Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Audio connectors.

This is topic Audio connectors. in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 01-29-2010, 02:41 PM:

There used to be a series of audio connectors which were similar to XLR, but about 50% larger in diameter. They were about the same length as XLRs, so they looked rather short and fat. Does anybody know what these connectors were, and if they're still available anywhere?

Posted by Richard Hamilton (Member # 321) on 01-29-2010, 02:50 PM:

Are you thinking the Neutrik SpeakOns?

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 01-29-2010, 03:03 PM:

No Richard, those are quite a recent design. The ones I'm trying to track down are much older. They look almost exactly like an overgrown XLR. I would guess that they're a '40s or '50s design, but I don't know for sure. I've seen them used for both microphones and loudspeakers, though probably not for about twenty years, until recently.

Posted by Ian Parfrey (Member # 5122) on 01-29-2010, 03:14 PM:

Stephen.

You could try RS. They have a website

RSAustralia

They have access to suppliers the world over and are very rapid in dispatching orders.

In regards to your enquiry, is this what you need?

XLR plug- 21mm shell diameter

I have no association with this company, but I have frequently ordered from them and have never had a problem.

Posted by Jon Miller (Member # 163) on 01-29-2010, 03:20 PM:

Stephen, this is the one, right?

It's made by Cannon. I have it buried somewhere...I'd have to dig it up to find the model number as I do not recall it.

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 01-29-2010, 03:42 PM:

Ian, no, RS don't do them, though I think they did a long time ago. They were regarded as being rather outdated in the '70s when I first saw them.

Jon, I'm not sure if that's the same type, the pins look similar, but the shell is different, it doesn't seem to have the XLR style latch. However, I'd forgotten the Cannon name, the originator of the XLR. I did a search, and came up with this:

web page

The P series is what I'm looking for. It says that they are still available as the Amphenol EP series. I think the 'still available' may be out of date now, but I've managed to find one male one on Ebay, and a supplier who still has a few female ones in stock. I only need one of each, both 3-pole. These seem to be almost extinct, though the 4,6 and 8 pole ones are still around, but rare.

Thanks for the help.

Posted by Sean McKinnon (Member # 612) on 01-29-2010, 07:31 PM:

Thank you for posting that link Stephen it was very interesting!

Posted by Matthew Ortado (Member # 5620) on 02-03-2010, 06:25 PM:

Stephen,

The EP series connector was used as the standard multi-pin for concert touring speaker cabinets until the late 1990's. I have seen these connectors in 4,6 or 8 pin. I know that ITT Cannon made them as well as others. Check with a Whirlwind dealer, the "EP" connector was on the list of options a few years ago.

Matt

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 02-03-2010, 06:45 PM:

When I first started in our theatre complex in the sound department, ALL the connectors on the sound stages and in the recording studios were Cannon P type. Hundreds and hundreds of them. The lad before me had started the transition to XLRs and it took over a year for me to replace them with XLRs which almost always required new plates to be punched out with Greenly hole punches.

All this had to be done in "spare" time. So no wonder it took so long to convert the whole complex. But no matter how thorough you thought you were in ferriting out the very last P connector, it would be that time when you least expected it but needed it the most, you would discover that one line still had a "P" connector that hadn't been replaced. I wound up always having short lengths of adaptor cables in my tool box (XLR to P and vice-a-versa) that could deal with the errant P socket.

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 02-04-2010, 03:49 PM:

Frank, I don't suppose that you've still got any 3-pole ones that you don't want, have you? The dealer that still had the female ones listed has actually sold out. I've got the male one from Ebay, and a couple of leads to old places which might still have a few in stock, but they seem to have died out long before the 4-pole ones.

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 02-05-2010, 11:28 AM:

I will take a look. Sound in no longer my department having move exclusively to cinema, but I am sure if my assistant who is now the head of sound hasn't thrown them out, we'd be happy to give you whatever we have. Let me see what we've got.

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 02-06-2010, 07:52 AM:

Thank you Frank. The ones I am looking for are 3-pole, which seem to be the most difficult to find. 4, 6 and 8-pole ones still seem to be available to a limited extent. The minimum which would get this thing working would be one female cable-mount one. the best option, if I can find enough somewhere would be to put them on both ends of old-style cable, and use them in a path panel as well. To do that I would need:

Male, cable-mount x3

There is a picture of them in the 'P-series' section of the web page which I linked to above.
Female, cable-mount x4
Male, chassis-mount x2
Female, Chassis-mount x2

This would also allow me to make up adapters so it can be used with XLR cables as well.

In case anybody else has any of these surplus to requirements that they want to sell they look like overgrown XLRs, the shell is about 28mm in diameter and they have three pins in a similar arrangement to XLRs, but the angle between the pins is slightly different. The also have a latch similar to that on an XLR.

The Male one I have is marked:

CANNON GB EP 3 121C

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 02-08-2010, 08:21 PM:

Our sound guy is out for three more days so give me a little more time, Stephen. I haven't forgotten.