DEBRIS.COMgood for a laugh, or possibly an aneurysm

Standard mic cables present a routing challenge for drummers. Microphone capsules need to point more or less down at a drum head; therefore the cable points more or less up — interfering with other drums and cymbals. On a tight kit, mic placement is a pain.

Small mics help. But the really helpful thing is to have 90° adapters on the female end of the XLR cable. That way, the cable can be routed away or down, rather than up.

I shopped around. These cables are hard to find. At first I tried to find a simple 90° adapter, male to female XLR, so I could ‘convert’ my mic cables for use in tight spaces. But I believe nobody makes such an adapter.

A soundman friend turned me on to an inexpensive drum-specific XLR cable from Audix, sold here for $18 (at the time that I write this). I disliked this cable for three reasons: at 25 feet, it’s too long; I couldn’t find any information about the connectors, which in my opinion affect sound quality and product life; the cable itself is not a 4-conductor design, which makes it (according to cable manufacturers) more susceptible to electromagnetic interference and noise.

I found a superior solution at Markertek.com. They can make mic cables using Canare “Star Quad” 4-conductor cable and Neutrik XLR connectors, with a 90° female end. The price is about $25 apiece, including a lifetime warranty. Ask for item #SC15XXJA.

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