Adapter kits

R

Rob Timmerman

Graduate
Jan 13, 2011
1,289
63
48
My own little world
rtimmerm.zenfolio.com
There have been a few threads about briefcases and tool kits over the years, and everybody seems to be carrying some number of adapters. And everybody seems to have a different opinion as to what should be in an adapter kit.

So, what do you want to see in an adapter kit for audio? And how would that change if you were the one who were providing / carrying it?
 
Re: Adapter kits

Rob Timmerman said:
There have been a few threads about briefcases and tool kits over the years, and everybody seems to be carrying some number of adapters. And everybody seems to have a different opinion as to what should be in an adapter kit.

So, what do you want to see in an adapter kit for audio? And how would that change if you were the one who were providing / carrying it?
Click to expand...
I use a lot of 1/8" stereo to dual mono 1/4" cables as almost all tracks and videos come off smart phones or laptops these days. My favorite DI for this is the Radial ProAV2.

I still use XLR gender benders so I can wire powered wedges through stage whips. As most powered speakers can use either gender as an input, I often only use the F-F direction.

The other thing that's becoming more common in my use is 3 pin - 5 pin DMX adapters. Almost all of my fixtures are non-tungsten and therefore I need DMX at almost every fixture, and the industry may now be even more fragmented between the two standards.

I also carry Ethercon barrels to adapt tactical Cat5 with Ethercon shells to standard RJ45 devices using a short Ethernet patch cable.

My stage power cabling is Powercon, so I also carry Powercon couplers.

That's about it - years ago I probably had more goofy cabling - 1/4" - XLR stuff for old Yamaha mixers with 1/4" outputs, various RCA adapters for rack mounted decks, etc. I don't carry that anymore.
 
Re: Adapter kits

One thing we do is make Z cables rather than XLR Wye cables, that is two male and two female XLRs for each adaptor. Thus you always have the correct Y adaptor. Our phone to XLR adaptors are made the same way, a Y with male and female XLRs plus a three conductor phone plug. Both are made with distinctive color cables to be easily identified in a hurry, green for the Z cables, white for the XLR to TRS.
 
Re: Adapter kits

Riley Casey said:
One thing we do is make Z cables rather than XLR Wye cables, that is two male and two female XLRs for each adaptor. Thus you always have the correct Y adaptor.
Click to expand...
A lesbo on a y-cable will accomplish the same thing and be more versatile.

We carry a bunch of xlr y's, lesbo's and 1/8th" adaptors.

edited- actually, I like that idea of the z-cables since they can be used as gender changers too. Tomato- tomato I guess.
 
Top Bottom