Standard Pin-Outs and Wire Colors for Mic Cables


Though even Neumann, a leader in microphone standardization, could never quite stick to one color scheme through the decades, certain color choices for conductors have been prevalent through time.
Here is my suggestion how to terminate multi-pin microphone cables.

1. 7-pin Tuchel tube mic cables usually Gotham GAC 7 or Dörfler equivalent. Ground pin assignement may vary, depending on the amount of conductors

Pin #1 Audio (+) = white
Pin #2 Audio (-) = black or brown
Pin #3 + Pin #7 Ground = blue (thick), plus shield (bare wire_
Pin #4 Heater = red (thick)
Pin #5 B+ = yellow
Pin #6 Variable polarization voltage = green
Remember to always connect cable shields on both ends to the connectors' ground pins and housing loops which grounds and shields the housings

Do not follow the above pin-outs and color assignments blindly, but verify that they correspond to that of the mic in question


2. 4-conductor cables (U47) used with Gotham GAC 7 or equivalent Neumann tube mic cable

Pin  #1 Audio (+) = white
Pin  #2 Audio (-)  = black or brown
Pins #3, 4, 6 (interconnected with jumpers) ground and shield = thick blue,  plus jumper wire to the connector housing on both ends
Pin  #5 B+ = thick red


3. XLR 3-conductor interconnect cables usually Gotham GAC 3, Neumann IEC 3, or equivalent

Pin #1 Ground = Green, plus shield = bare wire
Pin #2 audio (+) = white
Pin #3 Audio (-) = brown
Always connect cable shields on both ends to the ground pins and connector housing loops

On two-conductor + shield cables, i.e., interconnects without separate wire for ground, connect shield to Pin #1 and a jumper to the housing loop