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My mics came with 15 ft XLR-XLR cables.  Would it be OK to connect a 25 ft XLR-XLR to the 15 ft, for a total of 40 ft?

I'd like to route the mic cables behind some furniture to get them out of the way of foot traffic at home.

Thanks,

Adam

I do it.....that doesn't mean it's ok though... ....I usually put some electical tape on the connection.....don't know if that's cosher either....

Should be ok, was told it was ok by my music shop. But there always is some minor loss by each additional connection and ft of wire.

Ideally wires are all short and have few connections. Of course that is never the case.

Every connection has a small chance of shorting out/getting a beer poured on it, stepped on etc. But you should be ok until that happens. The main problem is anohter opportunity to be a loose connection.

Most likely the electrical loss at the connection will be undetectable. String 10 cables each 5ft long and you might notice some minor loss, but even then I doubt it. On the other hand pulling on such cables by the singers would eventually break the connection and make you plug them back together.

I have seen a single XLR lowZ cable ran 100ft with no measurable signal loss. But i don't hook two or more together, just asking for trouble. But it will work.

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They are balanced cables, no problem.

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Go for it.....you are dealing with very low power levels so run length is not a big issue.....

Poor connections and signal bleed can be an issue tho.....So never run any mic level cable near a speaker cable or 110 volt power cable.....It's ok if they cross each other at 90 degrees, but never run them alongside each other unless separated by several inches of air space......The longer the distance they run parallel to each other, the farther they need to be apart.


Next time you are in radio shack buy yourself a cheap soldering iron and stuff it in your gig bag........Then when you got the time and money, shop for high quality bulk cable and connectors. Not just mic cable and XLR connectors, but also line level TRS cable and jacks....build up a stock of those items and then learn to make/repair your own cables....It really is easy and will save you lots of money in the long run.

Keith you old dog. Welcome back.

To add to this, if the cable is shielded, running them alongside each other should not be a problem. If it's well sheilded, power cable shouldn't be an issue either.

The problem you will face is signal loss. The cable length is not so much a problem, it's very small drop in signal. It's the capacitance that is created by non conducting material (such as air, grease, rust, etc.) sandwiched between two conducting material, pins and sockets of the connectors. If there is a tight connection between the connectors and there is a good conduction that happens, you shouldn't get too much drop in signal. If the connection is lose or you have dirt where the connectors meet, you will get high capacitance and thus reduction in signal.

One way to prevent is to make sure your pins and sockets are very clean and clear of foreign matter. You can use those de-ox compound and coat the metal parts, including the casing where the shielding is mated to ground, or use isotope alcohol to clean them out and dry thoroughly before use.

If you do these things, then you shouldn't have too much problem with using two cables.

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Hello Eben, you DA MAN!...And yep to all the above.

...AND even tho the connections are all clean, tite n shiny they can still leak signal......so never place a connection in a low Z cable anywhere near 110VAC or speaker cable...It's a radio frequency thang.

ALL connections offer an air gap in the insulation of the cabling that will allow higher power signal to leak in....Leaks make noise above noise floor of even the best equipment and your best efforts to achieve a straight thru gain window......HIIIIIISSSSSSS, snap crackle pop

Agreed with all the above would run balanced whether mic or line.  The main thing is have the same brand of plug on each end Pins 2 *3 (hot are usually a problem) but the outer shell which is shield ground might a sloppy connection between different brands and cause intermiitent crap.Two quick solutions run a wire and put one end in under the clamp screw on one connector and to the other clamp screw or wrap tight in tin foil..

In a permanent gig I make custom lengths for the powered speakers. I actually run 3 mics back, audio to the speakers and stage monitor and video to the stage tv through a 50 foot snake no problems.

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Thanks for the input - I'll give it a shot.  

These cables will be permanently routed behind furniture, and the connection of the 2 cables will be hidden and safe behind furniture.  The cables are new and clean, and I've treated the conductors with Pro-Gold.  So, I don't expect connection problems to develop.  They will be different brands though.

These mic cables will have to run over/near some speaker cable, subwoofer RCA  and power cables, so I'll keep an ear out for hum or other problems.

Please describe how you have the system set up....you know, where everything is placed....the speakers, mixer, amps, mics.

My home set up has my mains across the room facing the singers who stand all the way at the other end of the room....The amps are located between the speakers with the lyrics monitor sitting on top the subs.

My mixer and effects rack including computer and players are also on the back wall near the singers.....That way I only send mixer out to the amps using long mic cables and a single video all bundled together....no A/C or long speaker runs are necessary because the amps are in a rack between to speakers.

If you're going to permanently mount them, then you should just get the length you need, I thought it was a temporary fix to achieve a longer run.

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My home theater and PA equipment are in the front of the room, below a front projector screen.  Flanking the projector screen are my main music and HT left and right speakers.  For Karaoke, I put separate speakers (to handle vocals only) on top of my main left and right speakers.

My sub is the right front corner of the room.

I have a loveseat and end table along the right wall.

I have a couch in front of a ½ wall that separates the home theater from bar area of my basement.  This ½ wall is parallel to the front wall, so this couch is directly in front of the projector screen, about 14 ft away.  

When singing, folks sit on the couch or stand in front of the couch facing the projector screen.  Currently, 2 mic cables are run from the mixer right to the couch, meaning that they are tripping hazards right in the middle of the room.

My plan is to run longer mic cables around the right side of the room and the ½ wall, almost completely hidden by the sub, loveseat, and end table and couch.  The mic cables will enter back into the room at each end of the couch.  A single 25 ft cable will work fine for the right end of the couch.  I need about 40 ft for the left end of the couch, which is why I planned to connect a 25 ft to 15 ft I own.  I guess I could buy a 40 or 50 ft if I want to keep the longer run a single cable

When I say permanent, I mean that there will be no reason to move or disconnect the cables in the foreseeable future as Karaoke has become a permanent part of our basement entertainment.

edit: double post

I agree with Lonny with this. If you are going to set up permanently, I would use one length, specially if they are two different brands. The problem is that each manufacturer has slightly different impedance and that may cause signal reflection. You want to match the impedance as close as possible to avoid that. The best way, of course, is to use a single cable. For a permanent set up, that would be the best solution.

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Just curious, would connecting two cables be any better/worse/different than using a XLR wall plate?  I'm not planning to use a wall plate, just curious.

Also, if I could hear no difference between a single run and two connected cables, would that mean that the connection isn't causing any issues?

I already bought two 25 footers locally (Dayton Audio from Parts Express), but I could return one for a 50 footer if necessary.  I was just hoping to save a few bucks and use one of the cables I already owned, as well as use the shortest run necessary to meet the need.

Sounds like most folks would recommend a single 50 ft over a 15 ft and 25 ft combined.

We have installed intercom cltv (closed loop tv) and other systems using wall plates (at audio freqs there is no loss). We used wall plates in auditorium or announce systems. Along with the total installation including audio and tv antenna distribution audio was not that critical as far as connections or cable type. Video requires more consideration and connectors are still not much of a factor as far as db loss. Vhf requires an rf cable and drops have about a 1/2 db loss. Uhf cannot be run through 100 feet of cable without amplification and the cable cannot be bent 90 degrees . Radar takes waveguides..half an ohm at uhf kills the signal The cable impedance and type (Belden 8412  audio for the purists) or connectors is not that critical without corrosion or loose connectors. This is 50 years experience and 2 engineering degrees opinion.

The most important thing about audio is GROUND GROUND GROUND..  BALANCE BALANCE  BALANCE. (or proper single ended cable connections).. Audio is not a problem other than power supply or interference. Never loop cables. Double shielded TRS is the best. At mic levels  -60 db good connections and ohms are a factor but standard practices eliminate problems even at sea level and salt water corrosion conditions..

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I've used some of this cable (probably at least 300 foot making up various cables) This is pretty good cable, 22 gage, 95% shield, built well and the all important pliable. Judging by the conditions I've exposed this cable to I doubt seriously you will have any trouble in home use. I have to run mic cables all over a stage and yes even near AC voltage and I'm talking 220V light show type voltage, dimmer packs and in wall dimmer's ( just not the kind of place that lends itself to a humless life )and I've never experienced any problems from outside interference with it. As Keith has already suggested, it is far cheaper (especially for longer length cable) to buy the cable and ends and build your own. Their are plenty of sites on line that show you how to do it. Don't be afraid of the Dayton cable ends either, I've used them as well as the Neutrik and I see little difference in quality.

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Quickness of mind will deceive the eye

Well I tried a little experiment comparing the following:
1) 25ft Dayton Audio mic cable
2) 25ft Dayton Audio mic cable connected to 15ft Shure cable that came with PG48 mics

I had a separate mic set-up each way, each into its own input on the mixer so I could switch back and forth on the fly.

I could definitely hear a subtle difference between the two set-ups just using my own vocals (dry) in a speaking or singing voice.  The single Dayton cable has a slightly cleaner, more detailed sound, with more presence and high frequency detail in “sss” and “ch” sounds.  The lower registers also sound a little less muddy and more distinct with the single Dayton cable.  These differences were subtle, but were there.  My 11 year-old daughter (the usual guinea pig for these types of experiments) could pick up on the differences right away.

I switched mics and inputs, and the difference always stayed with the cables.

The differences could be from
1) the added length of the 15 ft Shure cable
2) the connection between the two cables
3) the Shure cable itself
4) a combination of the above.

Just out of curiosity, I plan to do a little head to head comparison of the Shure and Dayton cables by themselves, which will remove a couple variables.

This little experiment has convinced me to NOT connect cables together…I’m too anal to allow a even a slight difference in the way each mic will sound.