Audio Cables & Accessories

The video provides a rundown of common cables and accessories found in the live stage environment, emphasizing that knowing these tools is crucial for patching inputs or troubleshooting on stage.

Cables:

• XLR Cable (Microphone Cable): The most common cable, recognizable by its three-pin connector. It's important to check the label because some lighting cables (DMX) also have three pins. The female end plugs into a microphone, DI box, or pedalboard, and the male end plugs into the audio system console.

• Quarter-inch Cable: A long, skinny cable that connects to guitars and keyboards.

• Eighth-inch Cable (3.5 millimeter or Aux Cord): The smaller version of the quarter-inch cable, useful for connecting phones and computers for things like Spotify or walk-in music. It is noted that this is not a robust connection and should not be used for "mission critical stuff."

Accessories and Adapters:

• DI Box (Direct Box): This device serves two main functions: it adapts a quarter-inch connection to an XLR connection, and it converts the electrical signal from unbalanced to balanced. DIs often include a ground lift to eliminate signal buzz and a pad switch to reduce a signal that is too loud or peaking. Using a DI is recommended for a more robust signal and the added features.

• Simple Adapters: These convert between different connector types (e.g., 3.5mm to XLR) but do not perform any electrical signal conversions.

• Turnarounds: These are handy adapters used to change the gender of a cable end. Use cases include converting the outputs of an analog snake to more inputs, or correcting a long XLR cable run that was laid out backwards without having to untape and rerun the cable.

• Couplers: These are used to connect two cables of the same type (like two quarter-inch cables) that cannot connect directly to each other, thereby extending the length of the cable. This is generally not a recommended use case, especially for permanent installations, but can be helpful in a pinch.