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.]

If you are the sound man for a band, or a band member who has been recruited to store all of the group’s “sound stuff” and bring it to the gigs, you have probably had the experience of discovering at the last minute that some crucial (and usually obvious) item has been forgotten, left on the kitchen table or the studio floor and now desperately needed with 20 minutes left till showtime. “How could I have forgotten the power cable for the mixer?” is not a question you want to be asking yourself at a time like this!

As the sound man for Rusty Strings, I have committed one or two gaffes of this kind myself, usually leading to sad, desperate searches for workarounds. To avoid this problem, I have established two rules for myself:

(1) Always bring everything I have ever needed at any previous gig. Sure, this means a gradually increasing load as I add in small items that someone asked for but I didn’t have, but I think it’s worth it. (Wait till next time the guitarist forgets his capo - I’ve got one!)

(2) Use a packing checklist. How else can I be sure I have every last thing? Airline pilots use checklists; now I do too.

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There comes a time in the life of every band when someone wants them to actually play somewhere. (Somewhere that isn’t the drummer’s basement, I mean.) Up until now, the singers have been using a microphone plugged into the keyboard amp, but is that going to be enough when we play at a restaurant (or a barn, or a patio)? The truth dawns: we need a PA system of some kind for the vocals. But what kind?

There are several factors you need to consider and a number of pitfalls you must avoid. I’ll just hit the high points here, outlining the key decisions you and your band need to make to be sure you get the right system for your hard-earned cash. Since I’ve only worked extensively with a couple of systems myself, I won’t recommend specific brands or models here. But I’ll give you some points to ponder as you sort through the available systems.

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As the sound man for Rusty Strings, I usually set up the PA gear somewhere in the listening area. We run a snake from there to the stage to carry the microphone and instrument signals back to the mixer. We used to also run a fairly heavy cable from the PA output to the main speakers and another cable to the monitor speakers. It’s a lot of trouble to run (and tape down) three separate long cables, especially in a restaurant where customers are already having dinner!

I soon realized that the snake had four unused connections terminating with 1/4″ TRS connectors at the stage box and pigtail. Aha! At an on-site rehearsal, I tried running the monitor signal down one of these snake leads instead of using a separate cable. It works great! Even though the wires in the snake leads are very thin, it didn’t seem to affect the monitor level. And now we only have to run two cables.

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