DIY Cables: XLR & TRS

[Compiled from posts originally by Graeme and SteveG]

If you have successfully made your own RCA cables, you will find XLR and 1/4" TRS a doddle. You can save a lot of money making your own cables. XLR connectors were actually designed to be easy to make and fix. But that said, some are definitely easier than others. Low cost ones can be a bit of a pain - sometimes they use a pretty dodgy means of clamping the cable. The good ones are slightly more expensive, and are usually made by Neutrik or Cannon. Some recomment Switchcraft. Once you've done a couple of XLR's, they're a breeze!

Buy a reel of good, twin core microphone cable - reels are much cheaper than a few feet from the local store and will last you a long time - but don't penny-pinch on this, use cable from a recognised manufacturer. The type of cable you use does depend somewhat on what you are doing with it. Belden cable is very well specified, or there's Belkin. Or you could try Vandamme oxygen-free cable for mics - it also makes pretty good low handling noise cable for most applications. And it's definitely cheaper by the drum!

Just make sure that you have a small soldering iron. One of those 'helping hands' devices with the flexible clips and the magnifier can be quite useful as well.

Compiled from posts originally by Graeme and SteveG

[Clintfan gives some advice on how to wire an XLR -]

Clintfan gives some advice on how to wire an XLR -

The common shield goes both to the shell lug and jumpered to pin 1 lug; white goes to pin 3 (vertex of the triangle); and black to pin 2 (assuming a black+ white color pair). If you're building an unbalanced cable, I believe the usual is to ground pin 2 or leave unconnected (main signal runs on pin 3 only). Pin 2 is the one where the key/notch is.

(mod note: Pin two is 'hot', by general convention - that's the + one.)

[Karl Zemlin added this advice -]

Karl Zemlin added this advice -

The other thing you can do when you make your own cables is "customize" them. I color coded my cables - bought pieces of heat shrink tubing in 9 different colors. I put a 2" piece near the connectors at each end of the cables. I can look at the mic, glance a the mixer, and know what goes where without tracing through the pile on the floor.

I also printed some labels with one of those little label makers they sell at Office Depot and such stores - I have both ends of each cable marked with my name and the length of the cable. Clear shrink tube protects the labels.

I have found FULL COMPASS http://www.fullcompass.com/ to be a good, economical source for cable and connectors. I bought Switchcraft XLR connectors, just 'cuz my stuff is pretty low duty-cycle and they were less expensive than Neutrik. If I were in a situation where I was doing a lot of live work and had other people handling my stuff I'd probably go for the Neutrik - their strain relief is a lot better.

I get very small heat-shrink tubing to use on the shield - over time stray strands might come off and cause a short if not protected. I also heatshrink at the end of the cable jacket.

Small diameter solder is much easier to work with when making up cables - and a wet cellulose sponge is great for keeping the tip of the iron clean.