Coloured XLR and Jack Leads

[ojc123]

I've Googled but can't find any previous discussion on this.

 

We produce what are essentially variety shows although the variety is quite varied from Heavy Metal through Pop, Jazz, Soul and Folk through to Classical and Early Music on the same bill.

 

We have a system which allows for rapid changeovers so that the audience don't end up sitting watching long periods of non-performance. Thus far all is well.

 

It's in a School so the performers are relatively inexperienced. They also tend to be doing one or two songs at the most. So, we have many rapid changeovers and inevitably nervous performers use the "wrong" lead or the "wrong" microphone.

 

The problem comes if the guitar leads get mixed up or the microphones are not given to the singer the person on the mixer expects. We can have up to 4 guitar leads floating about and up to 10 Mics (though 6 is usually the maximum). She needs a way to identify the lead instantly from about 15 - 20m away in coloured light.

 

To solve the problem I have experimented with coloured leads. The ones I have got are frankly rubbish. I've tried LX tape lengthways along the cables with some success although it doesn't last long and leaves the cable a bit sticky when it's finished. Coloured collars on the XLR's are too small and inevitably performers cover them with their hand when you need to see it. Coloured windshields affected the sound and never got past the trial.

 

Has anyone in the Blue Room got a wizard wheeze (or wheezes) for helping with this issue. Thanks in anticipation.

[Ben Bodsworth]

for the mic's problem, how about coloured wind shields???? match the windshield to a lable on the mixer and ur away.......

[Jivemaster]

I used co-ordinated cable and windshield colours, used to buy " a set of mixed windshields with matching leads" . then a red lead into the mixer came from the red microphone -

[dbuckley]

Easiest way is stripes of tape on the mic cable.

 

Use a tape colour that is contrasting to the cable, and wrap one, two or more "bands" on the cable. Size the bands and separation based on distance from stage to mixer, ie so you can see it.

 

Does that qualify as a wizard wheeze?

 

(Just to be sad, as I'm a computist, if I've got enough mics that I think the strips look tacky, I encode the stripes to patterns, using binary...)

[pritch]

How about coloured heatshrink?

[mac.calder]

Personally - I would just put two people (one SL, one SR) backstage to hand out mics and leads. Then your 'colour' ID (or other method you use) would only have to be visible from 10cm away. Or give her binoculars. However if you are using saturated colours on stage, any form of colour identification becomes next to useless.

[IanG]

The coloured wind screens idea is certainly a trick the broadcast world use, and it works well. I'd avoid coloured cables though - in my mind a professionally run stage is at least part presentation, so black leads, neat cable coils, mic stand uprights off the ground etc. etc.

 

There is nothing worse than seeing a load of cheap brightly coloured cable snaking it's way across the stage IMHO.

 

I personally use a ring of LX tape around the XLR connector. On the offchance that mics get switched and it's not clear which is which, a quick glance across the level meters is usually enough to work out which channel things are coming up on.

 

On gigs where there are lots of mics, I usually mark the LX tape with C, SL1, SR1 or similar and make sure the mics are always re-set in the correct position.

[Bryson]

Stripes of tape are the way forward. In coloured light, there's too many ways to get the colours mixed up. But you can count whatever colour the light is. (Can't you? )

[Ben Bodsworth]

but if the singer is moving around a lot, as singers at our 6th form do when they perform, the number of bands is hard to read, and the amount of bands u need to put onto each lead then remove at the end of the gig becomes unbearable

[djw1981]

You can put strips of tape on the mic or if the mic stays on its stand, the mic stand.

 

For guitar leads, how about one lead to a DI and just switch the channels at the mixer to the channel with correct EQ?

[Simon Lewis]

Take a leaf from the festival stage manager's book....

 

Identify the mics / cables with tape/heatshrink/numbers etc., and pull them back to a standard position after each act. They then can be repositioned as needed for the next set.....

[Chubby]

I Have a set of these cables

Used in conjunction with a wrap or two of the matching coloured PVC provides a good way of identifying the microphones whatever the stage lighting conditions.

They also prevent the age old "is this thing on" routine when people go to use a mic.

Does this qualify as a wizard wheeze?

 

Mark

[ojc123]

Certainly does!

 

Thanks for all the suggestions. I 've tried most of these before and there are problems with all of them. Chubby's cables look interesting.

[ChazzQuire]

Hello,

 

I am with the heat shrink and wind muff klan. The coloured XLR's I have seen are of low quality (although the peavy leads look quite good, but slightly pricey) , and using LX tape time consuming, and messy. I have always used wind muffs with no problems.

[Rob_Beech]

Hi

I agree with Simon here. Providing you have the channels and mics available, work out what you will need in advance (as far as you can... I realise this is very often not possible). Have standby positions for everything.

 

For example :

 

3 mics up front. one SL one SR and one in the middle.

2 guitar mics one SL and one SR

2!!!! bass DI's 1 SL and one SR (as silly as it seems its a little off putting sometimes for a muso to do a show from the other side of the stage)

the drums are a littel different. drummers who like to share are your friend! Mic these up however you need to.

extra DI's either side for keys or acoustic guitar.

As for guitar/bass leads. if its one backline you use for the entire set the guitar amp mics and bass di can be left where they are. The guitar leads should be coiled at the end of each act and placed ontop of the amp they are plugged into. its usually wise to put the amp into a standby or mute mode if it has one. or turn the output volume down.

 

 

When an act takes to the stage they simply need to get into their positions. To be fair if its a band they'll move their self to a mic stand if they sing. a quick height adjustment, plug in of the neatly coiled leads to the guitars and away you go.

At the end of that set unplug the guitars coil up the leads. if any vocal mic stands have moved put them back in their positions (maybe coloured tape the stands and the floor aswell ???) and prepare for the next act.

 

For moving mics use a seperate mic, the person at FOH simply need sot be told they lead singer is waking about with a mic instead of using it on a stand. this can be a seperate mic or one off the nearest stand to them. (at this point we learn why to keep the cable coils at the source rather than 56 of them at the multicore). its also important to note that you may need a fair amount of extra cable if the person goes for a wander during the middle of a set. this is where a radio mic comes in handy also a little easier to tell which is which :)

At the end of this act the mic is given back to crew if its a seperate mic (or maybe a stand setup just off stage) or put bak on the stand. everything is reset.

 

Without complaining about drummers (I play myself) sometimes loud drummers who also sing can be a little troublesome (sound bleeding into the vocal mic). To avoid drummers who sing simply setup a vocal mic on a stand near the kit taking plenty of time and effort to do this. Let sods law take care of the rest.

 

 

Alternativly if you must colour code things and you have to hand out mics as people walk on stage then do a little preperation before hand. If the people have a certain position on stage send RED over to SL BLUE to th middle and YELLOW at SR for example. so you know where each colour starts off. If all 3 are on the stage together, all 3 mics should be open anyway so you shouldn't have any trouble identifying them if they walk around. too much walking around randomly would see them tangled up in any case. if one leaves the stage and you can't tell from colour coding which 2 remain leave all 3 open. you should tell from level meters (mentioned before). if the mics have switches THAT DONT MAKE AN AWFUL NOISE WHEN ACTIVATED then a mic could be switched off by the crew to SL or SR when they are not in use. I will point out that I am NOT a fan of switches on mics. I have a few beyerdynamic ones with switches.. which I tape in the on position 99 times out of 100.

 

 

hope this is understandable/readable and answers your question or at least gives you a few ideas. its been a long day. Its all mainly from experience, this is why we all give sightly different but all valid responses. my eyes aren't as good as they used to be (...listen to me I'm not 22 yet) so colours aren't a favourite with me.

 

Rob