XLR Cables

An XLR cable is a three-pin cable with a locking connector that you use to plug a microphone into a mixer or audio interface, or to connect an active speaker or studio monitor to its signal source. Here you'll find classic male-to-female XLR mic cables, as well as cables with XLR on one end only and a 6.3 mm jack, a 3.5 mm jack or an RCA (cinch) plug on the other. Most of them come in lengths of 3, 5, 6 or 10 m. They're made by Cordial, Roland, Bespeco, Klotz, Sommer Cable, Soundking and other brands.

Which end of an XLR cable goes into the mic?

The female end goes into the microphone – that's the connector with three holes and a latch. The male end, with three pins, plugs into an input: a mixer, an audio interface, a stage box or an active speaker. In other words, the signal flows from female to male. That's why the same male-to-female XLR cable does both jobs, connecting a mic and linking a mixer output to a speaker.

Why don't XLR cables pick up hum, even on stage?

XLR carries a balanced signal. Two conductors carry the same signal, one in its original phase and one with the phase inverted, while the third conductor acts as the shield. Interference from stage lighting or mains cables lands on both conductors equally, and the mixer input cancels it out. A mic cable can therefore run for tens of metres without hum, whereas an unbalanced jack or RCA lead is better kept to shorter connections. XLR also carries the 48 V phantom power that condenser microphones need.

How long should your XLR cable be?

For a mic on a desk next to your computer, 2 m XLR cables are enough. From a mic stand to the mixer in a rehearsal room or on a small stage, go for 5 m XLR cables; from the stage to the desk out in the hall, or to speakers on either side of the stage, you'll want 10 m XLR cables. If one of your devices has a jack – an audio interface with TRS outputs or a phone, for example – take a look at XLR-jack cables.