By Full Compass LiveBoost your sound, organization, and peace of mind with these affordable audio accessories
It’s the new year, so it’s time for new year’s resolutions. You can’t go wrong making resolutions to improve workflow, as well as make your professional life easier—and if there’s one thing almost everything we do has in common, it’s cables. These five cable accessories are all designed to improve your quality of life in the new year. While consumers may be busy “cutting the cord,” let’s elevate our cables.
TESTING, TESTING...1, 2, 3...IS THIS THING ON?
Cable testers aren’t of much use unless they can test all your cables, and the Behringer CT200 is an overachiever: it handles XLR, Speakon, phonoDefinition:
Short for phonograph., 1/4” TRSDefinition:
(Tip Ring Sleeve) Phone style connector. 3 conductor (Stereo) originally 1/4" diameter, also 1/8" and smaller and the TT style for patchbays. Used for headphones and patching., 1/8” TRS, RCADefinition:
(Radio Corporation of America) Known for the (RCA) phono plug and jack, among many other inventions. See: Phone Plug, Phono Jack. phono, RJ45Definition:
Also called 8P8C connector. An 8-conductor connector for Cat5/6 cabling for Ethernet, Dante, and HDBaseT and other video-over-twisted pair extenders. (CAT5), MIDI/DIN, and USBDefinition:
(Universal Serial Bus) A standard, bi-directional serial connection between computers and peripheral devices.. It can check for continuity, intermittent or shorted connectors, the presence of phantom powerDefinition:
A source of power for a microphone (usually condenser) that travels to the microphone over the microphone's cable. There are different voltage standards and requirements for different microphones, but the most common standard is 48 Volts. It derives its name because there is no visible power cable., and grounded shields. What’s more, it’s a test-tone generator with 1 kHzDefinition:
Abbreviation for Kilohertz: 1,000 Hertz, or one thousand cycles per second. for testing audio gearDefinition:
Musical or performance equipment. and A-440 HzDefinition:
Abbreviation for Hertz. Unit of measurement for frequency, formerly called CPS (Cycles Per Second), that measures periodic waves, audio and radio frequencies, and mechanical repetitive motion. Example: 1000 Hz means a periodic waveform has 1000 cycles/vibrations per second. for musical instrument tuning; available output levels are +4 dBuDefinition:
A specific type of deciBel whose 0 dBu reference point is 0.775V with an open circuit. Also equals -2.2 dBV., -10 dBvDefinition:
A specific type of deciBel whose 0 dBv reference point is 1.0V with an open circuit. -10dBV is a standard level for consumer-grade audio equipment., or -50 dBv. There’s no more need to waste time wondering whether your audio or dataDefinition:
Information used by a computer in order to arrive at a decision. Although this is a plural term, it's often treated in the singular. cables have a problem—just whip out this handy, compact tester, and get your answer in seconds.
WIN AT “CABLE HIDE-AND-GO-SEEK”
And while we’re on the subject of cables...with so many installations, it’s often essential to trace wires or cables. The ECL400-011 takes care of that task easily and efficiently, even with bundled cables. The package includes a Tone Generator with test leads, RJ-11 jackDefinition:
A connector, normally female, that works in conjunction wit a plug. Usually located in a piece of equipment, or as part of a cable., continuity and tone modes, and LEDDefinition:
LED (Light-Emitting Diode): A semiconductor light generator used in displays, television, pointers and for general illumination. It is a low-power replacement for incandescent lamps. display, along with an amplifierDefinition:
1. A device that increases the voltage or power of a signal. 2. In music performance, a device such as a guitar amplifier that includes speakers and controls to increase the sound level of acoustic or electric instruments. probe with earphone jack and signal LED for signal strength indication. You can locate and test any kind of copper cabling media (including shielded or UPT cable), 75 or 50 ohmDefinition:
A unit of measurement for resistance to the flow of electrical current. coax cable, 10 Base-T or 10/100 Base-T datacom networks, POTSDefinition:
(jargon) (Plain Old Telephone Service) A standard 2-wire analog telephone connection. telecom service, and more—with a testing range of 4,900 feet. When you need to identify cables quickly and easily (including hidden cables), and verify conductorDefinition:
A material that presents little or no resistance to the flow of electrical current. continuity, the ECL400-011 is your friend.
IT’S A WRAP!
If one of your new year’s resolutions is better cable organization, look no further. Sure, you can buy sets of cable ties or wraps, but they’re not always the exact size you need. With Hosa’s WTI-501, you can cut your cable tie to size from a 15’ roll of black velcro, with nylon loops on one side, and nylon hooks on the other. Cut what you need to length, wrap it around your cables—done. It’s fast, easy, and economical because you can use only what you need. Just add scissors!
WHEN YOU DON’T WANT THINGS HUMMING ALONG
Few things are more annoying than humDefinition:
An undesired continuous signal caused by AC electrical power, typically 60/50 Hz and its harmonics.. You try different grounding schemes, filterDefinition:
1. (audio) A circuit that reduces certain frequencies, e.g., a low-pass or high-pass filter for audio. See also: Equalizer. 2. (optics) reduces certain color wavelengths or polarizations. the ACDefinition:
(Alternating Current): Current whose electrical flow alternates between positive and negative quadrants, and whose magnitude varies periodically. Alternating current is used in most commercial power transmission, and is also the basis of audio or video signals. line, even take a chance with dangerous groundDefinition:
A common zero-volt potential connection, commonly used for both electrical noise control and safety, and usually connected to the ground of the earth through a spike, plumbing, or electrical wiring that leads eventually to an earth connection. AKA: Earth. lifts. Fortunately, there’s an easy way to break ground loops safely: the Ebtech Hum Eliminator, which also leaves all signal grounds intact. It converts automatically between balanced and unbalancedDefinition:
A two-conductor signal connection where one wire connects to ground. Unbalanced connections are prone to ground loop hum if equipment is not in close proximity. line at either end, includes XLR inputs and outputs, and uses an all-passiveDefinition:
An electrical device or circuit whose parts require no power (e.g., there are no transistors or tubes). design to avoid signal degradation. The crosstalkDefinition:
An undesired audio signal that originates from adjacent wires or adjacent channels. between channels is better than -97 dBDefinition:
1. A deciBel is a logarithmic ratio between two quantities, and is a nonlinear measurement that mimics human perception. 2. A unit expressing sound levels relative to a nominal level just audible by the average human ear, and equal to 1/10th of a Bel. 3. (slang) Database., and the frequency responseDefinition:
The range of frequencies that an audio, video or data device can pass. is 20 Hz to 70 kHz, ±0.5 dB. (Note that the maximum source impedanceDefinition:
Also abbreviated as Z. The resistance to AC current flow, measured in ohms (similar to, but not necessarily, the same as DC resistance). is 1k ohm, while the minimum loadDefinition:
The energy or capacity consumed by a device. impedance is 10k ohm.) So go ahead—nuke that hum, and clean up your audio.
IT’S NOT ONLY BLOODHOUNDS WHO SNIFF OUT PROBLEMS
Cable testers are great—if you can access both cable ends. But for long runs and chasing down phantom power issues, you need a cable bloodhound that can sniff out problems. TecNec’s ST-XLR-SS Rat Sniffer-Sender Test Set does exactly that by delivering a battery-powered, XLR female sender voltageDefinition:
Also called electro-motive Force (EMF). The "charge potential" or pressure of electrons that causes current to flow in a circuit. source that tests potential XLR line faults. Meanwhile, the XLR male cable tester can use either the sender or phantom power as a test source. Armed with the sender and tester, you can test out snakeDefinition:
A cable with multiple internal cables in a common jacket. systems quickly and easily, as well as check cables whose ends are far away from each other. Both units are compact, fit easily in your pocket, and use color-coded LEDs to indicate shorts, opens, or crossed wires in XLR cables, as well as whether any problems are with a mic or the line feeding it. We’re in favor of anything that speeds troubleshooting—and the Rat Sniffer qualifies.
