# DMX Turnarounds



## tyler.martin (Jul 27, 2010)

A while back I saw a post about a site that had some really reasonably priced XLR 5 pin connectors and turnarounds. I cant remember the site name, and i cant find the post. the site started with an A. Does anybody know the site in question?


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## avkid (Jul 27, 2010)

It's probably Audiopile.
Audiopile Pro Audio* Welcome to Audiopile
Unfortunately they don't ship to the Great White North.


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## ship (Jul 28, 2010)

DMX turn around? Wondering what that is. Do you mean terminator which is just a normal plug with 120 ohm resistor between pins 2 & 3?


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## MNicolai (Jul 28, 2010)

ship said:


> DMX turn around? Wondering what that is. Do you mean terminator which is just a normal plug with 120 ohm resistor between pins 2 & 3?


 
He's referring to a gender bender. A male to male or a female to female adapter.


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## tyler.martin (Jul 28, 2010)

Yes thats it... Shipping isnt an issue anymore, I have some family that just moved to the dark side of the border


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## derekleffew (Jul 28, 2010)

MNicolai said:


> He's referring to a gender bender. A male to male or a female to female adapter.


I don't think I've ever seen a 5pin XLR turnaround/Gender changer, and short of a cable being run the wrong way, not sure why one would need it. (Okay, that's a lie, but I'm not gonna tell where one might be used.) That is, speaking of true XLR Barrel Adaptors http://www.audiopile.net/products/A...ptors/XLR_Barrel/CA-302/CA-302_cutsheet.shtml. Readily available in 3pin, I suppose it would be possible to change the inserts to fabricate one in 5pin, but easier to make a cable.

Many people erroneously refer to adapters as turnarounds. [It happened to me twice today, by people whom one would think should know better.] I suspect the OP is looking for Adapter, 3-5 and Adapter, 5-3. I got mine from Audiopile and I love them.

Most people make them themselves, using 12"-36" of appropriate cable and male and female XLR connectors.


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## jxgriffi (Jul 28, 2010)

derekleffew said:


> I don't think I've ever seen a 5pin XLR turnaround/Gender changer, and short of a cable being run the wrong way, not sure why one would need it. (Okay, that's a lie, but I'm not gonna tell where one might be used.)


 
Well, I always keep 4 of each in my tool kit. Here's the reason _*I*_ keep them around. I do a TON of work with Pathport nodes. As they can be inputs or outputs by software, I don't keep both types of nodes, only female "output" nodes. If I need some input nodes, I put a turn-around on them and voila, they are input nodes.


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## tyler.martin (Jul 28, 2010)

> I don't think I've ever seen a 5pin XLR turnaround/Gender changer, and short of a cable being run the wrong way, not sure why one would need it. (Okay, that's a lie, but I'm not gonna tell where one might be used.)



Derek, Like I said, my wall boxes are male ports, that are intended to be outputs, an audiopile does sell 5 pin gender benders


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## Lotos (Jul 28, 2010)

I should point out, that with a few 5-Pin M&F Neutrik Connectors (or your preferred brand), and a short length of Tourflex Datasafe Ultra 2 Pair DMX Cable (or your preferred brand), and moderate soldering skills.. One could make ones own turnarounds...
Though, depending on if you have these supplies in stock, or would have to order them anyway, simply ordering the turnarounds may be cheaper in the short-term.


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## JD (Jul 28, 2010)

derekleffew said:


> I don't think I've ever seen a 5pin XLR turnaround/Gender changer, and short of a cable being run the wrong way, not sure why one would need it.



Keep a few in the kit myself. Nothing like seeing a 150 foot cable run, nicely taped in place, facing the wrong way! Just use the empty switchcraft shells and 5 pin inserts to change from 3f-3f to 5f-5f (or m-m)


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## Wolf (Jul 28, 2010)

derekleffew said:


> I don't think I've ever seen a 5pin XLR turnaround/Gender changer, and short of a cable being run the wrong way, not sure why one would need it. (Okay, that's a lie, but I'm not gonna tell where one might be used.)


 
A theatre I do a lot of work at has one 5-pin female to female cable and nothing is worse than when you NEED a female 5-pin to male 3-pin and just see the female 5-pin and grab that without looking at the other end then later when you go to use it find out its a turnaround... What makes this even worse is when you are short on adapters and keep seeing the turnaround and getting excited before you pick it up =(


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## tyler.martin (Jul 29, 2010)

> I should point out, that with a few 5-Pin M&F Neutrik Connectors (or your preferred brand), and a short length of Tourflex Datasafe Ultra 2 Pair DMX Cable (or your preferred brand), and moderate soldering skills.. One could make ones own turnarounds...



Where do you order your stuff from?


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## Lotos (Jul 29, 2010)

martinty said:


> Where do you order your stuff from?


 
Local industry suppliers should be able to help you out... I'm not familiar with Vancouver, but you should have at least one or two film/theatre suppliers somewhere nearby.
A quick google shows http://www.hollynorth.com, though I'm sure there's others.


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## tyler.martin (Jul 29, 2010)

Oh I know who they are, I work for two of the bigger ones, but since it is not a normal product I cant order it from the werehouse in TO, they wold have to make it, then dump 25% mark up on the cost of making it, so i cant justify 46 bucks for a turn around


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## Lotos (Jul 29, 2010)

martinty said:


> Oh I know who they are, I work for two of the bigger ones, but since it is not a normal product I cant order it from the werehouse in TO, they wold have to make it, then dump 25% mark up on the cost of making it, so i cant justify 46 bucks for a turn around


 
I was referring more to the ordering of the cable/connectors to make your own... Those they should have in stock.
If this seriously becomes a $46 per adapter ordeal for you, I'd be happy to make them and send them out to you for the cost of parts and shipping... Chances are you can probably find what you need to make them locally though, and it's literally 15 minutes with a soldering iron to finish up a M-M or F-F 5-pin turnaround...
I admit I have zero in stock myself... Simply no use for them.


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## CSCTech (Jul 29, 2010)

I just tried looking for you, and I am not sure why they are so hard to find. I know we have a couple :/


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## kutsk (Mar 1, 2011)

I spent a surprising amount of time looking for these. Amazing how many people call 3to5 pin adapters "turnarounds". Try searching for Neutrik NA5MM (silver 5pin M>M XLR "gender conversion adapter") add -B for black. Also NA5FF for F>F. These are the hard double ended turnarounds so you won't confuse them for short DMX cables. Cost range is currently about $12 to $23, plus shipping.


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## soundman (Mar 1, 2011)

kutsk said:


> I spent a surprising amount of time looking for these. Amazing how many people call 3to5 pin adapters "turnarounds". Try searching for Neutrik NA5MM (silver 5pin M>M XLR "gender conversion adapter") add -B for black. Also NA5FF for F>F. These are the hard double ended turnarounds so you won't confuse them for short DMX cables. Cost range is currently about $12 to $23, plus shipping.


 
How about paying $6 instead from Audiopile ? I've bought from them and everything was groovy, they even tossed in some each stuff.


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## Sony (Mar 1, 2011)

derekleffew said:


> I don't think I've ever seen a 5pin XLR turnaround/Gender changer, and short of a cable being run the wrong way, not sure why one would need it. (Okay, that's a lie, but I'm not gonna tell where one might be used.)



We use Turnarounds all the time. We use them when we have to feed our Express 125 into our ETCNet3 system, we have to use a 5-pin turnaround to be able to use one of our 2 Port ETCNet3 Gateways as in Input into the system.


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## avkid (Mar 1, 2011)

soundman said:


> How about paying $6 instead from Audiopile ? I've bought from them and everything was groovy, they even tossed in some each stuff.


 Mark and Liz are good, honest people.


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