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How to Make Your Own Mic Cables

Microphone cables are used to connect an output device to your microphone. Although there are microphones that require a 1/4-inch connector when plugging into a regular sound box, most microphones use an XLR connector. XLR connectors are the usual cables used for low impedance microphones. Cables are also categorized in balanced and unbalanced types. The former pertains to those that have one ground wire and two audio conduction wires, whereas the latter only uses one audio-conducting wire. Knowing how to create your own XLR microphone cable can help you save a lot of money compared to buying a new one.

Things You'll Need

  • Soldering iron
  • Solder
  • Wire stripper
  • Microphone connector
  • Digital multimeter
  • Screwdriver
  • Electrical tape
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Instructions

    • 1

      Heat the soldering iron for 15 minutes to ensure that it is warm enough to melt the solder. While heating the iron, strip the covering of the wires’ ends using your wire stripper. Hold on to the tip of the wires and slowly clip the ends to the wire stripper. Pull it forward to fully take off the covering of the wire’s ends.

    • 2

      Grab the ends of the cable and the connector and warm the tips of the wires using the heated soldering iron. Heating the wires will create a stronger bond for the solder as you link it to the connecting wires.

    • 3

      Apply the solder to the wires to link it to the microphone connector. Make sure that you do this while the connecting areas are still warm. Plug the wires to the connecting ends of the microphone connector.

    • 4

      Repeat Steps 4 and 5 for the other connections. Do one connection at a time and repeat the procedure with the opposite end of the wire and the connector. You can also test the wires using a digital multimeter. Test a diode by checking on the dial setting of the multimeter. Plug the red probe followed by the black probe into their voltages. Hold the rear sides of the red probe and the black probe forward. The digital multimeter will make a beeping sound if the diode is bad.

    • 5

      Check the tips of the cable and see if there are any loose ends. Use the screwdriver to tighten the link of the XLR connector located at its tips. Wrap any exposed areas of the wires with electrical tape.

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