Yamaha MG12/4, MG16/4 , A Place For Everything and Everything In Its Place,

Making the Most Of Your Mixer

MG16/4, MG12/4

A Place For Everything and Everything In Its Place

Questions you’re likely to encounter when setting up a system for the ﬁrst time might include “Why all

these different types of connectors on the back of my mixer?” and “What’s the difference?”.

Let’s start by taking a look at the most common connector types.

This is the “consumer connector,” and the one that has been most commonly used

on home audio gear for many years. Also known as “phono” jacks (short for

”phonogram”), but the term isn’t used much these days—besides, it’s too easily

confusable with “phone” jacks, below. RCA pin jacks are always unbalanced, and

generally carry a line-level signal at –10 dB, nominal. You’re most likely to use this

type of connector when connecting a CD player or other home audio type source

to your mixer, or when connecting the output of your mixer to a cassette recorder

or similar gear.

The name “phone jack” arose simply because this conﬁguration was ﬁrst

used in telephone switchboards. Phone jacks can be tricky because you

can’t always tell what type of signal they’re designed to handle just by

looking at them. It could be unbalanced mono, unbalanced stereo,

balanced mono, or an insert patch point. The connector’s label will

usually tell you what type of signal it handles, as will the owner’s manual

(you

keep your manuals in a safe place, don’t you?). A phone jack that

is set up to handle balanced signals is also often referred to as a “TRS”

phone jack. “TRS” stands for Tip-Ring-Sleeve, which describes the

conﬁguration of the phone plug used.

This type of connector is generally referred to as “XLR-type,” and almost always

carries a balanced signal. If the corresponding circuitry is designed properly,

however, XLR-type connectors will also handle unbalanced signals with no

problem. Microphone cables usually have this type of connector, as do the inputs

and outputs of most professional audio gear.

White

Red

Stereo/TRS phone plug

Mono phone plug

Male

Female

MG12-16_E.book Page 7 Monday, May 26, 2003 1:14 PM