Is it a plug or a socket ?

D

demto

New member
Can anyone help

On professional equipment is a condenser mike normally fitted with a XLR plug or XLR
socket.

Thanks
 
So IF your preamp has an XLR input for a mike then this would normally be a SOCKETt input and your mike would normally have a MALE XLR plug fitted to it. Can you confirm.
 
First...and pardon me for asking...why on earth does it matter? Typically they're called a "connector" at both ends and specified by "male" or "female", "cable" or "input".

Frank
 
It's technically a male XLR jack/socket. The fact that it is a male connector instead of female has no bearing on it. A plug is on a cable, a jack/socket is on a device.
 
dgatwood said:
It's technically a male XLR jack/socket. The fact that it is a male connector instead of female has no bearing on it. A plug is on a cable, a jack/socket is on a device.
Click to expand...

I hear you, but that's by means an industry standard or anything. What I'm saying is that there isn't any industry standard. You're technically absolutely right though.

Frank
 
It's all "connectors". Whether you call them male, female, input, output, or whatever. XLR is useful because the connectors are more hearty. And they don't pop when you plug/unplug them live. Which might be what you want as an option. Or not.
 
I know that an XLR plug or socket is a connector having just designed and built a microphone preamp with a phantom power supply for the mike.

I just wondered if there was an industry standard for whether the preamp has a plug or
socket on its mike inputs as I have checked that the preamp is working but have not decided whether it should be plug or socket on its mike input. My mike may be used on other peoples preamps/mixers in the future and that is why I was asking. The answer seems to be there is no industry standard but to be technically correct the preamp would have a socket. Thank everybody for your help.
Demto
 
The most simplest way to look at it (not sure if it's a true "standard")...but with XLR connectors, the pins usually point in the direction of the signal flow...so on mics you would have the male XLR and on preamp inputs a female XLR.
 
An xlr connector is usually described as male, or female. The sender (mic) is male and the reciever (recorder,mixer, etc.) is female. Just like real life. Rule of thumb is that XLR is low impedance, and 1/4" phone plug is high. Of course, 99.7% of home recordists already know that, so the above statements are aimed at the newcomers. Cheers, Buck
 
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