[BC] XLR / Cannon "P" and "UA" Series

[DHultsman5@aol.com]

In a message dated 8/14/2006 7:12:00 PM Central Daylight Time,  
seaberg1 at sbcglobal.net writes:

>  Whatever possessed Cannon to make pin 1 the ground in the XL  series?
>
> Peter S.
>



Before the XLR Connector,  microphone connectors were typically made  by 
Hubbell with a "Twist Lock" connector and the Cannon P Series  Connectors.  I 
converted a Radio station with lots of microphone  connectors, cables and 
mircophones from the Cannon P series to XLR Connectors in  the 1960's.
 
On the P Series connectors, which I assume were installed with the radio  
station in 1936, Pin #1 was ground.  I am sorry I don't recall the polarity  of 
pin #2 & #3.  
 
Incidently the Electro-Voice 666/667 and the 655 and 655/C series  
microphones used the Cannon UA type connector.   I recall in the early  1960's an ABC TV 
truck using the UA type connectors on the truck and all cables  for 
microphones.  Most others used P, Twist Lock or XL series.  I am  sure some TV guys 
have early memories.
 
The largest problems with the EV/Mikes was the odd connector,   similiar 
problem with Western Electric and Altec microphones.
 
You had to have a cable from the microphone and could not interchange  
without pig-tails or adapters.
 
In the late 1960's we used alot of 666 and 655 EV microphones and decided  to 
get rid of the UA pigtails.  We had changed everything else to XLR and  any 
cable could be connected to any cable.   Gene Caton at Audio  Acoustics in the 
DFW area had built some aluminum castings that included  the an XLR connector 
adapter with a UA casting that allowed the removal of  the UA connectors and 
converting directly to an XLR connectorin the base of the  microphone.   
 
Also Cannon made an adapter for EV microphones that used the  Amphenol screw 
on connector that I used to convert the EV-636, EV-630,  EV-645  to XLR 
connectors.
 
Dave Hultsman