6 pin XLR male connector.
6 pin XLR female connector.
The six-pin XLR is a circular multipole connector conforming to the 19 mm nominal shell diameter defined by IEC 61076-2-103:2004, which covers the full XLR family from three to seven contacts. Two mechanically incompatible six-pin layouts exist: the Switchcraft pattern, which adds a centre pin to the standard five-pin arrangement and can accept a five-pin male plug, and the Neutrik NC6 pattern, which uses a different contact arrangement and is not backwards compatible. In the entertainment industry the six-pin XLR is employed in proprietary talkback backbone wiring, lighting-console rigger remote controls, and intercom beltpack systems from manufacturers including Canford Audio, Compulite, Strand Lighting, and Telex, with pin 1 universally assigned to earth or common shield and subsequent pins carrying DC power rails and data or audio signals specific to each system.
| Pin | Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| Application | 1 | 2 |
| Canford Talkback multicircuit backbone | earth/scr | +24V DC |
| Compulite Riggers Remote | ground | data from remote |
| Strand GSX / LBX rigger’s remote | earth/scr | +10V |
| Telex Audiocom Mode | Common/Shield | Local Power (+24 VDC) |
| Telex Clear Com Mode | Common/Shield | Local power (+14 to +30 VDC) |
Notes
- The two six-pin XLR contact layouts (Switchcraft and Neutrik NC6) share the same 19 mm shell but are not mechanically interchangeable; verify manufacturer compatibility before mating connectors.
- The Switchcraft six-pin design (e.g. A6M) accepts a standard five-pin male plug; the Neutrik NC6MSX (grey insert) is a non-standard variant that is not compatible with the standard black-insert NC6 layout.
- Pin 1 is universally used for earth or common shield across all applications listed; DC supply voltages and data signalling on the remaining pins are proprietary to each manufacturer’s system.
- Cable shield should be connected to chassis earth at both ends to suppress interference, in accordance with AES48 grounding practice.
Signals
- Earth / Screen (Pin 1) — chassis earth and cable shield common, present in all listed applications
- +24 V DC (Pin 2, Canford / Telex Audiocom) — DC power rail supplied over the talkback backbone or intercom bus
- +14 to +30 V DC (Pin 2, Telex Clear-Com mode) — variable DC power rail for Clear-Com compatible beltpack operation
- +10 V (Pin 2, Strand GSX/LBX) — DC supply for the rigger’s remote handset
- Data from remote (Pin 2, Compulite) — serial control data returned from the rigger’s remote unit