Recording - December 2013 - 8

Note to faithful writers: When sending your letters by email,
please remember to include your name and where you hail from.
Cable conundrums
Dear Eleanor Goldfield: Congratulations on your "Do It
Yourself: Fix Your Cables-Save Your Money!" article in
Recording (September 2013). Basic DIY repair articles are
badly needed in our disposable society. As an electronics engineer who has been in the audio business for many decades, I'm
constantly disappointed to see the number of "newbies" who
don't have a clue about how to do the most basic hardware
maintenance tasks such as testing and repairing a bad cable.
I think you wisely kept the focus of your article on the
actual task of soldering, which is what seems to scare people
away from doing their own basic repairs. Your comments
about getting good tools, especially a decent soldering iron,
were on target, as was your detailed explanation of how to
actually solder. As you know, having someone show you how
to properly heat and then feed solder to a connection is the
best way to learn the technique, but your simple yet complete written instructions should be extremely helpful to a
beginner if understood and followed exactly.
I'm sure that space for the article was limited, so you had
to edit down to the most important parts to include.
However, if you ever choose to expand on the article, I'd
respectfully suggest the following inclusions:
1. A section on actually using a multimeter (ohmmeter) to
check for pin-to-pin continuity and shorts. That should stress
the importance of checking for all possible short conditions.
For connectors like XLRs with metal shells, that includes not
only checking for pin-2 or pin-3 signal line shorts to pin-1,
but also checking for shorts to the connector shell.
I've seen XLRs that seem to check OK (no shorts from the
plus and minus signal lines on pins 2 and 3 to the common
on pin 1), but do have a short to the shell rather than pin 1.
Once plugged into a panel, one side of the audio signal is
grounded, unbalancing the cable and leading to noise pickup
or signal loss. This bit of troubleshooting should also include
checking TRS cables using metal shell connectors, after the
shell is screwed into place.
2. Another part that can be expanded is something that
any experienced engineer or tech never thinks about twice,
but is strange to newcomers. That is, how to actually disassemble a connector. Unless one knows that the rear part of a
Neutrik XLR unscrews, it can be a puzzle for some people to
open one up. The other connectors that always give "newbies", and sometimes even experienced techs who should
know better, a hard time are the Switchcraft XLRs with the
recessed, left-hand threaded captive set screws. Those are the
ones that need a small, flat-blade screwdriver. The left-hand
thread always confuses everyone not familiar with those particular XLRs. The Chinese "Switchcraft-clones" usually use a
removable Philips-head screw with a conventional righthand thread.
3. Finally, consider adding a little bit about how important it is to properly use a strain-relief on connectors that use
a crimped one, like most TS/TRS connectors and many of the

older XLR designs. I've seen plenty of TS cables where the
amateur who assembled them did not have any idea that the
strain relief section needed to be closed tightly around the
cable covering, and just ignored doing anything with it.
Anyway, congrats on the nice article. I look forward to
reading more of your work. Regards,
Nicholas Yasillo, Director
Norton Building Concert Series, Lockport, IL
www.nortonconcerts.com

Eleanor Goldfield replies:
Hey Nick, Thanks so much for the email! You're right-
space was limited and while I felt tempted to go off on a
few helpful tangents, I decided it best to stick to the basic
outline. While the points you brought up are important,
the Switchcraft connector (for example) is something
that isn't too difficult to figure out on your own.
Using a multimeter in depth is something that could
easily have its own article. One could discuss the various
settings and how they can be used from checking continuity to measuring the output of a wall socket.
Strain relief is also of course important, and you're
right, many people ignore it completely. I could also see
this being an article or at least section unto itself. One
example I thought of immediately is adding a zip tie and
holster to the spade lugs on the back of an 1176, so they
don't pull at the connections. Things like that are great
little tips to tighten and clean up your studio.
Thanks again for the email. I'll be writing more tech
related pieces in the future! Best-EG

Balanced praise
Dear Sean Shannon: I have read your Spectral Balancing
article in Recording (October 2013) about fifty times, and
I've found it to be by far the best article on EQ for mixing
and mastering that I have ever seen. It didn't hurt that my
new Reason 7 upgrade included a spectral analyzer so I could
put your advice to work immediately.
I have sat at seminars by famous and vastly experienced
mastering gurus at the SCL in LA and TAXI Conventions
and have read everything I could find on the subject in an
effort to improve my work, but you have said it better than
anyone. THANK YOU!
Jim Fiegen
www.3jazz3.com

Sean Shannon replies:
Dear Jim: It's exciting to see that my article was of benefit! Thanks for the letter; I really enjoy being a part of
the Recording team. Keep an eye open for more Mixing
Workshop articles in the future!-SS

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RECORDING December 2013

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Recording - December 2013

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