Cables / Connectors

A Cat5/Cat6 stagebox is a much cheaper option than a Dante stagebox — but does this really work, at least for fairly short runs, at mic level?

I’m wondering if it makes sense to flip my patchbays upside down in my rack, to put my mixer inputs on the top row and signal outputs on the bottom?

I have a 500‑series setup which includes some mic preamps that I’d like to wire up to a jack patchbay, is it possible to block phantom power?

Are you forever having to untangle your mic leads? Sandwich bags might just be the answer...

I want to run a stereo pair of mics down a single cable to minimise the visual clutter on a tall mic stand, is star-quad cable a viable solution?

These gadgets might not be the most glamorous devices, but at some point in your recording adventures you’ll probably find you need each and every one.

Could you please explain why audio gear uses balanced signals and how they work?

When I’m recording an old Roland Juno 106 synth and I connect it to a UA Apollo soundcard, it sounds fine. However, I’ve also tried running it into some other preamps and got some strange results...

I’m hoping to buy some bulk cable to make my own microphone and guitar leads. If I go to an electronics supplier, what should I...

I enjoyed Hugh Robjohns’ excellent article ‘Patchbays In The Modern Studio’ [SOS December 2020] but one point he made left me confused...

I cannot be the only person connecting two rooms with Dante, so is there a smarter way to use Dante Via for this? Or is there a smarter, better way to connect these two rooms?

I’’m doing an installation in a chapel, using a Van Damme Starquad multicore running along the roof void. Should I wire each pin‑1 to the XLR shell?

I'm trying to get an old TC Reverb 6000 MkI connected digitally to my new UAD‑Apollo x8 interface to give me four stereo reverb engines...

In a digital S/PDIF cable, what exactly is the 75Ω specification a resistance measurement of?

I've replaced my RADAR II 24-channel multitrack recorder with a RADAR Studio model. Can I reuse the three original D25‑D25 cables on the new machine?

I want to run two balanced microphone signals down one four-core screened cable, using five-pin XLRs at both ends, with short dual-XLR3-to-XLR5 splitter leads at each end. Are there any inherent disadvantages of doing this?

I think an unbalanced stereo source will work fine into a balanced TRS input, but only the left channel will be heard. Am I correct?

I’m looking to get some kit PAT tested and am getting some quotes, but everyone wants to know how many items are to be tested? If I have a power amp with an IEC mains lead, would that count as two tests or one?

If a single mic cable isn’t long enough but two plugged together will reach, should I let that worry me or can I go ahead and sleep easier at nights?

I recently acquired a Focusrite Control 2802 analogue mixer/DAW controller. There are numerous connections on the back, including three female DB25 interfaces...

Most of my connectors and cables were bought second-hand, but some are blemished and I wonder if you could give a little advice as to what would be the best way to clean the connectors?