Topic: 2 xlr > stereo mini?

[manamana]

Need to make one of these, and I seem to have found conflicting resources on just how these should be wired. (I'm using canare mini-star quad BTW).

so:

pin 2 of one xlr goes to TIP
pin 2 of the other xlr goes to RING

The difference comes in how to wire the SHEILD. in a normal balance>unbalaced connector, you tie pins 1+3 together and that goes to SHEILD. So I would assume (and found a resource or two that implied) that SHEILD should go to pins 1+3 of both XLR connectors. However, in some diagrams, it only goes to 1+3 of one XLR.

So does it matter?

[Nick's Picks]

tie the shields together and ground them on the little arm that you crimp close.

[manamana]

so both pins 1+3 of both xlr connectors go to the sheild of the TRS minijack?

[Nick's Picks]

there are several methods of going balanced to unbalanced, such as this.

1. just wire an unbalanced cable.  XLR only has one hot and one ground.  that way you only have the hot wire and ground do deal w/on the mini end.

2. you can terminate the - feed and the ground together..but this can introduce a ground loop hum.

3. snip the sheild, and terminate the - feed where the ground would go.

I prefer option 1.  Just use an unbalanced cable, all the way through.  that way you introduce nothing.

[manamana]

there are several methods of going balanced to unbalanced, such as this.

1. just wire an unbalanced cable.  XLR only has one hot and one ground.  that way you only have the hot wire and ground do deal w/on the mini end.

2. you can terminate the - feed and the ground together..but this can introduce a ground loop hum.

3. snip the sheild, and terminate the - feed where the ground would go.

I prefer option 1.  Just use an unbalanced cable, all the way through.  that way you introduce nothing.

I know all of this, what I'm wondering is if there are special considerations when going from two (L and R) xlrs to one stereo mini. specifically whether or not you need to run the sheild to both xlrs, or just one.

[Nick's Picks]

both.  ground them both.
what I like to do is solder them together (lightly) and then run a piece of IC wire up to pin 1 and the grounding tab on the XLRs.  but, that can work for any connector.  w/a stereo mini its the same