspeakers to amplifiers. ...

The female XLR connectors are designed to first connect pin 1 (the earth pin), before the other pins make contact, when a male XLR connector is inserted. With the ground connection established before the signal lines are connected, the insertion (and removal) of XLR connectors in live equipment is possible without picking up external signals (as it usually happens with, for example, RCA connectors). A panel of four RCA jacks, and three RCA (cinch; phono) plugs of various quality RCA jack in PlayStation 2 An RCA jack, also referred to as a phono connector or CINCH/AV connector, is a type of electrical connector which is commonly used in the audio/video market. ...

Five pin XLR connectors are now used almost exclusively in lighting control for entertainment applications. While only three pins are used to carry the DMX signal, the design allows expansion with the remaining two pins (now considered for use with Remote Device Management (RDM) and Architecture for Control Networks (ACN) and also prevents users from using lower-grade microphone cable for transmission of signals. Although, many manufacturers of DJ lighting and professional lighting are opting to use three-pin connectors. Some manufacturers such as Leviton and Lightronics have even established new protocols non-compatible with DMX that use three pin XLR to control lighting devices (primarily dimmers made by the same manufacturer). These protocols are not generally accepted in the industry and are used primarily to promote consumers to buy multiple products from the same company. DMX512, often shortened to DMX (Digital MultipleX), is a communications protocol used mainly to control stage lighting. ... Architecture for Control Networks (ACN) is a network protocol for theatrical control being developed by ESTA (Entertainment Services and Technology Association). ... Leviton mass produces industrial, commercial, and residential electrical products, including switches, light sockets, and dimmers. ...

XLR-LNE 2-pin socket and plug, originally used for mains power connections Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1050x557, 162 KB) XLr-LNE Plug and Socket File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Type F Mains power plug & socket The term “mains” usually refers to the general purpose AC electrical power supply (as in “Ive connected the appliance to the mains”). The term is not usually used in the United States and Canada. ...

Male and female XLR4 panel connectors Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (2288x1460, 2447 KB) XLR connectors File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

XLR5 Socket Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (835x1025, 568 KB) XLR5 Socket File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

Female XLR6 panel connector Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1010x1445, 1045 KB) XLR6 connector File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

XLR3 connectors

Left to right: Cannon XLR3-12C (line), Switchcraft X3F (line), Neutrik NC3MP panel, Neutrik NC3FP panel

EIA Standard RS-297-A describes the use of the XLR3 for balanced audio signal level applications: Image File history File links XLR3-edit. ... Image File history File links XLR3-edit. ... This article is about a company named Cannon. ... Switchcraft, Inc. ... Neutrik are Liechtenstein based companys that specialises in making professional audio connectors such as XLRs. ... The Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA, until 1997 Electronic Industries Association) is a trade organization for electronics manufacturers in the United States. ... Balanced audio connections are extremely important in sound recording and production because they allow for the use of very long cables with reduced introduction of outside noise. ...

Some audio equipment manufacturers reverse the use of pin 2 (properly the normal input) and pin 3 (inverting input). This reflects their own previous usage before any standard existed. Pin 1 is always ground, and many connectors connect it internally to the connector shell or case. Ground symbols The term ground or earth usually means a common return path in electrical circuits. ...

Note that neither the standards nor manufacturers agree on the best way to handle the usage of pin 1 at both ends of a cable, particularly with respect to the cable shield, the connector's shell, signal ground, and a third cable wire connected to pin 1 -- which may (or may not) be connected to the shield. Comments on AES48

An XLR3M (male) connector is used for an output and an XLR3F (female) for an input. Thus a microphone will have a built-in XLR3M connector, and signal cables such as microphone cables will each have an XLR3F at one end and an XLR3M at the other. At the stage box end of a multicore cable, the inputs to the mixing desk will be XLR3F connectors, while the returns to the stage will be XLR3M connectors. Similarly, on a mixing desk, the microphone inputs will be XLR3F connectors, and any balanced outputs XLR3M connectors. A stage box is a shoebox sized enclosure that has typically 16-24 female Canon connectors mounted on it as a termination of the multicore cable that runs to the sound desk or audio mixer. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with snake cable. ...

XLR and 1/4" TRS combo jack.

Neutrik also offers a "combo" jack that accepts both XLR and 1/4" TRS plugs. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1203x1116, 156 KB) XLR/phone plug combo connector. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1203x1116, 156 KB) XLR/phone plug combo connector. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Jack plug. ...

See also

• Jack plug
• RCA jack
• DIN connector

2. ... A panel of four RCA jacks, and three RCA (cinch; phono) plugs of various quality RCA jack in PlayStation 2 An RCA jack, also referred to as a phono connector or CINCH/AV connector, is a type of electrical connector which is commonly used in the audio/video market. ... 5 pin 180° DIN connector 4 pin Mini-DIN S-Video connector Speaker DIN line socket (left) and plug DIN connectors are multi-pin electrical connectors based on a DIN standard. ...

References

1. ^ Rane Professional Audio Reference description

External links

• Audio usage
• Lighting control usage
• Making XLR cables