cable to reverse phase?

[Coldsnow]

To run my console preamps for overhead, which doesn't have phase reverse on it. Can I achieve the same result by just switching pins 2 and 3 on my XLR cable?

[M_Dunne]

Yes.

[gyraf]

..as long as your mics and mic inputs are balanced. AND YOU MARK THE CABLE CLEARLY..

Been there, tried that.. Took us some time to locate that one again, once it was mixed up with all the others..

:-)

Jakob Erland

[Coldsnow]

Good heads up Jakob. Thanks.

[sonic dogg]

I always build little short...umm 2' adaptors just for this purpose...that way theres no way of getting them mixed in with the regular phased cables

[Jay Kahrs]

I have a few phase reverse shunts and a couple of cables. The cables are about a foot and a half long and have electrical tape around the connectors. But yeah, just swap pins 2 & 3 on one end and your all set.

[7rojo7]

RED TAPE which will mean DANGER , out of phase, or use me.
This is my biggest gripe with semi-pro stuff.
Normally you can push a button and listen, control to your hearts content.
How do you "know" that your mics. are out of phase? If you really know, open the suckers up and change the pin out at the output and mark them pin2 hot, if they're normally thought to be pin3 hot mics..
Otherwise move all your mics. around untill they're in phase, because inverting phase probably won't take care of your problem if the mics. aren't wired in contrary or if they're not physically facing each other ( ie. snare top and bottom, Djembe etc...).
The best illustration I've seen of how to mic. drum kits is at the John Sayers SAE site. He's Australian. A quick search and you should be able to find it.
Phase is a huge issue, it's not always "bad" to be out of phase, you have to know how to use it to your advantage.

[jspartz]

I have made a handful of useful cables myself. I usually make them about 6-8 inches long. Reverse the phase, 1/4" to XLR, male to female, female to female, male to male... They have been very helpful in a variety of situations.

jason

www.mudstonemusic.com

[Fletcher]

FWIW... when I set up microphones, I "click" them with a polarity checker [one box produces a click which is fed into the microphone, the other box reads the click as it comes out of the studio monitors]... if I find a mic to be out of polarity to the other mics, I then insert a 'polarity reverse' cable [pins 2 & 3 swapped] at the output of the microphone, before the mic-pre.

Many signals are assymetrical, and many pre amps will sound different if the signal is run into them "upside down"...

I generally carry a wide variety of adapter cables, all about a foot long, and all color coded. My polarity reverse cables are red, my "pin 1 lift" cables are black, my "male/female turnaround" cables are yellow, 1/4" TRS-XLR M cables are blue, 1/4" TRS-XLR F cables are purple... etc.

I also carry a collection of in line pads, inline 'hi-pass filters' and a few other little widgets that often make my life easier.

It's often a good thing to spend a few hours soldering together some of these things so when you need them, you have them.

Best of luck.

[7rojo7]

Yeah!! that's the shit!! Are you a horse, Fletcher?? Straight from the mouth.
I forgot what it was like to work somewhere strange, not in my own place. I usually bring my own stuff.
I had a bad experience in Paris once where they sent just as many cables as there were connections, one was definitely of the reversed phase family without the all important RED TAPE. I did the gig without an EQ and didn't pay for anything. Business tip.
Luckily I have somewhat of a clicker in my brain. But you can never be sure. Recently an engineer who worked for me brought a Galaxy Audio thingy and scoped my whole setup and the live sound company who provided the live system, I asked him why and he just grimaced and started muttering like muttly. Way to be. Did you make Life Scout?