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XLR connector Q

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Phil Allison

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Jun 24, 2009, 10:43:28 PM6/24/09
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Hi to all,

I am curious to know which microphone ( make and model) was the first to be
supplied with a Cannon XL series 3 pin male socket in the bottom of the
handle ??

The first I ever dealt with was the AKG D190E - the E stood for XL
connector in lieu of the flimsy 3 pin Touchel that preceded it.

The usually excellent Wiki on " XLR Connector" has no info on this and is in
fact is wrong about the history of the XLR connector. I suspect the author
is tad younger than myself.

The early " Cannon " connectors, as sold in Australia at least, were all
labelled XLP. These were clearly high powered connectors with pin contact
ratings of 15 amps. No way were they intended to be mic connectors. They
made fantastic speaker connectors for live PA work and guitar amps and cabs.

The insulation material surrounding the pins was a hard grey coloured
plastic, with unfortunately a fairly low melting temp making soldering a
dodgy business unless you were wise enough to mate the part being soldered
to its opposite gender partner.

XLR types came along later, sold as a special version for use with
microphones like the D190E - cos there was a small problem with the XLP
ones, ie the tended to rattle in the bottom of a mic and this would be heard
through the PA system . Cannon solved the problem by changing the
insulation material to soft rubber and adding 3 rubber "bumper" strips down
the sides of the female plug. Snug fit, no rattles.

( Switchcraft solved the same problem by using sprung ball bearings on the
sides of their version - which were fully streamlined for hand comfort and
had recessed screws etc. )

Now somehow, the title " XLR " got attached to any and all 3 pin Cannon
style connectors. Someone looked at the embossed markings on a mic plug and
saw the three letters " XLR " and that was it.

I guess the sheer number of XLR version plugs being used with mics PLUS
the fact you hold them in your hands for long periods was the cause.

Anyhow, who knows the answer to my Q at the top of this post ??

..... Phil

Message has been deleted

Ron

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Jun 25, 2009, 9:19:48 AM6/25/09
to
BJt...@the.controls wrote:

> On Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:43:28 +1000, "Phil Allison" <phi...@tpg.com.au>
> wrote:
>
>> Hi to all,
>>
>> I am curious to know which microphone ( make and model) was the first to be
>> supplied with a Cannon XL series 3 pin male socket in the bottom of the
>> handle ??
>
> First that I saw, (must have been about 1970-1971), were Shure Unidyne 3's
> when I set up at a hotel near Heathrow Airport and they'd just had a new PA
> installed.
>
> My Unidyne 3's had a proprietory screw-on connector, and they came in both
> 3- and 4-pin types.

>
>> The first I ever dealt with was the AKG D190E - the E stood for XL
>> connector in lieu of the flimsy 3 pin Touchel that preceded it.
>>
>> The usually excellent Wiki on " XLR Connector" has no info on this and is in
>> fact is wrong about the history of the XLR connector. I suspect the author
>> is tad younger than myself.
>>
>> The early " Cannon " connectors, as sold in Australia at least, were all
>> labelled XLP. These were clearly high powered connectors with pin contact
>> ratings of 15 amps. No way were they intended to be mic connectors. They
>> made fantastic speaker connectors for live PA work and guitar amps and cabs.
>>
>> The insulation material surrounding the pins was a hard grey coloured
>> plastic, with unfortunately a fairly low melting temp making soldering a
>> dodgy business unless you were wise enough to mate the part being soldered
>> to its opposite gender partner.
>>
>> XLR types came along later, sold as a special version for use with
>> microphones like the D190E - cos there was a small problem with the XLP
>> ones, ie the tended to rattle in the bottom of a mic and this would be heard
>> through the PA system . Cannon solved the problem by changing the
>> insulation material to soft rubber and adding 3 rubber "bumper" strips down
>> the sides of the female plug. Snug fit, no rattles.
>>
>> ( Switchcraft solved the same problem by using sprung ball bearings on the
>> sides of their version - which were fully streamlined for hand comfort and
>> had recessed screws etc. )
>
>
> I loved the Switchcraft version, the blocks that the pins were set in had a
> much higher melting point than the Cannons.

>
>> Now somehow, the title " XLR " got attached to any and all 3 pin Cannon
>> style connectors. Someone looked at the embossed markings on a mic plug and
>> saw the three letters " XLR " and that was it.
>
> I always used it as a mnemonic for the three pins 1, 2 & 3 - X, L & R;
> Earth (X), +Live(L) & -Return(R) when soldering the things - same for
> speaker connections although I soldered 1 & 3 in parallel.

>
>> I guess the sheer number of XLR version plugs being used with mics PLUS
>> the fact you hold them in your hands for long periods was the cause.
>>
>> Anyhow, who knows the answer to my Q at the top of this post ??
>
> No definitive answer from me, but early 70s was when I saw them first.
>


Certainly an AKG for me, probably the D202 '2way' microphone as I
recall. I had D1200`s and D109E's which were also fitted with xlr's
The few Shures I owned had that nasty four pin screw-on jobby.

Ron

liquidator

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Jun 25, 2009, 9:54:28 AM6/25/09
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"Ron" <r...@lunevalleyaudio.com> wrote in message
news:5a6dneBIFPDo5N7X...@bt.com...

The Shure SM57 of 1965 had xlr's...the 58 came a year or two later...

Dunno if that is the first or just the first I saw...

The nicety of xlr for pro use was every cable being an extension...that is
the major reason they were adopted...


Phil Allison

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Jun 25, 2009, 10:28:13 AM6/25/09
to

"liquidator"

>
> The Shure SM57 of 1965 had xlr's...the 58 came a year or two later...
>
> Dunno if that is the first or just the first I saw...


** Well, that certainly IS a very early example.

Shure 57s and 58s all have an additional small, threaded hole between the
plug locking slot and the 3 pin plug insert's reverse threaded, locking
screw.

The purpose of this hole has long been assumed to be to allow a grub screw
( 4-40 thread size ) to lock an XLP /XLR plug in place to deter wrong
doers from purloining the fucking mic !!!!

Maybe, all along, it was merely to stop that damn * XLP * plug from
RATTLING !!!

Could be ......

.... Phil

Tim Perry

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Jun 25, 2009, 10:48:56 AM6/25/09
to

"liquidator" <mi...@mad.scientist.com> wrote in message
news:h1vvki$86c$1...@news.eternal-september.org...

This is not an answer to the question of which was the first microphone but
is interesting nonetheless.
http://www.soundfirst.com/xlr.html


liquidator

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Jun 25, 2009, 2:46:00 PM6/25/09
to

"Phil Allison" <phi...@tpg.com.au> wrote in message
news:7ahfs0F...@mid.individual.net...
ROTFL

Shure explained it to me as a concession to dummies.

Many mics of the dat has screw on or pemanently attached cables...


Eeyore

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Jun 28, 2009, 10:03:52 PM6/28/09
to

Phil Allison wrote:

> Hi to all,
>
> I am curious to know which microphone ( make and model) was the first to be
> supplied with a Cannon XL series 3 pin male socket in the bottom of the
> handle ??
>
> The first I ever dealt with was the AKG D190E - the E stood for XL
> connector in lieu of the flimsy 3 pin Touchel that preceded it.
>
> The usually excellent Wiki on " XLR Connector" has no info on this and is in
> fact is wrong about the history of the XLR connector. I suspect the author
> is tad younger than myself.
>
> The early " Cannon " connectors, as sold in Australia at least, were all
> labelled XLP. These were clearly high powered connectors with pin contact
> ratings of 15 amps. No way were they intended to be mic connectors. They
> made fantastic speaker connectors for live PA work and guitar amps and cabs.

You're not confusing them with EPs are you ( still around ) ? These were also
used as mic connectors at the panel in the studio for some time.

Before the XLR ( or XLP ) there was the XL ( I have a few ) which had the same
pin arrangement but a totally different body with a screw on cable clamp. The
pin insert insulation appeared to a bakelite like material.

Then the XLR, R = resilient rubber insert intended to reduce handling noise was
introduced with the awful cable clamp that always loosened off and you risked
losing the clamp itself ( I always carried spares of that and the screws ). I
assume XLP meant P for plastic i.e. not handling noise dampening and suitable
for more mundane connections.

Back in those days I actually ended up preferring the Switchcraft A3F/M and
D3F/M. Now it's Neutrik where quality counts. Amphenol made a compatible
connector for a while too as did UK company Deltron never mind the cheap plastic
stuff from Re-an and Cliff.

Graham

p.s. I've never seen an XLP IRL but viewed your pic.


--
due to the hugely increased level of spam please make the obvious adjustment to
my email address


Eeyore

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Jun 28, 2009, 10:11:12 PM6/28/09
to

Tim Perry wrote:

> This is not an answer to the question of which was the first microphone but
> is interesting nonetheless.
> http://www.soundfirst.com/xlr.html

That is the first time I've seen a drawing of the original XL which is XLR
compatible. I used a pair of 5 pin ones for the DC connection to the first mixer
I made in 1971, simply because they were cheap surplus stock. The XLR was
already well entrenched by then.

Graham

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