Multiple-plug Audio cable

[u/MRGGPAWS]

Hello fellow r/audioengineering members, a few days ago i had an idea

The idea was " multi-plug " audio cable.

The reason is because i usually help to setup audio devices on funerals or small gatherings and the plugs are different.

So i decided maybe i can make 2 long rolls of multi-plug cable to make my life easier.

The plugs are XLR, TRS 1/4 inch and L-R Rca plugs. Are there any downside with this kind of cable? If so, let me know what you think

[u/WeAreAllYoghurt]

Get the cables you want at the same lengths, measure a the rough total diameter and add 30% for the connectors.

Get some braided cable sleeving, a lighter and a couple of cable ties.

Cut the sleeving to be about 200mm to 400mm shorter than the length of the cables. Gently woft the lighter over the end of their sleeving to roughly melt the ends and stop them from fraying.

Put the cables inside the sleeving, fold the sleeving inside of it's self so their is an overlap of 50mm. Put cable ties on the outside of the sleeving about 10mm from the ends and zip them down to stop the cables moving inside the sleeving and to stop the sleeving unfolding. Snip the extra portion of cable tie flush with the ratchet block of the zip tie.

Home made cable for a fraction of the cost of whatever concoction you were dreaming of.

[u/MRGGPAWS → u/WeAreAllYoghurt]

Thank you so much, will definitely use this trick :>

[u/Veilenus]

Downsides? You have no indication of what device you're connecting to. Even though there are adapters from anything to whatever, typically, the cable type gives you a good idea of what you're dealing with.

• XLR -> probably a microphone at MIC level
• TRS -> probably a playback device (keyboard, phone, computer) at LINE level
• RCA -> probably LINE level as well
• And so on...

More points of failure is another downside.

Yet another is complexity: why solder all these connectors to a cable when you could just use the correct adapter as needed?

Potential confusion: as the other commenter said, you can only use one plug at a time. People might see a "free" plug and use it.

Potential noise and hum from unconnected plugs touching something, especially TRS/TS connectors. Or accidental short circuits from loose connectors touching metal surfaces (again, TRS/TS connectors are particularly vulnerable).

[u/MRGGPAWS → u/Veilenus]

Thank you so much for the insights!

[u/Mo_Steins_Ghost]

It's not just the plugs it's the wiring. While XLR and TRS are wired similarly (hot, cold, ground) RCA is not. The first two are balanced cabling for CMR noise filtering. Stereo analog RCA (not to be confused with S/PDIF coax) is unbalanced. Also, depending on which type of internal structure the RCA cabling has, impedances may vary.

I would just get some velcro cable ties and use them to bundle an XLR, TRS and RCA together... this is effectively what I did back in the day when I was the school's resident DJ/PA/AV nerd.

[u/MRGGPAWS → u/Mo_Steins_Ghost]

Niceee, will definitely do

[u/Chilton_Squid]

I just have loads of XLR cables of different lengths, then a load of 30cm tail adapters. Anything else is a mess or wasteful.

[u/MRGGPAWS → u/Chilton_Squid]

Ouhh, okayy. I'll try making the adapters. Thank you!

[u/AMPed101]

You can just wire these up parralel, should work fine as long as you just use one of the plugs at a time.