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WARNING – HIGH DC VOLTAGES CAN POTENTIALLY DAMAGE OUTPUT DRIVERS ON ELECTRONIC
EQUIPMENT. Use care, heed warnings, and follow guidelines when using phantom power.
WARNING – USE PHANTOM POWER FOR CONDENSER MICROPHONE INPUTS ONLY: Only activate
phantom power to channels using condenser microphones. Supplying phantom power to dynamic microphones is
not a recommended practice, even though there is no voltage potential between pins 2 and 3 and theoretically
should not cause damage. Supplying phantom power to other types of electronic equipment, whether balanced or
unbalanced, can potentially damage their output drivers.
Use the following best practice procedure for phantom powering:
1) Connect only a condenser microphone to the desired mixer input.
2) If all of the channels requiring phantom power are using condenser microphones that allow for the use of
12V, then set the voltage selector switch to 12V.
3) If any of the channels needing phantom power are using a condenser microphone requiring 48V, then set
the voltage selector switch to 48V.
4) After all of the desired condenser microphones are plugged in, then set corresponding the Phantom
channel switches to the On position.
5) After use is complete, turn off all of the Phantom channel switches before removing the condenser
microphones, and turn the phantom power supply to OFF.
6) Unplug the condenser microphone.
Use with Unbalanced Sources (Wireless Mics, Etc)
XLR inputs have 3 pins (3 connections for a single audio signal). Pin 1 is for ground. The audio signal in present
on pins 2 and 3, and is what is know as a “balanced” signal. That is to say that the signal on one wire is identical
but opposite in polarity to the other (pin 2 is known as “hot” or the positive polarity). Balanced signals when
terminated properly (as in the juicedLink) have a high immunity to picking up noise and interference. This is
especially important for microphone level signals and cable runs longer than a few feet.
There are times when you will want to interface to unbalanced signals. This is where a single audio signal is
reference to ground (only 2 connections for a single audio signal). For example, many wireless receivers output a
unbalanced signal.
The juicedLink XLR inputs can interface with unbalanced sources. To do this, a simple modification to the
cable/plug that will be inserted into the mixer input is required. Connect pins 1 and 3 together for the signal ground.
Pin 2 remains as the input signal.
So, for a wireless receiver that uses a 3.5mm plug for its output, the audio signal will be on the “tip”, and the ground
will be on the “sleeve”. The plug “sleeve” needs to be connected to XLR pins 1 and 3, and the plug “tip” needs to
be connected to XLR pin 2.
Fortunately, many wireless kits (such as the Sennheiser G2) come with a minijack to XLR cable which already
makes this connection.
For those kits which do not come with the appropriate cable, you will need to use some inexpensive adapters.
One inexpensive handy adapter is the Rode VXLR. However, you will need to be careful. The VXLR makes a
connection between the minijack “sleeve” and “ring”. For a miniplug which has a “tip”, “ring”, and “sleeve”, this is
not a problem. But, on some inexpensive wireless kits (from Azden), the output miniplug connects the “ring” and
“sleeve” together. So, the VXLR is not usable for such plugs.
Here are some other inexpensive adapters which are handy for connection to unbalanced sighals:
XLR(M) to 3.5mm(F): Rode VXLR (be careful … see above)
XLR(M) to RCA(F): Hosa GXM133
RCA(M) to 3.5mm(F): Comprehensive PP-MJ
Stereo 3.5mm(F) to two mono right/left RCA(M): Hosa YMR-197
