Sennheiser SK100 Jack confusion

[Nick Wilson]

Hi

I have Sennheiser's EW 112p kit and to video a wedding am wanting to feed the SK100 transmitter from the church PA system. According to the SK100 manual, the pin connection for the input jack is Tip - Mic level +ve, Ring - Line level +ve, Shield - -ve. I am not sure how the mic/line level selection via the input jack interacts with the AF sensitivity menu setting, and remember (but cannot find) a post here some time back saying that Sennheiser's pin diagram was misleading.

I also have Sennheiser's female XLR to jack lead for connecting a mic to the SK100, which is wired:

XLR1 (ground) > Tip & Shield
XLR2 (hot) > Ring
XLR3 (cold) > Tip & Shield

This does not make a whole lot of sense given Sennheiser's description of the pins!

Does anyone know whether there is a better description of the SK100 jack pin-in, or how I should connect a line level input?

Many thanks,

Nick

[Steve House]

That looks right to me. The cable is to connect a line level XLR output to the line level input on the transmitter. XLR hot to 1/8 ring for line level. XLR cold and ground both to the 1/8 sleeve, 1/8 tip grounded for line level.

I might add that Senn has two different XLR->1/8 cables for the G2 series. One is wired as above and is used with line level sources only. The other is wired with the XLR hot (pin2) going to the 1/8 and the 1/8 ring is grounded and is used only when sending mic level sources to the transmitter.

[Rick Reineke]

Use the line-level config when feeding the transmitter from a PA/mixer line-out. (1/8"; ring = hot) I have not tried feeding a +4dB operating level to the transmitter, which may very-well overload the input stage of the transmitter, regardless of the sensitivity setting so a attenuation pad may be required, Alternately you could feed mic-level with an in-line line-to-mic attenuation pad using the tip-hot config., or, select mic-level out on the mixer, if that's an option. (some of the Mackie's have a line/mic switch)
I feed a G2 transmitter all the time with a Sound Devices mixer tape-output (rated @ -15dB as I recall.

[Johan Bollen]

Originally Posted by Rick Reineke

I feed a G2 transmitter all the time with a Sound Devices mixer tape-output (rated @ -15dB as I recall.

Would that require a custom made cable? I'm trying to do the same thing but can't find the right cable.
Maybe this cable will work. But it does not have a locking 1/8'' plug for the G2 Transmitter.
Remote Audio | Unbalanced Line Level 3-pin Mini XLR | CASDT

Or this Sound Devices Cable, but it would still require a second cable to connect it to the transmitter.
Sound Devices | XL7 TA3-F to Mini Female Connector Cable | XL7

These cables seem to made more to connect the sound Devices mixer tape out to a recorder, but not to a G2 transmitter. Are there any other options?

[Rick Reineke]

You would need a custom cable, neither cable you pointed out would work correctly for the G2 application. Trew Audio, Location Sound, or Markertek can make custom cables, or make it yourself if your experienced.

Basically it should be wired (when using a SD mixer's tape-out TA3 connection to a 1/8" TRS)
Pin-1: Ground/shield
Pin-2, 3 or both: Ring (your preference, left, right or L & R)*
Float or tie the 1/8" plug tip to ground.
Set the G2-SK100 transmitter's sensitivity to -20 and your good to go.

* Note: if you want to send L & R separately to two transmitters, you would need to "Y" out from the TA3 to two 1/8" plugs.
SD has some tape-out wiring schematics which may be of interest.

Markertek sells locking 1/8" TRS plugs (#30-296-BK) for around $5 usd.
SD and some of their dealers (like B&H) have a 4-pack of TA3s for around $21 as I recall. Cheaper than buying singles if you need a few.

[Rick Reineke]

Addendum: Wiring an -10db Unbalanced 1/4" out to 1/8" TRS plug for SK100.
- Ground/shield to Ground/shield
- Tip to ring
- Float or tie the 1/8" plug tip to ground.

Wiring a +4dB Balanced 1/4" out to 1/8" TRS plug for the SK100.
- Ground/shield to Ground/shield
- Tip to ring
- Float or tie the 1/8" plug tip to ground.
- Tie the 1/4" plug's ring to Ground/shield.

In this +4dB configurtion the signal must be attenuated by about -10dB or more. Either with an in-line or built in pad or via a mixer's master volume controls.

[Steve House]

Originally Posted by Johan Bollen

Would that require a custom made cable? I'm trying to do the same thing but can't find the right cable.
Maybe this cable will work. But it does not have a locking 1/8'' plug for the G2 Transmitter.
Remote Audio | Unbalanced Line Level 3-pin Mini XLR | CASDT

Or this Sound Devices Cable, but it would still require a second cable to connect it to the transmitter.
Sound Devices | XL7 TA3-F to Mini Female Connector Cable | XL7

These cables seem to made more to connect the sound Devices mixer tape out to a recorder, but not to a G2 transmitter. Are there any other options?

The G2 transmitter 1/8 TRS input jack does not follow the standard TRS wiring pattern, at least for not for line level inputs. Line level 'signal hot' must go to the TRS ring terminal. The normal pattern is signal hot goes to the TRS tip connector but the G2 uses that arrangement ONLY for mic level signals. Neither of those two listed cables would be proper.

[Greg Bellotte]

not to mention if you wire to the tip of the 1/8th" plug you need to block the bias voltage with a capacitor, or risk damage or at least signal degradation...

sennheiser sells cables specifically for the g2 bodypacks. the CM-1 connects an xlr mic level signal to the bodypack. the CL-2 connects an xlr line level signal to the bodypack. if you aren't up to making a custom cable yourself, or if this seems impossibly confusing to you, i highly recommend going with the sennheiser cables. they work.

[Johan Bollen]

Markertek sells locking 1/8" TRS plugs (#30-296-BK) for around $5 usd.
SD and some of their dealers (like B&H) have a 4-pack of TA3s for around $21 as I recall. Cheaper than buying singles if you need a few.

I have no experience making my own cables. This seems like a good opportunity to try. thanks guys.

[Rick Reineke]

Just out of curiosity I looked up the CM-1 & CL-2 Sennh. cables. Prices ranged from $50-85usd, YOW! The CL1 has a blocking cap, it doesn't state if the CL-2 has any attenuation, which is necessary for +4 outputs.

[Greg Bellotte]

sorry, forgot to mention the sticker shock. :-) then again, for those who can't do anything else I say that's the cost of making it work, and good audio is ALWAYS worth the money. those prices are list however, and can be had for MUCH cheaper if you shop around.

btw, the CL-2 has no attenuation...but works fine with +4 on 500 series gear (all that i own...)

[Ilya Spektor]

Originally Posted by Greg Bellotte

sorry, forgot to mention the sticker shock. :-) then again, for those who can't do anything else I say that's the cost of making it work, and good audio is ALWAYS worth the money. those prices are list however, and can be had for MUCH cheaper if you shop around.

btw, the CL-2 has no attenuation...but works fine with +4 on 500 series gear (all that i own...)

CL-2 in B&H is $28.95 USD:
Sennheiser | CL-2 Transmitter Line Cable 1/8"-M to | CL2 - well worth the money, works perfectly well with my G2 100. You can also use a pad for additional attenuation, when needed...

[David Aliperti]

I see on CL-1 cable (the mini plug trs -trs) wired with a tip -to both tip/ring and sleeve to sleeve, why? if it is supposed to be used for line in inputs it should be wired as ring/sleeve to ring/sleeve mode.
does receiver works differently? i mean AF OUT is + 10 dbu and WE have just to set correly levels in menu?

[Steve House]

Originally Posted by David Aliperti

I see on CL-1 cable (the mini plug trs -trs) wired with a tip -to both tip/ring and sleeve to sleeve, why? if it is supposed to be used for line in inputs it should be wired as ring/sleeve to ring/sleeve mode.
does receiver works differently? i mean AF OUT is + 10 dbu and WE have just to set correly levels in menu?

Yes, the receiver is different. With the transmitter you put a mic level signal hot on the tip and a line level signal hot on the ring. But the receiver output jack is unbalanced with signal on the tip only, ring unconnected. If you're going to plug into a camera minijack "mic in" connector, those are usually stereo jacks with left on tip, right on ring. Since most of the time you want a mono wireless to record as dual-mono on both the left and right channels in the camera, shorting tip to ring at the camera end of the cable accomplishes that.

[John Willett]

Originally Posted by Nick Wilson

I also have Sennheiser's female XLR to jack lead for connecting a mic to the SK100, which is wired:

XLR1 (ground) > Tip & Shield
XLR2 (hot) > Ring
XLR3 (cold) > Tip & Shield

This does not make a whole lot of sense given Sennheiser's description of the pins!

Does anyone know whether there is a better description of the SK100 jack pin-in, or how I should connect a line level input?

This is *not* a mic. input cable, it's a *line* input cable.

The mic. input cable ie wired:-
XLR1 (ground) > Ring & Shield
XLR2 (hot) > Tip + a blocking capacitor
XLR3 (cold) > Ring & Shield

The mic. cable is not a Sennheiser standard and would be made up by a Sennheiser dealer - it requeres a blocking capacitor inside to stop the plug-in power getting to a dynamic mic.

The 100 series output cable is wired:-
XLR1 (ground) > Shield
XLR2 (hot) > Tip
XLR3 (cold) > Shield

I hope this helps.