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Ready to ship
55,000 Products
UK Team in London
Mega Store in Cologne
Money Back
30 Day Return Policy
The right cabling truly matters. Even with high-end studio gear, a poor cable can throttle performance. Treat cable quality as a priority — don’t let a weak link become the bottleneck in your signal chain.
Most microphones now use a 3-pin XLR connection. These microphone cables are balanced with three conductors and remain low-noise over long runs — unlike unbalanced lines. Vintage mics may require an adapter to today’s XLR standard.
Connectors matter as much as the cable itself: cheap plugs without strain relief tend to fail. Neutrik has become the industry standard for robust reliability.
For no-compromise performance, brands like Vovox and Mogami deliver reference-grade results. For excellent value, choose Cordial or Sommer Cable.
Digital over XLR (e.g., AES/EBU or S/PDIF) looks like a mic lead but requires correct impedance: 110 Ω (AES/EBU) and 75 Ω (S/PDIF, often coaxial RCA). AES/EBU and S/PDIF can be bridged via digital RCA↔XLR adapter cables.
Balanced or unbalanced?
Unbalanced leads use a shield and a single conductor — common for guitar/bass — and are more susceptible to interference (PSUs, screens).
Balanced lines carry two conductors and cancel noise. In studios, prefer balanced TRS or XLR; avoid RCA where possible.
There’s no audible difference between balanced TRS and XLR — XLR is simply more robust mechanically.
Guitars and basses typically use an unbalanced instrument cable. Here, length strongly affects tone: longer runs lose top-end. Choose the shortest practical length.
Depending on the instrument’s jack position, straight or right-angled plugs may fit better. To prevent hot-plug pops, the Neutrik silentPLUG mutes the signal while inserting/removing the lead.
There’s a solution for almost any connector combination. Where possible, use a dedicated cable rather than adapters — every extra contact point is a failure risk. Adapters are fine for short-term setups and testing.
Plan runs and lengths to keep things tidy and avoid cable clutter. Multicore solutions bundle signals (live room → control room) and improve oversight. Clearly label stageboxes and patchbays; choose locking XLR chassis to prevent accidental unplugging.
Digital connections are common in studios: low-loss and resistant to interference over long distances. Optical (fibre) lines are frequent. Always verify connector standards on both ends.
For data & control, use data cables (e.g., network). Since the 1980s, MIDI has linked devices; today, many systems also communicate via USB.
Beyond the usual suspects, you’ll find many specialised leads: insert/Y cables (e.g., for compressors), headphone extensions, and more. Audit your gear’s I/O and plan the connections you may need.
If you can solder, you can make custom-length cables and save money. For complex multi-pin connectors, a factory-terminated cable often makes more sense.
Balanced: two signal conductors + ground; inverted phase cancels noise — ideal for long runs and professional applications (mics, monitors, line-level).
Unbalanced: one conductor + ground; simpler but more susceptible to interference — suitable for short runs or devices without balanced I/O (guitar, keyboard).
Premium is advisable for long runs, fixed installs and critical recording. In a home studio, a good mid-range cable is often sufficient for short distances.
Tip: For long instrument runs, use a DI box to balance the signal.
Digital links are excellent for noise-free transmission over long distances or where multiple channels must travel on one line. AES/EBU typically uses XLR, S/PDIF uses RCA or Toslink, and optical systems (ADAT, MADI) carry many channels over very long runs.
Adapters are handy for temporary setups and testing but add contact points that can fail. For permanent connections, choose a purpose-built cable.
