Author Topic: Cables for aux outs to powered speakers  (Read 3157 times)

donnievaz

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Cables for aux outs to powered speakers
« on: September 14, 2015, 04:17:45 PM »
I want to make up a couple TRS -> XLR cables for the aux outs to powered monitor wedges and I'm not sure whether to connect all the conductors on both ends or leave the shield unconnected at one end. If I do need to leave the shield off does it matter which end?

Thanks for any help!

RoadRanger

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Re: Cables for aux outs to powered speakers
« Reply #1 on: September 14, 2015, 06:25:26 PM »
Connect 'em at both ends - lifting the shield at one end was something crappy studios used to do back when dinosaurs walked the Earth ;) ...

pytchley

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Re: Cables for aux outs to powered speakers
« Reply #2 on: September 14, 2015, 06:33:20 PM »
Speaking as a dinosaur, disconnecting the shield at one end (usually the arrival end) can get rid of unwanted noise sometimes. I'd connect it first and see.

dpdan

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Re: Cables for aux outs to powered speakers
« Reply #3 on: September 14, 2015, 10:33:06 PM »
tip = pin 2 positive
ring = pin 3 negative
sleeve = pin 1 ground (earth)

period
« Last Edit: September 14, 2015, 10:35:22 PM by dpdan »

Greg C.

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Re: Cables for aux outs to powered speakers
« Reply #4 on: September 15, 2015, 03:54:00 AM »
Sometimes lifting pin 1 but only at the receiver end can mitigate ground loop noise with pin 1 challenged devices. I find more often than not though that a quality line level isolation transformer is the only real fix in those situation. In any case, if you need to do a pin 1 lift, you're better off making up your own XLR to XLR shortly lift cables or getting off the shelf pin 1 lift barrels by Whirlwind. Building your cables with pin 1 already cut will screw you if you actually need an end to end ground connection to fix noise problems. Sometimes having pin 1 lifted can actually cause noise.
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sam.spoons

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Re: Cables for aux outs to powered speakers
« Reply #5 on: September 16, 2015, 05:02:21 PM »
In my experience the pin one issue with the DL1608/806 (and, I'd guess the DL32R) only manifests itself if your monitor speaker has an unbalanced input. If it's XLR then it's almost certainly properly balanced.