Audio Cables, Adapters and XLR Snakes

Reading the connector ends: XLR, TRS, TS and 3.5 mm

Three-pin XLR is the standard microphone connector and carries a balanced signal. A microphone cable has a female end for the microphone and a male end for the mixer. A 6.35 mm plug is either TS (tip and sleeve), for unbalanced instrument signals, or TRS (tip, ring and sleeve), for balanced line signals or stereo headphones. A 3.5 mm TRRS plug adds a fourth contact for a headset microphone, so a TRS cable may not work with a headset or phone. Adapters change the plug, not the signal type.

Cable type, length and gauge for the job

Instrument cables are shielded for weak signals and should stay fairly short, because long unbalanced runs pick up noise. Balanced microphone cables can run much longer. Speaker cable carries amplifier power on two thick conductors and should never be swapped with an instrument cable. A lower AWG number means a thicker conductor, which matters over distance. A snake bundles many microphone lines into one cable with a stage box, saving clutter on long runs, while a short patch cable links pedals or rack gear.

Questions about Audio Cables, Adapters and XLR Snakes

Can I use a microphone XLR cable as a speaker cable?

No. Speaker outputs carry far more power than microphone cable is designed for, and XLR ends invite mix-ups with microphone inputs. Use proper speaker cable with the connectors your amplifier and speakers specify.

Why does my headset microphone not work through a 3.5 mm cable?

Headsets use a TRRS plug, which carries both audio and microphone. A TRS cable has only three contacts, so the microphone signal is lost. Check that both ends are TRRS and that your device uses the same wiring layout.

How long can a microphone cable be?

Balanced XLR cable can run tens of meters with little loss, which is why snakes work on big stages. Unbalanced instrument cables are best kept to a few meters, since they pick up hum and lose high frequencies over distance.