Microphone connector
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Many different electrical connectors have been used to connect microphones to audio equipment---including PA systems, radios, tape recorders, and numerous other devices.
[edit] TRS connectors
The most common microphone connector in consumer use is the venerable TRS connector, also known as the phone plug, in 1/4" (6.35 mm), 3.5 mm, and 2.5 mm sizes, and in both mono and stereo configurations.
Not all microphone plugs that appear to be stereo are actually stereo. Many mono computer microphones use 3-conductor TRS 3.5 mm plugs in order to carry other signals, such as bias power for an electret element, to or from the microphone.
[edit] XLR connectors
Most commonly used on professional microphones, the common 3-pin XLR connector is a standard for transferring balanced audio among professional audio equipment.
The 4-pin XLR connector is also commonly used on amateur radio microphones, but transferring unbalanced audio instead, and using the 4th pin (with the common ground) for a push-to-talk (PTT) circuit activated by a button on the microphone. Some broadcast radio professionals also use these microphones, instead using the PTT circuit as a cough button (a momentary mute button) so that they may cough, clear their throat, or make comments to others in the studio without the sounds being broadcast).
[edit] Multipin mobile connectors
Perhaps most commonly used as a CB radio microphone connector (4-pin variety) and an amateur radio microphone connector (8-pin variety), these screw-on connectors are available with 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 pins and are often used for other purposes as well.[1]
Even among types of equipment using the same connector for a microphone, the pin-outs are not well standardized, and vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. For example, in amateur radio, Icom, Kenwood, and Yaesu radios have all used the 8-pin screw-on connector, yet microphones from one brand are incompatible with the other two brands, at least without the use of an adapter cable in between the microphone and the radio.
[edit] Modular connectors
Although originally designed for telephone usage and later adopted for computer networking, the Modular connector has been used for microphone connections extensively on modern amateur radio equipment, including models from the three major manufacturers (Icom, Kenwood, and Yaesu), but primarily used on mobile radio equipment (designed to be mounted in vehicles).
Like the screw-on round microphone connectors, there is little standardization among manufacturers, and even among different models from the same manufacturer, leading to significant interoperability problems when connecting non-OEM or homebrew microphones and other equipment.
Most radios with modular microphone connectors use the 8P8C (vernacular: RJ45) connector, but some use 6P6C or 4P4C connectors.
