Can any one help? Although I take great care in looking after my leads, they are now all mixed up?
Is there an easy to use gadget that can tell me what leads are balanced or unbalanced?
Or a gadget that can do the above and check out the leads for good or bad leads?

Try studio spares

http://www.studiospares.com/search3.asp?txtDescription=cable+tester&Search ProductGroup=&cid=&gid=&hidden1=

I use a Behringer DT100 cable tester that works well (only bit of Behringer kit that has for me ).

I also colour code my cables :
red = mic level balanced
yellow = line level balanced
black = line level unbalanced
green = instrument level unbalanced
blue = monitor (line level, balanced) returns

How sad is that!

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Andrew

Jack leads.

Any Mono (single black ring) leads, are by definition unbalanced. (this also applies to Phono and any other connector that only provides +ve and a -ve/Shield)

Any stereo (TRS,= tip, ring, shield = 2 black rings ) Jack to TRS (stereo) Jack, or Jack to XLR leads SHOULD be balanced, but you will need to check this, as they might, for example, be unshielded headphone leads (+,- & common ground), or some other kludge.

XLR Leads
XLR to Mono Jack or Phono(RCA) are unbalanced.

XLR to XLR are usually balanced, unless they're speaker leads....( in which case they're most often only using two out of three pins, and unshielded 2 core cable... which is normally either orange (basic garden mains cable really) or has speaker cable printed on it (under all the dirt ) )

XLR to 2 of anything is usually unbalanced/stereo


Best bet is to buy a cable tester that shows a connection matrix, so you can see which connections are connected to which, at either end.

Actually that's one thing behringer do quite well, (mind you I'm told they ripped off the design) . Their CT100 cable tester is a handy tool.

(it also provides a tone generator, and has almost every analogue connector you're ever likely to meet.)


Max

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if you don't know who i am, i aint gonna tell you.

I might add that Yellow colour coding is often used to denote a Phase reversed cable. (+ve to -ve and -ve to +ve on the two inner cores of a balanced cable)

Green is quite common for AES/digital cables....

and I use Red tags for Speaker XLR cables....

Max

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if you don't know who i am, i aint gonna tell you.

Quote Max The Mac:

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... Best bet is to buy a cable tester that shows a connection matrix, so you can see which connections are connected to which, at either end.

Actually that's one thing behringer do quite well, (mind you I'm told they ripped off the design) . Their CT100 cable tester is a handy tool.

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I meant the CT100 - DT was a typo. Definitely recommend this (didn't know about the rip-off rumours though).

Quote Max The Mac:

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I might add that Yellow colour coding is often used to denote a Phase reversed cable. (+ve to -ve and -ve to +ve on the two inner cores of a balanced cable) ...

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Yeah - good catch. I shouldn't really have mentioned my colour coding, which was purely oppotunistic - based on what I had to hand when the soldering iron was hot, though I do now honour it for my own rig as it helps to keep my head straight.

I really was just advocating any system that helps sort out the cables, and I like colour coding rather than relying on counting the rings on the jack plug as it helps when you're tired at the end of the gig - my experience is more live than studio, mind. I avoid black purely because the hire shop I used to use always had black leads and I could easily tell mine from theirs.

If there is a "standard", then obviously, that is best.