Mic cables

TBman · #1 03-02-2019, 10:08 PM

I'm looking at 3' long mic cables. Some are around $14, others $36. What makes some cables better than others?

jim1960 · #2 03-02-2019, 10:27 PM

If everything is connected properly and nothing fails, you're not likely going to hear a big difference. However, I've found cheaper mic cables will fail more quickly and I've got better things to do than trace down a bad cable. So I prefer Mogami cables with Neutrik connectors. I get all my cables custom made from Redco.com and they're a lot cheaper than buying the same cable online. For example, a 20 ft mogami cable with xlr blk/gold connectors will cost you $70 at Sweetwater and $38 through Redco. Great quality, great price. Plus by ordering custom, you get the added benefit of ordering the exact length you need. That's not a big deal for every application but it does come in handy when you're trying to keep the cable spaghetti look behind your rack to a minimum.

TBman · #3 03-02-2019, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jim1960

If everything is connected properly and nothing fails, you're not likely going to hear a big difference. However, I've found cheaper mic cables will fail more quickly and I've got better things to do than trace down a bad cable. So I prefer Mogami cables with Neutrik connectors. I get all my cables custom made from Redco.com and they're a lot cheaper than buying the same cable online. For example, a 20 ft mogami cable with xlr blk/gold connectors will cost you $70 at Sweetwater and $38 through Redco. Great quality, great price. Plus by ordering custom, you get the added benefit of ordering the exact length you need. That's not a big deal for every application but it does come in handy when you're trying to keep the cable spaghetti look behind your rack to a minimum.

Thanks Jim.....

runamuck · #4 03-02-2019, 11:25 PM

I've bought a few 1/4" and xlr cables from Monoprice that are as good as just about anything out there and significantly less money. I also have Mogami/Neutrik.

rockabilly69 · #5 03-03-2019, 12:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jim1960

If everything is connected properly and nothing fails, you're not likely going to hear a big difference. However, I've found cheaper mic cables will fail more quickly and I've got better things to do than trace down a bad cable. So I prefer Mogami cables with Neutrik connectors. I get all my cables custom made from Redco.com and they're a lot cheaper than buying the same cable online. For example, a 20 ft mogami cable with xlr blk/gold connectors will cost you $70 at Sweetwater and $38 through Redco. Great quality, great price. Plus by ordering custom, you get the added benefit of ordering the exact length you need. That's not a big deal for every application but it does come in handy when you're trying to keep the cable spaghetti look behind your rack to a minimum.

Another Redco fan, they've made some great custom mic cables for me for my tube mics, and the price was great!

KevWind · #6 03-03-2019, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TBman

I'm looking at 3' long mic cables. Some are around $14, others $36. What makes some cables better than others?

There is a lot of controversy surrounding claims made by many cable companies
That said: what is not in controversy is,
in a general sense it is a matter of conductance , resistance and shielding
Generally the cleaner/purer the conduction material (copper being most common--- all to a point of diminishing return ) the lower the resistance and the more efficiently and completely the signal passses at any given amount of copper.

My favorite and IMO a good quality/price ratio mic cables are as mentioned Mogami... Mine are 15 ft. I had mine made up at my local Pro Audio shop who priced them on a par with Redco's prices

Also good quality mic cables will last a long time and thus I would not recommend 3 ft cables because that seems like your looking at a very specific application and looking to the future may not be future proof ... I would at the very least get 10 ft. if not 15 or 20, yes short term it may mean coiling up most of cabe, but down the road it could mean not having to purchase a longer one

Ty Ford · #7 03-03-2019, 10:14 AM

I like Gotham GAC-3 and GAC-5, but have others that work well. The GAC-5 use two spiraled conductors per side that helps to cut down on interference.

Plugs are important. The cheap fall apart more quickly. Switchcraft connectors (for me) are still the gold standard. The Neutrik's will do. I've experimented with the Neutrik EMC. They are a bit fussy to solder, but to offer more RF rejection. We found that using only one of the female end worked fine and did cut down on some cell phone interference when the cell phone was placed within several feet of the microphone.

Brent Hahn · #8 03-03-2019, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevWind

... I would not recommend 3 ft cables because that seems like your looking at a very specific application and looking to the future may not be future proof ...

Agreed, if it's for mics in a live room. 15 feet seems like a practical average length.

But the OP did mention "spaghetti behind the rack." I've got a couple 500-series racks, and I made a dozen or so 12" XLR cables for those. I wish I had made more.

muscmp · #9 03-03-2019, 01:28 PM

i've purchased from monoprice and from amazon and have had no problems with either. i even think that the monoprice and amazon are the same. both were very cheap. i do some a couple 3ft. that go from my cloudlifter to the audio interface, but, i also have a couple 6ft. as well as a few 15 or 20ft. varying sizes do help.

play music!

DukeX · #10 03-03-2019, 01:47 PM

I never buy cheap mic cables. We spend too much money on our instruments and gear to skimp on a couple of mic cables, just get (or make) the best.

If money is an issue you can make you own high quality cables for significantly less: Mogami and Canare cable are standards. Neutrik and Switchcraft connectors are standards. There are other quality companies, I'm sure, but I stick with these.

By making your own you can make them any length you want.

You can also save by making your own TRS cables.

If you don't want to hassle making your own, Redco and some other companies make great cables. Just don't skimp.

TBman · #11 03-05-2019, 09:50 PM

I bought a couple of 5' Mogami cables. I've had my other cables for around 10 years, so maybe its time. Thanks for the info everyone

Puerto Player · #12 03-06-2019, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jim1960

If everything is connected properly and nothing fails, you're not likely going to hear a big difference. However, I've found cheaper mic cables will fail more quickly and I've got better things to do than trace down a bad cable. So I prefer Mogami cables with Neutrik connectors. I get all my cables custom made from Redco.com and they're a lot cheaper than buying the same cable online. For example, a 20 ft mogami cable with xlr blk/gold connectors will cost you $70 at Sweetwater and $38 through Redco. Great quality, great price. Plus by ordering custom, you get the added benefit of ordering the exact length you need. That's not a big deal for every application but it does come in handy when you're trying to keep the cable spaghetti look behind your rack to a minimum.

Based on your post I tried to order a pair of 15' XLR Mic cables off their site like you mentioned. After screwing with all the different prompts, I finally got as close as I could get, but still couldn't get a male on one end and a female on the other. I tried, and I'm fairly computer literate and been playing guitar for 45 years, and I still couldn't order a simple mic cable off that site.