Microphone cables

Microphone cables tend to be those snakelike things that you constantly trip over in a recording studio. Mic cables are pretty much one standard type (actually two, but one of them is usually not an option if we're talking about quality).

I'll be explaining a bit about how to choose high quality microphone cables, as this is quite important for the recorded sound quality.

Unbalanced cables

A.k.a. 2 connector cables. These are cables that are most commonly used with consumer audio equipment. They are also used in recording studios, but sparingly (like connecting a guitar and amp). You will run a higher risk of hiss, hum and other interference with unbalanced cables. These cable types include the RCA connectors.

Balanced XLR microphone cables

A.k.a. 3 connector cables. These are shielded cables that provide a balanced signal. These are the preferred mic cables in any recording studio. Because of their design they have virtually no signal loss even in extremely long cables.

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Cable length

This might be of great importance or none at all, depending on the type of microphone you choose. If you have a low cost mic that uses a 2 connector cable, you want to keep the length of the cable as short as possible (shorter than 20 ft.). This is to prevent any signal loss.

3 connector cables (XLR cables) are shielded against electro-magnetic interference and can be quite long (several hundred feet) without significant signal loss.

Mic cable recommendation

I would recommend the Mogami Gold Studio Microphone Cable. It's a little more expensive than the average cable, but the high accuracy, low noise and flexibility weighs up for it.

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