Hi

I've just received a new Rode NTG 2 shotgun mic. When I've come to connect an XLR cable it doesn't seem to "click" fully into place, ie the little button on the XLR cable doesn't pop fully out. I also notice that one of the 3 XLR pins in the mic is longer than the other 2.

All that said, the mic works, but I'm concerned that the cable will just pull out if tugged.

Any other NTG 2 users have this issue or is it a fault?

Tony

I can confirm that the xlr pins on the NTG-2 are meant to be different lengths, presumably to protect the circuitry so that they connect/disconnect inthe right order.

As for the plug not seeming to latch properly, I have noticed that some makes of xlr are better than others. I have had to push some cables in quite firmly to get them to latch in my NTG-2, while others seem to fit more easily. Neutric connectors are generally regarded as among the best. My DIY cables made up with Neutrics are fine, but some of the ready made cables I have used seem to have this problem.

I am pretty confident that it wouldn't be the mic that is causing the problem. Did you get the cable with it?

EDIT: Belated welcome to dvinfo BTW. There's quite a lot of us Brits active here - dont know if you have seen this thread http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/these-people-your-neighborhood/26774-greetings-great-britain-united-kingdom-15.html#post1488252

Thanks for responding so quickly Colin,

I have two XLR cables bought over time. The most recent was certainly ready made (Maplin), the older one I can't remember but probably. Neither as far as I can tell have Neutrics connectors.

I guess my next step is to get my hands on a Neutrics to see if that clicks.

Cheers

I have an old Neutrik cable that doesn't click in all the time. I've also had to push the button down to get it to go in all the way. Sometimes it's the rubber o-ring on the connector that is out of place, if yours even has one (the Neutriks do.)

About the XLR pin: http://usa.rodemic.com/support.php#q10

If you've inserted the XLR connector firmly into the jack and the catch hasn't clicked yet, sometimes just gently nudging the catch itself foreward is all it takes to make it click in. There's usually some foreward play in the spring-loaded catch and it can be nudged into position even though the XLR connector is fully seated.

Hi

I've just received a new Rode NTG 2 shotgun mic. When I've come to connect an XLR cable it doesn't seem to "click" fully into place, ie the little button on the XLR cable doesn't pop fully out. I also notice that one of the 3 XLR pins in the mic is longer than the other 2.

All that said, the mic works, but I'm concerned that the cable will just pull out if tugged.

Any other NTG 2 users have this issue or is it a fault?

Tony

I have noticed, most recently with the Rode NTG 3, that there is a black rubber insert deep within the XLR. The manufacturer states that it can be removed if a good connection cannot be achieved—check to see if there is one on your mic's XLR plug and if so, you might try removing it.

On some mics, the Octava's for instance, it's very difficult to get the tight fitting Neutrik (NCFX) in far enough to latch. I removed the 'O' ring which helped until I made dedicated cables with Switchcraft XLR-F.

Thanks for all the help so far.

After trying a variety of combinations, I took the mic to a colleague with some Neutrik XLRs, and after removing the rubber element from inside the Rode mic and the rubber ring from the Neutrik it finally clicked.

I guess a new XLR cable will be in order!

With the blue ring gone, can you expect any unwanted noise (vibration), or was this simply a fix for any XLR adapters that might be slightly loose?

Looks like i'll be removing mine also....

I just received a Rode Micon XLR connector, and they shipped it with the blue spacer in a bag, uninstalled. Their little pictogram instructions didn't help me understand what it was for, but this thread cleared it up for me. It seems like it's for tightening up the connection if the cable inserts too far, causing cable noise as it pulls in and out while locked. I tried several cables I had and didn't find any play; they all fit fine without the blue spacer, so I'm just going to put it in the junk drawer.