Microphone Choices:

Wiring for a Happy Ending! - Farther Down the Line II

"Making connections" in the music business isn't just about schmoozing with the local bar manager, tavern keeper, or prospective producer/engineer with the hopes of getting yourself and your harp playing heard by those potentially adoring masses. For devotees of our Sonic Savior, the TIN SANDWICH, a much more fundamental connection MUST be made before "THE GOODS" can be delivered: CONTINUITY! Go ahead, look it up in the dictionary. Allow me, it'll save us some time. CONTINUITY: Uninterrupted connection, succession, or union. YEAH. Almost enough to bring music to your ears—and without CONTINUITY, all that juicy tone you've been working on ain't getting' to the amp, Jack!

For our purposes, CONTINUITY means the unimpeded, uninterrupted flow of output signal from LORD MICROPHONE to its friendly enforcer/partner in sonic hijinx, the AMPLIFIER.
Here in the MIC DUNGEON, we've recently looked at the importance of the many facets of LORD MICROPHONE'S internal wiring. We've found that thoughtful choices and informed decisions can make for a more durable, more serviceable, DOWNRIGHT BETTER SOUNDING microphone. Well, why stop there? Paying attention to the details beyond the confines of LORD MICROPHONE'S perimeter skin will pay big sonic dividends as well.

Example: The HOHNER BLUES BLASTER, the last surviving incarnation of the legendary ASTATIC JT-30 in production, utilizes a SWITCHCRAFT XLR L3M output connector mounted in the stand lug casting of the JT's body. It's not used because the mic requires a balanced (PLUS/MINUS/SHIELD) wiring scheme. No, the mic's crystal element is HI-Z and only requires POSITIVE and SHIELD (+&-) conductors to carry the current. It's there because it FITS the 5/8" hole!

Now, typically you'll find XLR connectors in sound reinforcement and "PRO AUDIO" gear wired as follows: PIN 1 is the SHIELD or GROUND; PIN 2 is the PLUS or POSITIVE signal; PIN 3 is the MINUS or NEGATIVE signal. A funny thing happens when TIN SANDWICH JOCKEYS attempt to use a standard-wired XLR cable or adaptor with their BLUES BLASTER (or recent vintage CAD or ASTATIC JT models): NOTHING! NO CONTINUITY!

Why? I'm glad you've asked, because you really should know this! The recent JT's XLR's are factory-wired as follows: PIN 1 is the SHIELD or GROUND (OK); PIN 2 is -EMPTY! (WHA?); PIN 3 is the PLUS or POSITIVE signal! Thus, my friends, NO CONTINUITY! NOT A SOUND from LORD MICROPHONE!

How many times have you heard the tale of some TIN SANDWICH jockey walking into a MEGAMUSICSTORE looking for a cable to connect his XLR-equipped JT (or CAD or HOHNER BB) to an amp—and being sold an XLR-to-1/4" PHONEPLUG cable (likely by a guitar player employee) wired for a balanced LOW-Z mic! Maybe it's happened to you!

THE REMEDY: You simply need to re-assign the wire connected to the mic's PIN 3 to PIN 2—OR reassign the wire in the cable's XLR PIN 2 to its PIN 3. You can reverse BOTH wires if you like, but the disconnected wire from PIN 3 becomes immaterial.

PRESTO! A HAPPY ENDING!

ODDBALL CONNECTORS AND SPAGETTI! NEXT TIME WE VISIT.
THE MIC BENCH

For pictures and descriptions of most of the microphones listed visit http://www.harmonicamasterclass.com/vintage_collection.htm