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Making the Most Of Your Mixer
MG16/4, MG12/4
7
A Place For Everything and Everything In Its Place
1-1. A Plethora Of Connectors—What Goes Where?
Questions you’re likely to encounter when setting up a system for the first time might include “Why all
these different types of connectors on the back of my mixer?” and “What’s the difference?”.
Let’s start by taking a look at the most common connector types.
The Venerable RCA Pin Jack
This is the “consumer connector,” and the one that has been most commonly used
on home audio gear for many years. Also known as “phono” jacks (short for
”phonogram”), but the term isn’t used much these days—besides, it’s too easily
confusable with “phone” jacks, below. RCA pin jacks are always unbalanced, and
generally carry a line-level signal at –10 dB, nominal. You’re most likely to use this
type of connector when connecting a CD player or other home audio type source
to your mixer, or when connecting the output of your mixer to a cassette recorder
or similar gear.
The Versatile Phone Jack
The name “phone jack” arose simply because this configuration was first
used in telephone switchboards. Phone jacks can be tricky because you
can’t always tell what type of signal they’re designed to handle just by
looking at them. It could be unbalanced mono, unbalanced stereo,
balanced mono, or an insert patch point. The connector’s label will
usually tell you what type of signal it handles, as will the owner’s manual
(you
do
keep your manuals in a safe place, don’t you?). A phone jack that
is set up to handle balanced signals is also often referred to as a “TRS”
phone jack. “TRS” stands for Tip-Ring-Sleeve, which describes the
configuration of the phone plug used.
The Sturdy XLR
This type of connector is generally referred to as “XLR-type,” and almost always
carries a balanced signal. If the corresponding circuitry is designed properly,
however, XLR-type connectors will also handle unbalanced signals with no
problem. Microphone cables usually have this type of connector, as do the inputs
and outputs of most professional audio gear.
1
White
Red
Stereo/TRS phone plug
Mono phone plug
Male
Female
MG12-16_E.book Page 7 Monday, May 26, 2003 1:14 PM