Microphones | Seismic Audio Blog

Pro Audio Cables Explained

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Balanced and Unbalanced Cables Defined

Balanced electrical signals travel along 3 wires: a positive, a negative, and a ground. The positive and negative carry the same signal, just in opposite polarity to one another. Noises that may be picked up in the cable will usually be common to each leg. As long as the destination is balanced, the receiving device will flip the signal, bringing them back into polarity. This eliminates the noise by causing it to be out of phase. This is commonly referred to as Common Mode Rejection and is the primary reason balanced cables are best for long cable runs. TRS and XLR cables are made to send balanced audio from one balanced device to another balanced device.

Unbalanced cables are much simpler than balanced. However, they can easily fall victim to noise issues. Unbalanced lines should be used in shorter lengths, ideally 25 foot and under. This will go a long way in reducing any noise that could be carried with the signal into your gear. Instruments, like guitars. and their users vow they can tell a difference in the tone the longer the cable gets.

Cable Connectors

There are six primary cable connector types in the world of Pro Audio. XLR and TRS for balanced connections; Speakon, TS, RCA, and Banana Plugs for unbalanced connections. Here is a brief overview of each:

XLR

An XLR connector has positive, negative, and ground connections. They are primarily used for balanced line-level signals and for microphone signals. These are commonly used for connecting mics to mixers and for hooking up various outputs to powered speakers.

TRS

TRS is also referred to as Tip, Ring, Sleeve. It has the same appearance as your standard 1/4″ and 1/8″ plugs. The difference is that it has an extra ring on the plug. TRS cables are two conductor plus a ground. Commonly used to connect balanced equipment and for running left and right mono signals to stereo headphones. These will also be located on Y cables for use in mixer insert jacks when the signal is sent out in one wire and comes back thru another wire.

Speakon

Speakon connectors are used to carry amplified signals. They are most commonly used to connect power amplifiers to PA speakers, Monitors, and Subwoofers in studio or on stage. They have a unique locking feature that tend to make them a more attractive option than the 1/4″ TS connection. It should be noted that is recommended to never use an instrument cable to connect an amplifier to a speaker.

TS is also referred to as Tip, Sleeve. It is the universal name for specific type of 1/8″ or 1/4″ connector meant for a two conductor unbalanced operation. Only one insulator ring separates the tip and the sleeve. The tip carries the signal and the sleeve is where the ground is connected. These cables are best used as guitar or line level instrument cables.

Banana Plugs

Banana plugs are an electrical conductor made to connect audio wires (speaker wires) to the binding posts on the back of power amplifiers, speakers, or simply to a banana jack. These banana jacks are most often found at the end of a binding post receptacle on power amplifiers and some speakers.

RCA

RCA is the term most commonly used when referring to phono connectors used to connect consumer stereo gear. You will usually see CD outputs or inputs using these RCA connections. RCA connectors are also used in the digital audio world for connections such as S/PDIF, but are still a staple in the pro audio world.

Transporting Audio Speakers and Equipment

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Seismic Audio Speakers are made with the same quality as big brand name speakers. Our speakers can be bought in various sizes for easier and more convenient transportation and hook up. If your speakers and audio equipment are frequently on the move, whether for on tour gigs or for DJ events, Seismic Audio offers prices and equipment you will love.

When you transport your audio speakers and equipment regularly, things are bound to get damaged, lost, or require replacement parts. Here at Seismic Audio you will find a great selection of audio speakers and equipment at prices you will love as well as rack cases affixed with wheels to help with mobility. You can expect affordability here at Seismic Audio. When your audio equipment gets exposed to the elements, suffers ware and tear or gets misplaced, knowing you didn’t spend an arm and a leg will be the very best part. Shop Seismic Audio for the very best deal on great quality Audio equipment and PA Speakers. We offer more than just speakers, we sell rack cases, subwoofers, amps, monitors, snake cables, patch cables, stands and so much more. Get quality for less at Seismic Audio Speakers. When you spend less, you can worry less while transporting your speakers and audio equipment.
Shop Seismic Audio Speakers for affordable and mobile speakers and equipment today!

Affordable Audio Equipment

Friday, July 08, 2011

If you’ve been in search of affordable audio equipment that sounds high quality, welcome to your new favorite store, Seismic Audio Speakers! Here at Seismic Audio you’ll find everything you need from great sounding speakers, to audio cables. Getting all of your audio equipment in one spot for less is now possible.

We believe that great sounding audio equipment shouldn’t be limited to the amount of money in your wallet. Only at Seismic Audio will you find high level quality PA speakers at low cost affordable prices. We’ve cut costs by eliminating the middle man and keeping our prices below our brand name competitors. Now you can start the band you’ve always wanted or get into the DJ business without going broke. Shop our wide selection of speakers, floor monitors, amps, cables and stands. Affordable audio is sometimes necessary such as in places of worship or for schools, Seismic Audio is here to assure you that our great sounding audio equipment won’t ever be overpriced. Shop Seismic Audio Speakers today for audio equipment so affordable you’ll be in disbelief.

Start a Band this summer with Seismic Audio Speakers

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Have you always wanted to start a band, but simply didn’t based on the fact that you couldn’t afford the audio equipment? Well, now there’s Seismic Audio Speakers! At Seismic Audio, you’ll find everything you need to create the ultimate band set up. If you don’t have that rock star budget, you can still sound like a rock star!

Get a band together this summer and play for less with help from Seismic Audio Speakers. We encourage any practicing or first time musicians to have the most fun they can with their musical abilities and start a live band. Here at Seismic Audio you’ll find everything you need, from PA speakers to microphones and stands. Get creative and perfect your art in a collaboration with other up and coming musicians. Joining a band for the summer is great way to have fun, practice your skills and learn to work with others. We have a wide selection of audio cables, snake cables, patch cables, monitors, amplifiers, you name it! With prices that can’t be beat anywhere else, you’ll be coming to Seismic Audio for everything audio. Shop Seismic Audio today and start the band you’ve always wanted to form.

Microphones – Part 2 – Choosing a Microphone

Monday, April 19, 2010

In part 1 of the Microphone series, we discussed the basic kinds of microphones and some of their practical uses. If you haven’t had a chance to check out part 1 yet, you can do that by going to Microphones – Part 1 – Different Types of Microphones. In this post, we will help you choose what type of microphone would be best suited for your application.

Choosing a Microphone
The type of microphone you use will depend on what you will be miking and on your budget. For small setups, a couple of good dynamic microphones would be adequate. For a slightly larger setup – playing 300-500 person venues – 6 to 8 dynamic microphones and a pair of condenser microphones would be suitable. Microphones come at all price points. Companies like Shure, Sennheiser, and Audix have become staples in the industry and have maintained wonderful reputations. These companies offer several lines of microphones from small budgets to large ones. There are also companies like Samson and Nady which offer some decent “budget” microphones as well.

Remember that when you are buying microphones, you will also have to buy microphone cables. Don’t forget to factor that in with the price of your microphones. Microphone cables come at a wide range of price points as well. Some companies claim that their microphone cables are vastly superior and charge premium prices for their cables. Whether or not microphone cables can really make an audible difference in sound quality is debatable. If you plan on using a condenser microphone, you will also need to make sure your mixer can supply phantom power or if you will need to buy an individual microphone preamp. Remember that since phantom power is supplied through XLR cables. You will not be able to use anything other than a XLR male to a XLR female microphone cable if your microphone needs phantom power. Be sure to check out the full line of cables at www.SeismicAudioSpeakers.com.

Hopefully, you have gathered enough information and we have given you enough information to help you pick out the best microphone to use for your application. Be sure to check out the first part of the series if you haven’t yet! If this information was helpful, please subscribe to the Seismic Audio Blog feed to get the latest information.

Microphones – Part 1 – Different Types of Microphones

Monday, April 19, 2010

We will be doing a 2 part post about Microphones. This post will discuss the different types of microphones and the usage of each type of microphone. In the next post we will go over some information on choosing the correct microphone for your application.

Microphones
There is a lot to know when it comes to microphones. In fact, so much that it would take pages and pages to cover everything. But that doesn’t mean we can’t go into essential information and basic details about them.

There are several types of microphones. Some of them excel in specific applications and some microphones are considered to be “workhorse” microphones, meaning that they can be used on just about any source and get the job done while sounding fantastic. Before we go into that, let’s first cover the types of microphones.

Dynamic Microphones
Dynamic microphones are some of the most common microphones that you will encounter. They extend over a broad price range, are very durable, don’t require their own power source, and are generally ideal for most live sound applications. One of the most widely recognized microphones in the world, the Shure SM58, has been the industry standard for both the studio and the stage for decades. Every time you have seen a singer on stage or heard a public speaker at a podium, chances are they were using the SM58 microphone. Yet, there are plenty of dynamic microphones on the market to choose from. Dynamic microphones are ideal for miking sources that put out high sound pressure levels. Since quality dynamic microphones are generally low impedance, you will need at least one XLR cable to hook one up to your mixer.

Condenser Microphones
Condenser microphones aren’t quite as popular as their dynamic counterparts. They are widely used in the recording environment but are still fairly common in live sound reinforcement. Typically, condenser microphones are used on sources that are fairly quiet, such as acoustic guitars. Condenser microphones require power from an external source in order to operate. This is called “phantom power”. Phantom power is supplied through the XLR cable that you will use to hook up the microphone to your mixer. Most mixers are equipped to supply phantom power. Be sure and check if your mixer has this feature before you purchase a condenser microphone. Condenser microphones are also much more sensitive than dynamic microphones, making them a little more prone towards problems with feedback in smaller environments.

Ribbon Microphones
Ribbon microphones aren’t as widely used in live applications as condenser and dynamic microphones. There was a time when most microphones were ribbon microphones. Ribbon microphones use a thin (usually microns thick) strip of metal floating in a magnetic field to generate sound. They are quiet and need more gain than dynamic and condenser microphones. They are very fragile, and their wide polar pattern can make them prone to feedback issues. When ribbon microphones are used in a live situation, they are usually used on guitar cabinets. Ribbon microphones use XLR cables but beware of phantom power hitting them. Phantom power destroys ribbon microphones.

Other Microphones
There are other types of microphones besides the ones listed. Since these are the most common in pro audio, we won’t go into the others here. Instead we will keep things “simple” and save them for a later post.

There are your basic types of microphones and we will give you some information to help you pick out the best microphone to use for your application. Be sure to check out the second part! If this information was helpful, please subscribe to the Seismic Audio Blog feed to get the latest information.