DIY Mic Cable Repair Station: How to Repair and Build XLR Mic Cables

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DIY Mic Cable Repair Station: How to Repair and Build XLR Mic Cables

Рет қаралды 10,990

Жыл бұрын

This video will guide you on how to repair and build XLR microphone cables. As well as how to make a simple DIY XLR repair station. It will show you the necessary basic tools and materials required for the repair and building process. Additionally, it will provide tips and explanations on how to properly test your cables to ensure their quality.
Moreover, I will demonstrate how to build a DIY mic cable repair station that you can easily construct at home. This station will make repairing and building XLR mic cables a breeze, and you will be able to save money on repairs versus buying replacement mic cables in the future.
Whether you're a musician, podcaster, or audio engineer, knowing how to repair and build XLR mic cables is an essential skill. So, join me in this informative and practical guide and learn how to repair and build XLR mic cables with a DIY repair station.
3 pin XLR male to XLR female microphone cables are frequently used in live sound reinforcement, broadcast audio, and recording studios. The same cables are also used for balanced sound system interconnections. The video explains the XLR pinout as will as pointers on soldering the cables and connectors. Made for musicians, audio techs, aspiring engineers and others in the live production, studio, and performance fields.
~Affiliate Links~
Amazon Links:
Female D Series Panel Mount Connector (Neutrik) on Amazon:
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Male D Series Panel Mount Connector (Neutrik) on Amazon:
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Premium Heat Resistant 932°F Silicone Soldering Mat on Amazon:
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IDEAL Electrical 45-121 T-6 T-Stripper - 14-26 AWG, Yellow Wire Stripper on Amazon:
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Kester 24-6040-0027 Solder (large quantity 1lb roll) (as used in video) on Amazon:
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Kester Pocket Pack Solder (small quantity) on Amazon:
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Mackie Cable Tester (similar to cable tester used in video) on Amazon:
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Sweetwater Links:
Neutrik Panel Mount Connectors at Sweetwater:
imp.i114863.ne...
Neutrik Cable Mount XLR Connectors at Sweetwater:
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Cable Testers at Sweetwater:
imp.i114863.ne...
~~
Patreon Page:
/ alanhamiltonaudio
Facebook:
/ livesoundproduction
“As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”
"As a Sweetwater affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases"
Your price is not affected by this.
#livesound
#microphones
#neutrik

Пікірлер: 31

@paddyeire96 Жыл бұрын

The repair station is a brilliant idea! 100% making this! Brill vid as usual!

@AlanHamiltonAudio Жыл бұрын

Thank you very much! :)

@AlanHamiltonAudio Жыл бұрын

This video is a bit of a "how to" video, looking at some tips and explanations on repairing or building XLR mic cables. You could morph this info into DMX cables as well. Even adding 5 pin DMX panel mount connectors to the DIY "XLR Mic Cable Work Station" that I demonstrate in the video, thus making it a DMX and XLR cable work station. Leave any questions here. Likes, subscribes, and comments always appreciated as it helps to get YT to suggest my videos. Feel free to share and repost the video link. :) ~Affiliate Links~ Amazon Links: Female D Series Panel Mount Connector (Neutrik) on Amazon: amzn.to/3k6KXaE Male D Series Panel Mount Connector (Neutrik) on Amazon: amzn.to/3CBDXsI Premium Heat Resistant 932°F Silicone Soldering Mat on Amazon: amzn.to/3Zmtj2G IDEAL Electrical 45-121 T-6 T-Stripper - 14-26 AWG, Yellow Wire Stripper on Amazon: amzn.to/3Guiumz Mackie Cable Tester (similar to cable tester used in video) on Amazon: amzn.to/3Qw4eyi Sweetwater Links: Neutrik Panel Mount Connectors at Sweetwater: imp.i114863.net/WDbJXP Neutrik Cable Mount XLR Connectors at Sweetwater: imp.i114863.net/dox3KM Cable Testers at Sweetwater: imp.i114863.net/3P2X7d ~~ Patreon Page: www.patreon.com/AlanHamiltonAudio Facebook: facebook.com/groups/livesoundproduction/ “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.” "As a Sweetwater affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases" Your price is not affected by this.

@RobinHow Жыл бұрын

A very useful skill to have. One extra tip - when you've twisted the shield to make a straight end for Pin 1, give it a 1/4 turn back the other way before you tin it. This releases any tension from the part of the shield which is still in contact with the inner conductor insulators and reduces the chance that the heat from the solder iron will melt the insulator on the red or blue wire, which can lead to shorts.

@AlanHamiltonAudio Жыл бұрын

That's a good tip!

@TimmyP1955 Жыл бұрын

I solder the shield last. Before doing so, I trim the length so it's a tiny bit short. By doing this, if the strain relief should fail, all the pull will be on the shield, which is stronger than the other conductors, reducing the chance of breakage.

@fanotmfears Жыл бұрын

Great video as always. One thing I’d do differently: insert the housing right after you cut the old connector. That’s the easiest and cleanest time to do it and it will ensure you don’t forget to do it before soldering the wires.

@AlanHamiltonAudio Жыл бұрын

That's usually what I try to do... But I don't always remember to do it! I'm just happy to remember to do it before I have the connector soldered on! ;)

@GuitarJesse7 7 ай бұрын

Great idea with the wood piece to plug cable ends into while soldering! I have 24 of these to do on a new studio snake and this tip is super helpful

@BryanBarcelo 3 ай бұрын

Good stuff!

@proehm Жыл бұрын

Have always carried a pair of bird mouthed vice grips for soldering Neutrik connectors. After the first couple of thousand it became muscle memory.

@FormulaOneLeclerc Жыл бұрын

Super useful! Thanks

@AlanHamiltonAudio Жыл бұрын

You're welcome!

@huntercurry Жыл бұрын

Hi Al!

@AlanHamiltonAudio Жыл бұрын

Hello Hunter!

@larslengberg Жыл бұрын

You are right that "electricity is color-blind" - if both ends of a cable is done the same way, colors doesn't matter. That said, most people including myself tends to use a "hot" color (such as red) for the hot pin (2), and a "cold" color (black, blue..) for the cold pin (3).

@AlanHamiltonAudio Жыл бұрын

That's pretty much what I do... If there is a black, it's the '- cold' when I make a cable, and the brighter/hotter color is the '+ hot'. If there is no black, then the brightest/hottest color is the + (hot) and the colder color is the - (cold).

@wowyummyyy Жыл бұрын

L I K E 👍👍👍👍👍💯🧡💯💛💯🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩

@DNF.2 10 ай бұрын

Hey Alan thanks for the video. I wonder if you have ever had a stuck XLR cable in the back of an X32. How to remove it, or better if not possible, how to replace the whole XLR connector on the mixer without having to open the whole console if possible. Appreciate any leads!

@AlanHamiltonAudio 10 ай бұрын

Knocking on wood so as to not jinx myself, but I haven't had one get stuck.

@DNF.2 10 ай бұрын

@@AlanHamiltonAudio I found this useful video just in case that ever happens to you (HOPEFULLY IT DOESN’T). I didn’t have to open the mixer luckily but helped me understand what I needed to do on the connector in order to remove the “useful” spring that locks the connector. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/pdldp9OIxsqbhZc.htmlsi=QvizlacdDXtoOhFm

@2m0nster Жыл бұрын

❤😊

@daviddurnill8243 Жыл бұрын

That is a nice work may , Is that available ?

@AlanHamiltonAudio Жыл бұрын

Never have seen anything pre-built for that purpose that anyplace sells. There's the alligator clamps on arms and that kind of thing, and they hold the connectors just fine... But you have to either know the pin numbers by heart, or be able to read tiny numbering. And reading the tiny numbers isn't then really hard part, but it slows you down. You have to see it, think about the how the pins are situated, etc...

@mrovi789 Жыл бұрын

is simple, pin 1 to pin 1,..2 to 2 and 3 to 3... All connectors are marked even on cheapest brands. Much cheaper to buy cable and connectors and build them that buying ready made ones.

@AlanHamiltonAudio Жыл бұрын

It's definitely cheaper to make them than buy them if you're buying in bulk, or at least enough to get free shipping on all the cable and connectors. Probably not cheaper for a one-off if you have to buy the pcs for just one cable by itself. But that said, depending on how busy a person is, and how many you need, buying them premade might make more sense when time is factored into the equation. And even then, there are times you'll find yourself needing to make one for one reason or another. A special length that you need right now, packaging inside a rack, etc... And assuming a person is buying the good ones and not the cheapos that don't take much abuse, you definitely want to hold onto them and fix them when they have a problem because it doesn't make $ sense to throw them out when a few mins on the bench has it back to new. And good mic cables will last and last. Even the cheap, 'disposable' type cables can many times be repaired 'better than new' because their worst failure point is bad soldering more than the cheaper wire/jacketing and off brand connectors used. I usually let them collect for a bit and then have a maintenance day (or evening in some cases) to catch up on the bad cables. Percentage-wise I don't have that many cable failures, but when you have a lot of cables and they see a lot of gigs, failures will happen. More from abuse than use. Most cables don't like having a lid close on them! ;) One thing about repairing cables is it makes you better and more confident to build your own. And at that point, you're in charge of quality control. A while back, I decided to do some cable maintenance and take a look at some NL4 speaker cables. There were a few I'd made, and some I'd purchased that I wanted to check (some 100' cables). I was mainly concerned about the ones I'd made... opened up the ends and mine were still perfectly fine. All tightly connected. Opened up some of the factory cables of one brand and the contacts were loose and needed tightened!

@daviddurnill8243 Жыл бұрын

What is the wiring if you are only using an unbalanced cable and not balanced? Do you need to do anything special ?

@AlanHamiltonAudio Жыл бұрын

If you're wiring an XLR to a TS 1/4" then it's usually going to be Pin 1 to the Shield on the XLR and the 1/4" connector. Pin 2 to the tip of the 1/4". And then Pin 3 of the XLR will need to connect to the shield also. If it's for 2- XLR connectors, or XLR to TRS, then in almost all cases you should be using balanced cable with 2 conductors plus shield. Besides the potential for inducing noise using unbalanced cables, it can make troubleshooting a problem and more trouble for someone in the future who ASSUMES an XLR to XLR cable is balanced (until they open an end and see it's not... or happen to read the jacket of the cable). Not worth the few pennies it might save to run unbalanced when equipment allows you to run balanced. Best practices is to run balanced whenever you can, unless it's a very short run. And even then... you still probably should run balanced if that is an option. IOW, don't come out of your mixing console with a TS to TS instrument cable to feed your amp when they both have balanced connections available.

@donniebobb74 9 ай бұрын

as a beginner in soldering, the color coding not being uniform really f's me up.

@AlanHamiltonAudio 8 ай бұрын

That's one reason I have my own coding that I use so at least there's consistency with my own wiring. And it does follow what usually is the case with others. I ALWAYS make black my negative - if there is a black wire. And then red or white is my positive + in the case of those options. Green will always be a negative - as well when I do a mic, speaker, or DMX cable if that is an option. Of course where it gets off the rails is when you have a cable with only red and white or something like that, and no black. In that case I always default to red being the positive.

@donniebobb74 8 ай бұрын

thanks so much!@@AlanHamiltonAudio