XLR Wall Plates - Installation Question

You need to get a hold of some shielded microphone cable, and a soldering iron with solder. Wiring shouldn't really matter as long as you wire the connectors the exact same on both ends. You can get bulk cables from partsexpress.com

-eB

Spindle,

Did you not research this carefully before purchasing the wall plate? What will you be connecting the XLR cables to? A mixer? A soundcard? Are you knocking a hole in a wall to install the wall plate? If so, how are you planning to run the cables to the appropriate destination?

Without knowing the end result you desire to achieve it's really hard to give you the proper advice. Running cables in a studio isn't always as simple as connecting point A to point B.

Since you know how to solder this will be no problem, those are solder lugs on the back.  Tin the wire and heat the little lugs and melt some solder in them, push
the wire in as far as it will go while keeping the cup (lug) heated.  When the solder on the wire melts also take away the iron and let it cool. Use something to hold the cable so the wire doesn't move during the cooling.   Make sure you verify the lug numbers.  The shield goes to pin 1, positive to pin 2 and negative to pin 3.  In most cases the shield will be too much so half it and twist both then cut one off clean as close to the wire cover as possible. Make sure no little strands can touch any of the contacts.

I also like to shied the back some way. The best way is to use a metal box but you can also use shielding foil after electrical tape.  If you don't want to go to the trouble try it first without and see if you pick up any RFI or EMI, if not then it's not an issue.  To make it neater try to find bulk snake cable. I use Mogami W2549 for all single cables.

Some studio guys also suggest to use the same brand and model cable in the wall you use for your leads so if you plan to make cables also just buy a bunch of the same stuff to outfit the entire studio. I'm not sure why but they say not to chain different model cables from one active device to the other. But it's OK to have a different cable on the output of an active device.

spindlebox


Frank, that was totally great, your instructions!  Thanks so much for that!!  We've found at Parts Express the shielded wall cable , 250' for less than 50 bux!! 

I guess my only other question is on the "receiving end", I was considering putting in a patch bay.  I was going to solder Male XLRs on the studio end of these runs, but patch bays only use 1/4" TRS.  As I'm going to be using Presonus Firepods should I even worry about using patch bays?  I just thought it would be neater.

Thanks again!

I have buitl my own custom panel for my sound room. I have 16 XLR and 4 1/4 connectors in the panel. The first row of XLR Are straight XLR. The second row is hybrid XLR-1/4 jacks. I wired all of the first XLR row to XLR Male connectors in the harness. I wired channels 9-12 as TRS and 13-16 as Male XLR. I used shielded wire. If I were to do it again, hindsight you know, I would use the thinnest shielded wire I could find. My harness has 16 shielded cables probably the size of 10 guage wire and 4 heavy guage speaker cable channels through it.
 
If you want, you can see the harness coming from my sound room on the right of this picture below the right mnitor.
http://www.joyfulnoiseproductions.org/studio/DSC02096.JPG
 
here is a picture of the wall plate:
http://www.joyfulnoiseproductions.org/studio/P9140024.JPG
 
Each connection was hand soldered. I made the panel too. What a chore that was without a punch.

Guitarmech,

I see you have a patch bay.  As I'm having XLRs come into the studio, in addition to TRS, I was thinking about using a patch bay, and then going from there into my Audio Interface (will be Presonus FIREPOD)

Any suggestions?  I was thinking about using an XLR to TRS coupler; like this but a stereo version:  http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=240-396

Thoughts?

Spindle,

You REALLY should consider hiring an audio engineer/consultant who knows what he/she is doing to accomplish the best results for your studio setup. It's obvious from your posts that you don't know what's best.

A patchbay is fine for connecting one device to another. TRS (Tip-Ring-Sleeve) is a balanced connector (like XLR but in a 1/4" format)...I don't mean this to sound derogatory in any way, but you need some outside help that probably won't be properly defined in a forum-based thread.

spindlebox


Frank, that was totally great, your instructions!  Thanks so much for that!!  We've found at Parts Express the shielded wall cable , 250' for less than 50 bux!! 

I guess my only other question is on the "receiving end", I was considering putting in a patch bay.  I was going to solder Male XLRs on the studio end of these runs, but patch bays only use 1/4" TRS.  As I'm going to be using Presonus Firepods should I even worry about using patch bays?  I just thought it would be neater.

Thanks again!

The only bad thing about TRS patch bays is you can't have phantom power on while you patch it. With XLR patch bays you can.  The reason is all three contacts need to mate at the same time in one quick motion, XLR does that and it also won't short contacts to each other on the way like TRS does. As long as you are confident you can remember to turn off the phantom power and let it set a few seconds to discharge, do the patch, then turn phantom power back on, it's no problem.  

Some folks have picked up noise with patch bays but I've only had reports of that in a big studio with lots of rack units and computers around.  If there is not a lot of RF or EMI around your patch bay you should be OK.

CakeFan


It's pretty easy to melt the plastic in those panel jacks while soldering.  Do yourself a favor and stick a mic cord in the other side while soldering. It acts as a heat shield and keeps things in line.  The best little tip I've ever learned for soldering those things.

Nice tip... that's a great idea.  You could even make a tool for that. Take one male and one female XLR and solder just the metal part together to make a double ended heat sink that would work for both type sockets. 

jackn2mpu

CakeFan


It's pretty easy to melt the plastic in those panel jacks while soldering.  Do yourself a favor and stick a mic cord in the other side while soldering. It acts as a heat shield and keeps things in line.  The best little tip I've ever learned for soldering those things.

Geez - what are you using that you melt the insert in a jack - a blow torch? I've used an 800 deg tip in a pencil-type iron on rare occasions and never melted one. Short of actually coming into contact with the insert with the soldering tip the insert should never melt. You don't hold the iron on there for more than a couple of seconds to melt the solder. Typically a 25 or 35 watt pencil type iron with a small tip is all you need. Those old Weller soldering guns with 235 watt output are NOT what you want for fine soldering work.

When I first started soldering there were two things that caused me to melt the pin holder.  1. Cheap connectors 2. The iron was not hot enough and had to be held on too long.

@ SPINDLEBOX
 
Hey where did you get that wall plate from?
 
I would like to get a few myself.
 
 
 
 
 
Edited for CAPS abuse.

I checked those places, I don't believe they sell that same one (black 4 gang with 8 pre punched holes) I am in a extreme rush to get these if you can help?

I mean if I have to as a last resort I will but I'll have to change all of my wall plates than to match about 16 of then..lol....

I have always used TRS patch fields as an interim  between studio to control room for patching and they work great. However a caveat would be to keep your phantom power off while hot patching from the TRS bay.  Plugging and unplugging them can temporarily short connections as the plug is inserted creating loud pops in the systems and stress on you speakers.
Here is a stand snake or harness colour code document site you might find usefull
http://whirlwindusa.com/media/uploads/downloads/manuals/wwcolorcode.pdf
 
 
 
Good Luck
 
 

duh
I saw the Sept 23rd and paid no attention to the year.
 
I don't get a chance to post much and didn't realize how old the post was
 
Peace