Being a performer is so much more than just getting on the stage, jumping around and screaming “Put your hands up!”. Experienced musicians know that every part of their music equipment is important. The proper sound check equipment, the music instruments cases, the powerful speakers – it all has to be in perfect condition. But what many musicians rarely pay attention to, is the huge importance of the microphone cable.
The microphone cable plays a huge role in a singer’s performance as it transmits the sound from the microphone to the speakers. Although you may think it’s just a plain cable and it does not have to be anything special, there are many boxes that a microphone cable should successfully tick:
- Make the Sound Come Out Smoother – You should be able to rely on it to get you through a live performance without making any ear-piercing noise;
- Have Tight Inside Wiring – It should withstand being dragged and stepped on;
- Flexible – If the lead singer wants to twirl it around, it should be flexible and not to obstruct the movement of the sound.
Nevertheless, not all cables fulfil all of these requirements. Many musicians delude themselves thinking that buying a proper, high quality microphone cable makes no difference and that they can use any spare cord they have lying around. But experienced ones are well aware of the fact that an adequate cable will kick their performance up a notch. I’ll let you in on an secret – the best one for the matter is the XLR cable.
This type of cable is named after the connectors on its both ends. The connectors are circular and consist out of 3 to 7 pins. They are designed to achieve a balanced audio interconnection, but are also found on video and stage lighting equipment. XLR cable connectors are available in both male and female versions. To get the best sound quality, pick a cable that has both of them on different ends. Attach the female connector on the microphone and the male one on the equipment receiving the signal, typically a speaker or a computer.
When picking an XLR, do not be stingy. If you want a hum-free performance, avoid the Chinese cables that can be found basically everywhere. They’ll break after a few weeks, and even worse – this could happen in the middle of your performance. With a high-quality XLR cable, you can relax and perform at your best, resting assured that your voice is efficiently transmitted.
