wirebender Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 does anybody know if the ground pin 1 on the xlr is needed when linking active speakers?...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryNattrass Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 I would have thought if you were linking active speakers that a male XLR to female XLR cable would be required as Speakon is generally used for very high level speaker outputs. A balanced XLR-XLR cable should be used with pin 1, 2 and 3 connected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkPAman Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 Some older speakers were built with XLR inputs for speaker level input. If that's what you have, it may well be worth seeing if you can now alter them to use Speakons instead. Much safer & will use standard leads. You'll probably need to open the speakers up anyway, as I think the choice of pins used on XLRs varied between different makes. Certainly some I've come across were wired Pin1 - & Pin2 +, so in that case, its pin 3 that's left unwired. But if your speaker is active as your your post suggests, you really don't want to be feeding it from any Speakon output, as that will probably let the magic smoke escape. Run it with normal line level signal using a normal mic lead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shez Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 Might be a terminology issue here. "Active" is sometimes used to mean powered (speakers with amps built in) but more correctly means speakers without a crossover that need to be driven from multiple externally crossed over amp channels. Perhaps Wirebender can elaborate on what speakers are in question here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkPAman Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 Might be a terminology issue here. "Active" is sometimes used to mean powered (speakers with amps built in) but more correctly means speakers without a crossover that need to be driven from multiple externally crossed over amp channels. Indeed, and I tried to always point this out when it cropped up, for many years, here and elsewhere. However with so many of the speaker manufacturers now using "active" to refer to product with a single amp in it, I've just sort of accepted that the usage of the word has changed. It's still confusing though, and you're right, clarification is needed in this case to be sure we're all talking about the same thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryNattrass Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 I always understood that it was the crossover that was the active part and the speakers were passive. Oh well active to me mean there is an amp built into the speakers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shez Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 I think originally, active / passive referred to the position of the crossover in relation to the amps. Before the amps, it would usually be an active circuit (with semiconductors). After the amp, it would be passive components only. A speaker with built in amp(s) can be either active or passive depending on where the crossover sits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 I can't remember any powered speaker systems that had speaker level on XLRs. If I see a speaker with a mains connector - it has either XLRs or combination connectors. If it has a speaker connector it's to drive another non-powered cab. I had some amps and cabs with XLRs for 500W plus connection to the speakers - it was however, 1984! Turbosound were the most modern I saw that still had XLR for speakers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunray Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 I made up cables for a brand new active speaker (SC amp) in preparation for Halloween. I think the make was Chaisu or Chiasu (maybe wrong but very similar). 600W with line in, 2*mic in on combo jack/XLR, line out on 3pin XLR male and LS using 3pin XLR female which is internally linkable for in or out and includes a switch to isolate amp when used as LS in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wirebender Posted February 2, 2018 Author Share Posted February 2, 2018 I have a speakon connector on a 2 core cable red and blue,going to xlr...the main "active" speaker is a Yamaha full range new unit(speakon)....the monitor is also a new unit also "powered"/ "active"... but has a 3 pin XLR socket, most diagrams say pins 2-3 only, pin 1 unused? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dosxuk Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 Have you got model numbers? It sounds to me like your yamaha speaker has a stereo amplifier module, with the second output going to the speakon to feed a second passive speaker. Your monitor speaker, if it is active/powered will not be expecting a speaker level feed into its xlr input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandall Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 I think you need to carefully read the handbooks for both speakers. If the XLR input on the 2nd speaker is a Male connector for a "speaker-level" input, then Pins 2 & 3 may be ok, though the more usual convention is Pins 1 & 3 (often with 2 & 3 connected together). If it is a (Female) line-in connector then you are using the wrong cable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkPAman Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 Wirebender - can you give the model numbers of the speakers & amps you have. What your proposing sounds as if it could land you with an expensive reaper bill. If we know exactly what you've got, we can be sure we're giving the correct advice. There's a lot of guess-work going on at the moment. Edit to remove 2nd posting that suddenly appeared! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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