Mini XLRs

[ef37a]

Wow! Very wee aren't they?

Strangely. even having been involved with audio all my life I had never had hands on a mini XLR until CPC sent me two sets yesterday.

I am doing a power supply mod to two Berry mixers (will give C&V when finished) and standard XLRs would be too clumpy. I had imagined 'minis' to be about the size of a DIN plug? Not! They are smaller in diameter than my left little finger. These are going to be a real challenge to my significantly attenuated soldering skils!

Dave

[Hugh Robjohns]

Yes, they are very wee indeed... not a big fan, but they have their uses in things like headphones and portable recorders.

[ef37a]

Yes, they are very wee indeed... not a big fan, but they have their uses in things like headphones and portable recorders.

I hope these will be reliable Hugh, they will be carrying about 650mA 50Hz per pin. I would have preferred something like a 3 pin male and female locking DIN line connector but thought they would be a bit of a pain to find?

Dave.

[Hugh Robjohns]

Plenty at CPC. I like the screw threaded Lumberg DINs...


https://cpc.farnell.com/lumberg/sv30/pl ... dp/CN16845

https://cpc.farnell.com/lumberg/kv30/so ... pd-mi-acce

But there are also latching and bayonet types.

[Arpangel]

Mini XLR's
I inherited some of Mike Skeets kit, and it’s got them all over it, including mic leads, and adaptors, I’ve spent loads of time rewiring things,I just find them irritatingly inconvenient. He liked them because they are space saving, and they improve the look of complex mic rigs, all right, I must admit they do that at least.

[James Perrett]

I always liked the Lemo circular connectors. They're not cheap so probably overkill for a Berry mixer but they are extremely reliable and available in a very wide range of sizes and configurations.

They also make a cheaper range with plastic shells which seem fine.

Just checked a couple of data sheets for the mini XLR connectors and they have no problems with 650mA as the Cannon ones are rated at 3A per contact and the Rean ones claim 5A per contact.

[MOF]

These are going to be a real challenge to my significantly attenuated soldering skils!

You won’t want to try soldering the 4pin Lemo connector that Sound Devices use for their Timecode socket then. The pins are so close to one another that solder just bridged the very small gap no matter how careful I was. I ended up threading a strip of paper around the pins I didn’t want to solder cable to.
Sound Devices also use TA3 (mini xlr) connectors to save space on some inputs and outputs.

[ef37a]

These are going to be a real challenge to my significantly attenuated soldering skils!

You won’t want to try soldering the 4pin Lemo connector that Sound Devices use for their Timecode socket then. The pins are so close to one another that solder just bridged the very small gap no matter how careful I was. I ended up threading a strip of paper around the pins I didn’t want to solder cable to.
Sound Devices also use TA3 (mini xlr) connectors to save space on some inputs and outputs.

Ah! My trick with DINs and D subs was to run silicone sleeving over each pin as I wired it. Also I did not try to solder the wire TO the pin bucket. 'Tin wire, flood bucket, heat bucket, poke in wire, sleeve.'

Dave.

[Folderol]

These are going to be a real challenge to my significantly attenuated soldering skils!

You won’t want to try soldering the 4pin Lemo connector that Sound Devices use for their Timecode socket then. The pins are so close to one another that solder just bridged the very small gap no matter how careful I was. I ended up threading a strip of paper around the pins I didn’t want to solder cable to.
Sound Devices also use TA3 (mini xlr) connectors to save space on some inputs and outputs.

Ah! My trick with DINs and D subs was to run silicone sleeving over each pin as I wired it. Also I did not try to solder the wire TO the pin bucket. 'Tin wire, flood bucket, heat bucket, poke in wire, sleeve.'

Dave.

Ha! Pretty much my approach to minute plugs and sockets.

[MOF]

These pins were so close that one slight false move and I’d soldered two pins, hence my strip of paper.

[ef37a]

These pins were so close that one slight false move and I’d soldered two pins, hence my strip of paper.

Whatever floats you boat! My technique relies on a 'dry' solder iron tip and I touch it to the side of the 'flooded' pin then poke the wire in PDQ. Still a bloody fiddle mind!

I now have to gear up for the job. No good first thing in the morning. Too bleary. No good after about 8pm, knackered. So round about 'pre lunch' is favourite.

BTW I use a mini vice but always use the opposite gender connector to hold the actual 'job'.

Dave.

[Kwackman]

always use the opposite gender connector to hold the actual 'job'.

When I learnt this many years ago, it changed my soldering life for ever! Especially making MIDI cables.