Topic: Urgh!!! I'm so confused about Pin-Wiring for AT/PM4/Preamp

[BayTaynt3d]

Backstory...

I already have a set of PM4 phantom power adapters, and I am about to buy a new pair of AT943's from SP and Chris Church's ST9100 3-wire 20db preamp. My question comes related to making sure that everything "plays nice" together wiring-wise. I want to be able to run the AT943's into any XLR-based preamp/phantom box (like straight into my R4 or straight into a video camera or possibly into an FP24 under certain stealth situation) using the PM4s... AND I want to be able to run the AT943's straight into Chris's little preamp under stealth conditions without the need to use the PM4s at all. So, all I need to do is have SP wire the AT943's to MiniXLR termination. But the catch is the wiring. I'm a little confused as to whether the wiring will be consistent between the mics the PM4s and Chris's box. Now both Chris and SP can wire them however I want, but it seems that SP typically wires the MiniXLRs for the PM4 like "Pin1=Shield, Pin2=Yellow, and Pin3=Red". I found the PM4 spec, and it says on the input side "Pin1=ground, Pin2=signal, and pin3=phantom" which is consistent with how Chris Church usually wires up his boxes. Thing is, I'm not sure SP is totally clear how the "colors" map to what each wire actually is, they just know how they have been doing it forever to make them work with the PM4s. So, I think I'm just going to order them from SP and say to terminate them to MiniXLR in a way that would work with the PM4s. Then, have Church wire his up normally, and hope they all play nice together?

Could I fry my new mics if wired inconsistently? We're only talking 9v here right, even with the Samson's into phantom because they step it down? Could that fry my new mics?

Also, has anyone else taken AT mics they bought from SP originally that were terminated to MiniXLR and used them with a three wire box where the box itself expected Pin1=ground, pin2=signal, pin3=bias voltage? Or does anyone who has experience re-wiring their AT's from mini to MiniXLR (phantom mod) know which color wire is which? And do you think I'm going to have a problem?

Thanks in advance for any help here, just trying to tap the knownledge base in addition to the help I'm getting from Church and SP...

[Zaphod]

I'd look at how those AT853s are wired for reference.

There is an industry standard to wiring mics and cables ends and I assume the wiring from SP and Church Audio would follow that standard.

[Sanjay]

They should be the same, like he said, its a standard.  Just tell Chris Church that you want the mics to be switchable between PM4's and his box so make sure that they match up and paste what you just posted.  He should have no problem with it.