Appendix b: connections, Xlr connectors, Trs phone plugs and jacks – MACKIE PPM1008 User Manual

Page 25: Ts phone plugs and jacks, Rca plugs and jacks, Owner’ s manual

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25

Owner’s Manual

Owner’

s Manual

XLR Connectors

Mackie mixers use 3-pin female XLR connectors on

all microphone inputs, with pin 1 wired to the grounded
(earthed) shield, pin 2 wired to the “high” (”hot” or
positive polarity) side of the audio signal and pin 3
wired to the “low” (“cold” or negative polarity) side of
the signal. See Figure A. This is all totally above board
and in full accord with the hallowed standards dictated
by the AES (Audio Engineering Society).

Use a male XLR-type connector, usually found on the

nether end of what is called a “mic cable,” to connect to
a female XLR jack.

1

4

" TRS Phone Plugs and Jacks

“TRS” stands for Tip-Ring-Sleeve, the three

connections available on a “stereo” 1/4" or “balanced”
phone jack or plug. See Figure B.

TRS jacks and plugs are used in several different

applications:

• Balanced mono circuits. When wired as a

balanced connector, a 1⁄4" TRS jack or plug
is connected tip to signal high (hot), ring to
signal low (cold), and sleeve to ground (earth).

• Stereo Headphones, and rarely, stereo

microphones and stereo line connections.
When wired for stereo, a 1⁄4" TRS jack or plug
is connected tip to left, ring to right and sleeve
to ground (earth). Mackie mixers do not
directly accept 1-plug-type stereo micro phones.

Appendix B: Connections

They must be separated into a left cord and a
right cord, which are plugged into the two mic
preamps.

You can cook up your own adapter for a stereo
microphone adapter. “Y” two cables out of a
female 1⁄4" TRS jack to two male XLR plugs,
one for the Right signal and one for the Left.

• Unbalanced Send/Return circuits. When wired

as send/return “Y” connector, a 1⁄4" TRS jack
or plug is connected tip to signal send (output
from mixer), ring to signal return (input back
into mixer), and sleeve to ground (earth).

1

4

" TS Phone Plugs and Jacks

“TS” stands for Tip-Sleeve, the two connections

available on a “mono” 1⁄4" phone jack or plug.

See Figure C.

TS jacks and plugs are used in many different

applications, always unbalanced. The tip is connected to
the audio signal and the sleeve to ground (earth). Some
examples:

• Unbalanced microphones
• Electric guitars and electronic instruments
• Unbalanced line-level connections
• Speaker connections

Don’t use guitar cords for speaker cables!
They’re not designed to handle speaker-level
signals and could overheat.

RCA Plugs and Jacks

RCA-type plugs (also known as phono plugs)

and jacks are often used in home stereo and video
equipment and in many other applications (Figure D).
They are unbalanced and electrically identical to a 1⁄4"
TS phone plug or jack. Connect the signal to the center
post and the ground (earth) or shield to the

surrounding “basket.”

SLEEVE

TIP

TIP

SLEEVE

TIP

SLEEVE

SLEEVE

TIP

SLEEVE

TIP

RING

RING

TIP

SLEEVE

RING

Figure C: TS Plug

2

2

3

1

1

SHIELD

COLD

HOT

SHIELD

COLD

HOT

3

SHIELD

COLD

HOT

3

2

1

Figure A: XLR Connectors

SLEEVE

TIP

TIP

SLEEVE

TIP

SLEEVE

SLEEVE

TIP

SLEEVE

TIP

RING

RING

TIP

SLEEVE

RING

Figure B:

1

4

" TRS Plugs

TIP

SLEEVE

TIP

SLEEVE

Figure D: RCA Plug

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