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Post by bluesholyman on Feb 28, 2024 7:00:06 GMT -6
I could be swatting a hornets nest so let me preface this with....if I had the budget, I'd wire everything with at least Mogami and Neutrik or Rean connectors.
But I am somewhat tight, so $50-80 for a pair of balanced interconnect cables is more than I can do. Just wondering how your success has been with off-brands. For example, I am getting a pair of "CableMatters" 1ft XLRF to TRS (Amazon) to connect a mic pre to my Carbon. Ideal? No, but it will get me by and it should be good enough for my own demo work, I hope.
Just wanted to get some thoughts on this. I once tried Monster cable for a guitar patch cord and the tip broke in a matter of months with light usage. Returned it for replacement and same thing happened again - this was a $50 guitar cord. That ended anything I do with Monster, and it also jaded me a bit about high-priced wires. Having said that, I have a Vox coily cable that has been with me since the late 1990s and it still rocks.
Hard to tell what is good and what is not these days.
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Post by enlav on Feb 28, 2024 8:05:27 GMT -6
I bought a cheap fan-fan xlr snake for a week-long session in a temporary/remote location. I don't it was "CableMatters" but it was one of the random affordable brands on Amazon. Female ends got stuck in my pass-through panels. Connector issues aren't just a "budget" problem I know, I remember one of our Royers would get stuck with either Neutrik or Switchcraft ends... but now I'm even more weary of cheap connectors I can't identify. I've never used Eminence connectors before, but I've used this company's cables before in a pinch and they seem fine. www.amazon.com/Units-Canare-L-4E6S-Balanced-Eminence/dp/B08MY8SB3X?ref_=ast_sto_dpTheir neutrik end versions get back to the $25-ish price point per cable. |
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Post by svart on Feb 28, 2024 8:21:19 GMT -6
I have tons of "off-brand" cables. They're hit or miss. If they're hit, they work fine. If they're miss, then the biggest problem I've had is that they break quickly at the solder joints or the connectors are cheap and break easily. Usually for just connecting two racked unit, they're fine.
Monster cable is a terrible brand. Part of their business model was to sue anyone using "monster" in their name. they've even sued companies that just sell audio cables. They litigate until you can't afford your defense and then they make an offer where you can pay them royalties to continue your business.
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Post by sean on Feb 28, 2024 8:37:35 GMT -6
Personally I really like the Monster Performer 500 (I think that's the model) we have a bunch at the studio....some are 20 years old and never had a problem. They don't kink up, lay flat on the floor...really no need to gaff tape or toss a rug over them in fear of something tripping on them. Now, I would never pay what they cost new, but considering they are usually very cheap second hand I always pick them up when I see them.
Otherwise, I just build cables or there will be a studio sale or estate sale and someone will have a pile of Mogami or Canare cables with good Switchcraft or Neutrik connector and I'll always buys those.
I have a handful of LyxPro cables and they are nice for the money. I think you'll be find with Cable Matters as well...I don't think I have any microphone cables from them but have bought stuff like TRS to RCA cables from them and they've been good quality
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Post by tasteliketape on Feb 28, 2024 8:39:08 GMT -6
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Post by ragan on Feb 28, 2024 9:11:36 GMT -6
I’ve got tons of ‘off brand’ cables too. Some of them have cheap connectors that are annoying to try and repair if they break. But even among those, I’ve rarely had them break.
I usually make my own or have Redco make me a bunch. But I also have several of the Amazon basics XLR cables and they’re totally solid. I’ll probably buy more of them if I ever need more.
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Post by bubblejackets on Feb 28, 2024 9:41:17 GMT -6
Thumbs up vote for Cable Matters. I had an outboard xlr connetor not playing well with a patchbay connector so I stuck a shorty Cable Matters one inbetween and it’s been fine (it just fit better). I’ve also used their normal xlr’s for outside gigs and they’ve been holding up. Fingers crossed! I still default to well made mogami 2549 otherwise, but honestly probably not any difference in durability or sound?
Guitar cables I’ve been using ones from btpa.com for a while now originally cuz they were lower capacitance than some others. But maybe going on a decade later for the oldest and they’re still holding up after stage usage. And they come in cool colors (seafoam green being one) haha.
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Post by jcoutu1 on Feb 28, 2024 9:52:07 GMT -6
I have a ton of GLS Audio cables from either Amazon or the GLS site. Got a bunch of warehouse deals on GLS cables from Amazon too. Good flex to them and they’ve been working for me for years now. They have Black Fridays sales or whatever too.
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Post by doubledog on Feb 28, 2024 10:01:27 GMT -6
I have a few cables and a snake from Monoprice. Some of them are really nice. Also a couple mic cables from Kirlin (which were cheap on Amazon) and seem to be built well. For most short runs, I honestly can't tell the difference in sound (unless they really suck or are broken).
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Post by notneeson on Feb 28, 2024 10:03:32 GMT -6
I have a mish mash. The worst experience I had was when I bought a fake TRS cable on Amazon. Took the sleeve off when it didn’t work and realized it was actually TS under the hood. Infuriating.
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Post by brenta on Feb 28, 2024 10:33:08 GMT -6
I've bought some of the cheap GLS off Amazon and they worked fine. If you can spend a bit more (but still less than mogami), Sweetwater sells Pro Co cables with a lifetime warranty. I haven't had to use the warranty on those cables before, but Sweetwater has been super easy to deal with when I've had issues with other products under warranty. I've never bothered shooting out line-level cables so I can't comment on sound quality.
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Post by brenta on Feb 28, 2024 10:33:38 GMT -6
I have a mish mash. The worst experience I had was when I bought a fake TRS cable on Amazon. Took the sleeve off when it didn’t work and realized it was actually TS under the hood. Infuriating. Do you know what brand that was? That would piss me off too! |
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Post by jacobamerritt on Feb 28, 2024 10:39:19 GMT -6
I've had good luck with Audiopile and Monoprice for the bulk of my cable.
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Post by notneeson on Feb 28, 2024 12:06:28 GMT -6
I have a mish mash. The worst experience I had was when I bought a fake TRS cable on Amazon. Took the sleeve off when it didn’t work and realized it was actually TS under the hood. Infuriating. Do you know what brand that was? That would piss me off too! It was definitely a rando, I'll see what I can dig up. And to Jacob's point below above, I forgot about Audiopile, have been happy with them too. |
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Post by trappist on Feb 28, 2024 12:15:32 GMT -6
Bought off-brand. Now I buy Gotham or Grimm. I have a Evidence Audio Forte arriving from geistnote.com arriving soon. Like what I researched about it.
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Post by notneeson on Feb 28, 2024 12:20:37 GMT -6
I have a mish mash. The worst experience I had was when I bought a fake TRS cable on Amazon. Took the sleeve off when it didn’t work and realized it was actually TS under the hood. Infuriating. Do you know what brand that was? That would piss me off too! Looks like it was called DS18. It was 2017, so a little fuzzy, but I went back through my orders and found it (probably). |
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Post by chessparov on Feb 28, 2024 13:06:41 GMT -6
I stick with Genovese Cables (Formerly Gotti). And they're highly Connected. Anything else is simply a crime. Capice? Chris P.S. Lifetime Warranty too. Yours!  |
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Post by schlep on Feb 28, 2024 14:26:36 GMT -6
Mentioned several times… make your own. Saves a lot of $$$. I won’t even consider buying pre-made cables.
Mogami, Canare, Neutrik and SwitchCraft all readily available.
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Post by jmoose on Feb 28, 2024 14:27:17 GMT -6
There are cheap cables, and then there are cheap cables from Audiopile. Most suck. The audiopile certainly don't. www.audiopile.net/microphone-instrument-dmx-and-adaptor-cables Not sure how many I've used over the years... metric shit ton. Not only in my own shop but a few others that I've built/wired for other people. From simple TRS shortie patchbay cables to stage boxes to XLR to whatever... all good & very very few failures. Certainly as good as the "premium" guitar store stuff like ProCo. Not that there's anything wrong with proco either... Most of my outboard snakes are proco. Bunch of XLR's too! Maybe last year I picked up a half dozen or so planet waves XLR for the live sound rig & general spares. They're "ok" - Connectors are a quality neutrik style and fit everything fine but the quality of the wire, well its a little twisty. Not the worst ever but they are budget cables and it shows when 'ya coil 'en up. I wouldn't touch anything from seismic or most of those other off brands. I've had them get jammed into other connectors and its not a totally awesome feeling to need vice grips & brute force to yank a cheap XLR out of a very expensive microphone or some other piece of gear. Past that? Get a decent soldering station and learn how to roll your own. Its not terribly hard and when your buying parts in bulk? Way, way, way cheaper then anything you'll ever find at retail. |
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Post by indiehouse on Feb 28, 2024 15:07:41 GMT -6
There’s a brand someone here turned me on to. Worlds Best Cables on Amazon, I think? They make cables with name brand parts for near DIY prices. Crazy.
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Post by notneeson on Feb 28, 2024 15:32:13 GMT -6
There’s a brand someone here turned me on to. Worlds Best Cables on Amazon, I think? They make cables with name brand parts for near DIY prices. Crazy. That might have been me, I got a 3 pack of Gotham/Amphenols for something like $70? I think they're 15', if I recall. |
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ericn
Temp
Balance Engineer
Posts: 16,107 
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Post by ericn on Feb 28, 2024 16:01:59 GMT -6
There are cheap cables, and then there are cheap cables from Audiopile. Most suck. The audiopile certainly don't. www.audiopile.net/microphone-instrument-dmx-and-adaptor-cables Not sure how many I've used over the years... metric shit ton. Not only in my own shop but a few others that I've built/wired for other people. From simple TRS shortie patchbay cables to stage boxes to XLR to whatever... all good & very very few failures. Certainly as good as the "premium" guitar store stuff like ProCo. Not that there's anything wrong with proco either... Most of my outboard snakes are proco. Bunch of XLR's too! Maybe last year I picked up a half dozen or so planet waves XLR for the live sound rig & general spares. They're "ok" - Connectors are a quality neutrik style and fit everything fine but the quality of the wire, well it’s a little twisty. Not the worst ever but they are budget cables and it shows when 'ya coil 'en up. I wouldn't touch anything from seismic or most of those other off brands. I've had them get jammed into other connectors and its not a totally awesome feeling to need vice grips & brute force to yank a cheap XLR out of a very expensive microphone or some other piece of gear. Past that? Get a decent soldering station and learn how to roll your own. Its not terribly hard and when your buying parts in bulk? Way, way, way cheaper then anything you'll ever find at retail. Nailed it, do realize that with many no name cables, your not buying from a manufacturer but a wholesaler who buys from who ever is cheap on a given day so an order of 5 of the same cable may in m fact be from 5 different manufacturers. In a world where branding matters more than quality also understand that not all Neutrik connectors are created equal, the crimpable ones suck except for quick fixes. I do fear the day when a major retailer or 2, or 3 convince Neutrik or Mogami ( in the US Mogami is distributed by Marshall electronics best know for cheap CCTV equipment and as the importer of MXL) that a budget line will mean more $ for everyone. |
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Post by Bat Lanyard on Feb 28, 2024 16:03:11 GMT -6
I make all of mine but I've heard Eric Valentine say in his channel videos he's got Hosa all over the place in his setup. As long as the connections are good I wouldn't worry about using cheaper ones.
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Post by doubledog on Feb 28, 2024 16:29:20 GMT -6
I make all of mine but I've heard Eric Valentine say in his channel videos he's got Hosa all over the place in his setup. As long as the connections are good I wouldn't worry about using cheaper ones. speaking of connections --- caig.com/product/deoxit-d100l-2c/every so often I put some on a TRS cable and lube my patch bay. Good for the patch cables too. I had to tear apart the patch bay (and put this stuff on the back side connections too) so hopefully it stays good for several years (prevents - or slows - oxidization which will occur over time). |
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Post by bossanova on Feb 28, 2024 16:40:56 GMT -6
I think Monoprice is the only mic cable brand I have that went bad and started spitting out a ton of noise.
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