[Harp-L] Harp-L Digest, Vol 171, Issue 3

[Greg Heumann]

Hi, Dennis

Mic cables and adapters take a beating. No cable or adapter lasts forever. With regard to cables with screw-on connectors - there is really no provision in the connector for adequate strain relief, so they don’t always last as other kinds of cables. Still, their light weight, short connection and easy adaptation make them popular to this day.  The spring does nothing to prevent both pulling and spinning strain - and the cable spinning inside the connector is the most common cause of early failure. Harp-specific vendors like me take lots of extra steps in the construction of our cables to guard against these failure modes but even our cables aren’t invincible. Replacing your cable every once in a while is simply part of any musician’s ongoing expenses. 

The Switchcraft 332 adapter (screw-on to 1/4”) ALSO fails over time. The long and narrow design prevents use of a really strong springy contact for the tip of 1/4” plug. 

When you experience symptoms (starts out as intermittent static or interrupted signal, gets progressively worse with time) - you can confirm it is the screw-on connector/cable or adapter by simply stressing that while you pay - wiggle it back and forth, side to side, twist the cable a little left and right, etc. If you can reproduce the symptom, the problem is in your hand. If not - then start looking to the rest of your amplification system.

/Greg

http://blowsmeaway.com
http://facebook.com/blowsmeawayproductions

"You’re going to like the way you sound. I guarantee it."



> Date: Fri, 3 Nov 2017 15:07:04 -0400
> From: dennis moriarty <yodennism at xxxxx <mailto:yodennism at xxxxx>>
> Subject: [Harp-L] Cable to bullet-mike connections?
> 
> I have an abundance of cables and 3 or 4 mikes and do a bunch of gigs (17 in October) so my equipment gets a workout. Lately I've been having intermittent connection losses (often prefaced with a little static) with a couple of mikes. I had my amps gone over. I know my question(s) are vague and naive but do you find cables to be precarious on bullets when connected by either a cable screw -on or a connector screw -on and the cable jack into it?  Thanks for the attn! Dennis Moriarty
> 
> http://facebook.com/yodennis <http://facebook.com/yodennis>     
> http://www.youtube.com/user/bigdennism <http://www.youtube.com/user/bigdennism>
> 
>