Connecting Musical Equipment in the Recording Studio

Setting up equipMent in a recording studio often involves large numbers of wires and connections between different pieces of equipMent. Many different types of cables can be used to connect musical equipment. Some can be used for a number of different purposes, and can therefore be a more cost-effective choice. Other types of cable are only suitable for a particular specialized function, but they may be the only type capable of performing that function. If you are putting together a new recording studio, then you should consider how you will need to connect your equipment before you begin to buy anything. This will help you to pick pieces of equipment that can easily be connected to each other, and to plan the best layout for your studio.

Microphone cables in professional recording studios are typically XLR cables. These are also known as canon cables. Microphone or XLR cables can also sometimes be used with other types of equipment. XLR cables are balanced and have three cores and three pins. They may be either mono or stereo, and they can also be either analogue or digital.

Digital XLR cables can be used to connect two digital devices together, for example a digital microphone and a digital microphone pre-amp. Low amplitude analogue mono XLR cables may be used to connect an analogue microphone with a microphone pre-amp or a mixer. They can also be used to connect a guitar DI box to a mixer. High amplitude analogue mono XLR cables can be used to connect mixing desks with professional tape recorders, effects units or dynamic processors.

Jack Plug cables are also used in recording studios. They are usually 1/4 inch jacks. These cables may be either mono or stereo. Some are balanced, but others are unbalanced. All are analogue. An unbalanced mono jack Plug cable can be used to connect drum machines, keyboards, samplers, sound modules and other pieces of equipment to a mixing desk or audio interface. They may also be used to connect a guitar with a DI box or amp. Consumer grade tape recorders or consumer 2 tracks can also be connected to recording studio equipment using this type of cable. Unbalanced stereo jack Plug cables are used to connect headphones. Balanced mono stereo jack cables can be used to connect some semi-professional tape recorders, 2 tracks and effects units to recording studio equipment such as mixing desks.

Phono Plug cables can be used to connect consumer grade equipment with equipment in the recording studio.

MIDI cables with Firewire or USB connectors can be used to connect pieces of equipment such as keyboards, mixers and microphones with a Computer.

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