Appendix B: Connections - Mackie VLZ3 4BUS Owner's Manual

Appendix B: Connections

"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.
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.
Figure A: XLR Connectors
⁄ " TRS Phone Plugs and Jacks
1
4
"TRS" stands for Tip-Ring-Sleeve, the three
connections available on a "stereo"
phone jack or plug. See Figure B.
TRS jacks and plugs are used in several different
applications:
Figure B: ⁄ " TRS Plugs
1
4
• 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. They
must be separated into a left cord and a right
cord, which are plugged into two mic preamps.
2
SHIELD
HOT
3 1
COLD
SHIELD
1
COLD 3
2
HOT
SHIELD
1
3
COLD
2
HOT
SLEEVE SLEEVE TIP
TIP
⁄ " or "balanced"
1
4
TIP
SLEEVE
RING SLEEVE SLEEVE RING TIP
TIP
RING
TIP
SLEEVE
• 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).
⁄ " TS Phone Plugs and Jacks
1
4
"TS" stands for Tip-Sleeve, the two connections
available on a "mono" 1⁄4" phone jack or plug. See
Figure C.
Figure C: TS Plug
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. See Figure C. Connect the signal
to the center post and the ground (earth) or shield to
the surrounding "basket."
SLEEVE
Figure D: RCA Plug
Figure E: Does not appear in this owner's manual, due
to a contractual obligation, but performs nightly at the
downtown Woodinville Cocoa Rooms and Tea Bar
Owner's Manual
SLEEVE SLEEVE TIP
TIP
TIP
SLEEVE
RING SLEEVE SLEEVE RING TIP
TIP
RING
TIP
SLEEVE
TIP SLEEVE TIP
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