Cheap Advice On Music

One of the best things about XLR-type microphone cables is that they can be plugged into each other end-to-end with a locking connection. This is handy for making a 20-foot cable out of two 10-foot ones, for example. It is also the basis for a handy way to store and transport the microphone cables you use for live shows or on-location recording.

The best way I have found to store my XLR cables is to plug them into each other end-to-end and wind them up onto inexpensive cable reels of the type found at Lowe’s or other hardware stores. As you can see in the photo, I have separate reels for 10-foot, 20-foot, and 25-or-30-foot cables. To keep them from unwinding prematurely, I bring the “inside” and “outside” ends up through the holes in the reel and plug them into each other.

I can carry all three of these on my arm at once and still have a hand free for something else. (I hate extra trips between the car and the playing area!)

[An expanded version of this Mini-Tip appears in my eBook, Cheap Advice On Live Sound.]