Why do microphones use xlr

These mic inputs are practically all 3-pin female XLR connectors. You could also do this in the reverse order. This is the basic microphone connection via XLR to another device. Now there are two main reasons why professional microphones use XLR: balanced audio and microphone protection. What is balanced audio? Balanced audio is a method of connecting audio equipment that allows audio signals to travel through long lengths of cable effectively without loss of clarity.

Balanced audio does this by carrying two copies of the audio signal in reverse polarity and cancelling out any induced interference. What is each of the 3 pins for in an XLR connector? So the microphone outputs its audio signal with equal amplitude on pins 2 and 3 relative to pin 1 but with opposite polarity.

One would think that this would simply cancel the audio signal out. However, this is part of the cleverness of balanced audio. The mic input of any audio interface will likely have a built-in microphone preamplifier.

Within a microphone preamplifier, which expects mic level balanced audio signals, there is a differential amplifier. The differential amplifier sums the differences between the audio signals on pins 2 and 3 of the balanced XLR cable.

This is referred to as common-mode rejection. Though pins 2 and 3 are well isolated, there is still potential for EMI radio frequencies, 60 Hz hum, etc. CMR helps eliminate this interference and allows for extremely long cable runs without significant signal quality loss.

Another big reason professional microphones have widely adopted the XLR connector is that XLRs provide protection from electrical damage. For this protection, it is critical to ensure your XLR cables are wired properly and not damaged. So how does this protect microphones from electrical damage? Active microphones require external power to function.

When dealing with active mics with XLR outputs, this external phantom power is most often supplied with phantom power. Microphones that require phantom power are designed to accept and utilize this DC voltage on pins 2 and 3 relative to pin 1. The 3-pin XLR cable is the most common one and a lmost every device in a studio, home studio, and even on stage connects via XLR.

Here we have an entry-level audio interface that connects to your computer via its USB port. To me, one of the main advantages of an audio interface is the possibility to connect and record more than one microphone at the same time. This one here features two mic inputs for example. Or you could connect a mic and a guitar. In a professional recording environment, audio interfaces will most likely feature many microphone inputs. Trust me, there is no turning back once you have entered the wonderful world of gear.

As you know, USB is a universal connector to use different peripherals with your computer. Your keyboard, printer, hard drives, gaming controller, all these things, if they are not yet wireless, connect to your computer via USB. It is an industry-standard for cables and connectors and protocols for connection, communication, and power supply. USB mics are actually condenser or dynamic microphones with an integrated analog to digital converter. USB microphones are a great plug and play solution, especially for online communication.

Ease of use is the biggest advantage of a USB microphone. Can a USB microphone match the audio quality of a studio condenser microphone?

Yes, of course. Both are using similar capsule and circuit design, and both signals need to be converted from analog to digital. You might even have this problem in the car when plugging in your smartphone to your car stereo, so a ground loop isolator with 3.

I have a nice Samson USB microphone on my desk for podcasting or streaming, and it works great. So when I want to do anything with more than one person at a time, I go for my desktop mixer and my trusty XLR connected studio microphones. Browse All iPhone Articles Browse All Mac Articles Do I need one?

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