DJing Discussion

Forum
 DJing Discussion
XLR Connection at Venue
This area is for discussion about DJing in general. Please remember the community rules when posting and try to be polite and inclusive.

XLR Connection at Venue

DJ Marv the Maverick 9:01 AM - 9 September, 2016
dl.dropboxusercontent.com

Can you kindly have a look an tell me how to make/buy an XLR to XLR cable for this?

The Background Story (If you are interested)

I'm not an electrical savvy guy though i can do some minor troubleshooting. One of the venues i play at has a DJ XLR input socket in the booth and i ve always had problems with that particular point. My current work around is to by pass it by running a xlr cable directly to the PA Amp which is in another location in the bar. I have tried DI boxes, loop isolators, ground lift etc but its unusable. Even without connecting my XLR to my gear and bringing it close to the point, the loud noise starts.

So I asked for the venue (for the 3rd) to get the XLR point in the booth fixed and i was informed that its been done and the tech guy left me a RCA (L & R) to XLR (L & R) cable to use going forward.

I went over yesterday to have a look and Its all good now, sound is clean, the nasty hum that made it unusable is gone, but that means i go out from my dj mixer or controller via RCA out using the supplied RCA to XLR cable.

He left an annotation on the XLR point to tell me and future djs the kind of XLR cable that the point will work with.

I will like to buy/build an XLR to XLR cable that will be compatible with this particular venue as back up as he left only one.

dl.dropboxusercontent.com

Thats a photo of the instructions.

I know i'm on Channel 6 of the house PA,
2 is Hot
3 is cold
1 is ?
577er 3:23 PM - 9 September, 2016
2 =positive
3= negative
1 = shield / ground

That is the standard pin configuration for an XLR cable.
The Return of Dj Sparky 3:41 PM - 9 September, 2016
funny how most dj's don't even know how to wire a cable
DJ Marv the Maverick 3:44 PM - 9 September, 2016
Quote:
2 =positive
3= negative
1 = shield / ground

That is the standard pin configuration for an XLR cable.


I have tried several XLR cables, tried Controller tried mixer.

Rca to Xlr is the only thing that's worked.

I'm just confused as to why RCA to XLR will work rather than XLR to XLR with that particular connection point.

The tech guy left me a RCA to XLR cable and i planned to open it up to see how it was wired internally but I can't open it as its sealed
DJ Marv the Maverick 3:49 PM - 9 September, 2016
Quote:
funny how most dj's don't even know how to wire a cable


Well it's not about me wiring. I have working XLR cables but have problems with ground loop in a particular bars connection point just with XLR to XLR.

I don't have the ground loop using RCA to Xlr.

I can go ahead and say problem solved and dj as normal, but to add to my knowledge that's why im asking the question here.

I know that Pin 1 is ground, and my cables are all wired correctly.
577er 5:04 PM - 9 September, 2016
The only time I've encountered this is when 1 and 3 have been cross wired. You get a ground loop buzz

With the RCA to XLR you are combining 1 and 3 in the sleeve. So instead of a miss wired balanced cable you have an unbalanced cable.

I would suspect that something behind the ports you plug into is cross wired.
577er 5:13 PM - 9 September, 2016
You could try cross wiring an XLR cable and see if that takes care of the problem. I'd start with swapping 1&3 on the male end and see if that works. Just need a soldering iron.

Might be easier than digging around in the backside of the installed equipment.
DJ Marv the Maverick 5:42 PM - 9 September, 2016
Quote:
You could try cross wiring an XLR cable and see if that takes care of the problem. I'd start with swapping 1&3 on the male end and see if that works. Just need a soldering iron.

Might be easier than digging around in the backside of the installed equipment.


thanks for the response.

I'm at a loss tbh as the same XLR to XLR cables work perfectly
1. at my other residencies,
2. with my own powered speakers,
3. even In the same venue, if I'm playing the second floor connected via another XLR point to the same house PA system.

I removed the XLR casing at the ends of my XLR to XLR cables and connected both together to see if the wires are right and they are visually.

I'm talking 4 different XLR - XLR cables here.

Came across www.rane.com and I'm thinking Pin 1 is root of the problem. I'm thinking i will use a modified cable (i.e not connecting the pin 1 shield wire at one end)
577er 8:17 PM - 9 September, 2016
Yeah the problem is not your cables it's the wires that lead from the jacks your plugging into. Thats why you should try modified (incorrect) cables to see if you can find the right combination to make the system work.
DJ Marv the Maverick 7:51 AM - 10 September, 2016
Quote:
Yeah the problem is not your cables it's the wires that lead from the jacks your plugging into. Thats why you should try modified (incorrect) cables to see if you can find the right combination to make the system work.


Thanks. I will just use the RCA to XLR cable for now.