Microphone cables balanced/unbalanced?

[billisa]

Can someone please give me a very brief primer on balanced and unbalanced mic cables... I need 3prong one's that can handle 48v phantom power... I see walls full of the same thing, varied only by length, so is anything I buy, say at Musician's Friend or Sam Ash ok? Is it possible to buy the "wrong" type of 3prong mic cable (I'm talking about basic spec apart from high-end esoteric types).

 

[osion]

to my understanding, microphone cables are XLR-XLR and are always balanced. I don't think you can go wrong getting a microphone cable at sam ash or guitar center since I believe they are always XLR which is always balanced.

 

[Slackmaster2K]

A cable itself is not "balanced". However, any three conductor (two signal, one ground) cable with three conductor connectors can theoretically support a balanced connection between two pieces of balanced gear.

Your typical XLR microphone cable is going to have three conductors and three pin XLR connectors. Yes it will support a balanced connection. Yes it will pass phantom power.

The only time you're going to really come across a balancing issue when it comes to microphones is if you use some cheapo thing with a built in cable with a 1/4" plug...like kareokee microphones you can buy at s-mart. Don't worry about it.

Slackmaster 2000

"Shop Smart, Shop S-Mart."

 

[zallen25]

Just keep in mind that you do need a balanced cable for mics so that you can get the phantom power to the mic! There are such things as unbalanced mic cables, be aware : )

 

[Slackmaster2K]

true...true...I probably just confused things...no point in arguing semantics with "the industry"...

 

[Blue Bear Sound]

There are such things as unbalanced mic cables, be aware : )

Sure... but Radio Shack mics don't really count.........

Some older mics like the Astatic J30 or the Shure Green Bullet are 2-conductor XLR wired to a single conductor and terminated with a 1/4" TS -- but the mics themselves are wired as 2-conductor even though they're dynamics.

All serious mics I've ever seen are wired as 2-conductor male XLR output connectors regardless of the actual cable used....