SX900 Mic Jack TRS or TS

[KeyboardEd]

My SX900 is on order and should be here next week!

Before it gets here I would like to order the right mic. cable. I'm using a standard SM58 (XLR).

Does anyone know if Yamaha is using a balanced (TRS-tip, ring, sleeve) or unbalanced (TS-tip, sleeve) mic. input on the SX900?

[Ingar]

It is unbalanced jack inn.

[KeyboardEd]

Thanks Ingar.

I kind of hoped Yamaha might have upgraded the jack on the SX900. To me a balanced line is 'better' or an upgrade.

[Toril S]

Why? It works fine! But I am no expert. I just plug the cables in and start the party😀😀😀

[hans1966]

Hi Toril, what KeyboardED refers to, is that the XLR connector is better because you can use a condenser microphone, obviously this configuration will need phantom power available on the keyboard. Summing up the subject, the microphone connector of the SX900 is for dynamic microphones, which only need a jack, for domestic recordings, while the XLR combo can be used to connect dynamic microphones, (for domestic use) and also for condenser (for recording in the studio) for the latter it is required that the keyboard in addition to having the XLR connection (Jack + three holes) have the option of the phantom power button. I hope this helps a little to clarify the differences between a dynamic microphone and a condenser microphone. regards. Hans

[Toril S]

The Genos had phantom power option. I do nor know avout the XS800, but boubt it.

[KeyboardEd]

Also, to me the most important benefit of a balanced line is it's ability to cancel/reject noise. Arranger/workstation keyboards are basically dedicated computers and computers in general make a lot of electrical noise. With the mic cable so close the chances are higher that the cable will pick up noise on an unbalanced line vs a balanced line.

This can become very technical. I hope we don't go too deep into the why or this will go beyond the scope of an SX900 thread. I'm sure there are threads about balanced v unbalanced lines.

And besides, for the application most of us are using these boards for, it's not a make or break deal.

I'm just happy to have a new SX900 on the way!!  ...and know which cable to buy

[rcpilot]

Yes, not too deep..
Remember pros on stage need bal because they use long Mic/audio cables. And they have a lot of equipment typically in the area, including bad power in some cases, lighting systems, BIG amps, mixers etc....
The unBal will be just fine for most of us.
Lee

[hans1966]

The Genos had phantom power option. I do nor know avout the XS800, but boubt it.

Hello Toril, the SX900 Do Not have Phantom power. Greetings. Hans

[Toril S]

Thanks Hans. 😀

[Toril S]

Yes, I have done that.

[kampot]

It's very strange that Yamaha decided to use an unbalanced 1/4" jack when 99% of the mics Psr users have are mics with xlr jacks for  balanced inputs.

[kampot]

Also is the mic input low impedance ( lo-z ) or line level or high imdepandce hi-z ??
I already have XLR to 1/4 Trs cable but I'm trying to find trs to ts converter cable now.

[overover]

Hi kampot,

when the Mic/Guitar switch is set to Mic, you will have a LOW input impedance in order to connect a Mic.

When you buy a Mic, usually no cable is included or an XLR-female to XLR-male cable. You then need to buy an additional unbalanced cable "XLR-female to 6.3mm TS plug" in a suitable length. (You can also use this cable in combination with a standard XLR/XLR cable.)

If you have a balanced "XLR-female to 6.3mm TRS plug" cable, you can simply modify it to get an unbalanced cable:

To do this, either bridge the XLR pins 1 and 3 (inside the XLR plug), or bridge the Sleeve and Ring contacts inside the TRS plug.


Hope this helps!

Best regards,
Chris

[MarkF_48]

This image below is a screenshot of the schematic of the S910 'MIC/LINE IN' and is likely typical of most of Yamaha keyboards that have this type of connection. As noted in the schematic the mic used should have an impedance of 150-600 ohms which is typical of most mics that are fitted with an XLR connector. An XLR to 1/4" (6,3mm) TS cable makes the adaptation from 'balanced' to 'unbalanced'. I've seen mention here occasionally of folks that use a LO-Z to HI-Z matching transformer which also takes care of the balanced to unbalanced connection, but having tried both ways, it seems the matching transformer alters the microphone frequency response a bit which may suit some voices, but it didn't do my voice any favors and I prefer not using the matching transformer.
It's always been a mystery to me why Yamaha wasn't clearer in most of the manuals I've looked at as to the input impedance and the proper cable to be used.

Hope everyone is staying well and healthy 

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[kampot]

Thank you for replies.

Crazy how many hoops one has to jump thru just to get a mic plugged in, all because Yamaha couldn't put a normal xlr mic input jack

[MarkF_48]

Also is the mic input low impedance ( lo-z ) or line level or high imdepandce hi-z ??
I already have XLR to 1/4 Trs cable but I'm trying to find trs to ts converter cable now.

If you haven't as of yet found a 'converter cable', I would just suggest getting an XLR to 1/4" TS cable. You could add a TRS to TS converter cable, but having more connections in the signal path may result in future problems if one of the connections becomes intermittent. Having less connections is usually more reliable and the cost of a TRS to TS cable would likely be about the same as an XLR to 1/4" TS.

This HOSA cable is reasonably priced and is available in different lengths...
https://www.amazon.com/Hosa-PXF-105-XLR3F-Unbalanced-Interconnect/dp/B000068NYM