"What do you think he means by "female XLR at 90% of desk"
90%? right-angle maybe???.. and it's entirely possible the board has XLR-M outputs. So you need a XLR-F to XLR-M (standard XLR cable)
Most boards these days use 1/4" TRS for outputs.. be it main/masters, aux sends, direct channel, sub-masters and marix, so always have 1/4" TRS to XLR-M cables or adapters. Most are (nominal) +4dB balanced/unbalanced as well, but actual program level can vary depending on if the operator has everything gain staged properly., so expect anything! As was stated, having a DI with switched or variable attenuation is a no brainier when dealing with the unknown..

90% means ninety percent. 9/10. Universal mathematical notation as in 5th grade math. The other "10%" of boards may have TRS, TS, RCA, or something rare.

90º means ninety degrees. right angle. Universal mathematical notation.

Mr. Reineke's comments about other connectors, adapters, cables, levels, etc. are spot on.

90% means ninety percent. 9/10. Universal mathematical notation as in 5th grade math. The other "10%" of boards may have TRS, TS, RCA, or something rare.

90º means ninety degrees. right angle. Universal mathematical notation.

Mr. Reineke's comments about other connectors, adapters, cables, levels, etc. are spot on.

So it's probably a typo that he wrote desk instead of "desks". It was the singular use of desk that threw me.

Could I check with you guys, when you say "1/4" TRS for outputs" and "My bag of tricks includes some XLR to TRS cables" are you referring to either '1' or '2' on this page?:

A Guide to Types of Cable Connector... | Dawsons Music (http://www.dawsons.co.uk/blog/a-guide-to-types-of-cable-connector)

Peter,

"Could I check with you guys, when you say "1/4" TRS for outputs" and "My bag of tricks includes some XLR to TRS cables" are you referring to either '1' or '2' on this page?:" Answer.... number 2 is the 1/4" TRS end of what we refer to, XLR is on the other end.

That page has a good, simple explanation of the jacks.

TRS is Tip, Ring, Sleeve, number 2 on your page

TS is Tip, Sleeve, number 1 on your page

The function of each is explained on that page. But they are only explaining one plug. A 1/4 TRS to XLR patch cable is commonly used to go from the 1/4" output on the board to a XLR input on a camera or other device. If the 1/4" output on the board is balanced you will send a balanced signal to the balanced XLR input.

A TRS to XLR cable cannot carry a stereo signal. TRS to TRS can carry stereo. I only mention that because they do. But here, we are talking primarily about balanced and unbalanced signal paths.

Steve

1) Be prepared for XLR of EITHER gender. Proper outputs from mixing equipment is typically male. However there are situations where they send you the feed via an existing mic drop which is typically female out at the far end (where you are).
2) Be prepared for 1/4-inch both TRS (balanced) or TS (unbalanced).
Those should cover most (but perhaps not 90%) of the cases for professional equipment.
3) Be prepared for RCA and 3.5mm connectors, also. RCA are typically consumer line level (-10dBv), and 3.5mm are typically "headphone level" stereo. But "headphone level" is close enough to line-level to not be a big deal.
4) Be prepared for everything from mic-level up to speaker level.
5) Isolation is always a good thing.
6) Conversion to balanced ASAP is also a good thing.
7) Use conventional balanced XLR cables for the physical link over to your camera (or recorder, or mixer, etc.)
8) Be thoroughly familiar with the operation of your camera (or whatever equipment you are using to receive the audio). Know how to switch (if possible) and the limits for mic level and line level. Know how to turn phantom power on and off. Know how to switch between mic-level input and line-level input.

The Rolls DB-25 (A or B) is a very handy gadget and offers very good performance for what it costs. It pretty well covers these items:
(4) Especialy the Rolls DB25b has a continuously-variable attenuator which accommodates virtually any level you will encounter.
(5) It provides full isolation via a decent transformer.
(6) It balances your feed regardless of whether the source is balanced or not.

A couple of Rolls DB-25 and a handful of input jumper cables and adapters for (1)-(3) will cover virtually all professional situations, and most amateur ones, as well. The DB-25 is inexpensive and very good value for the money. No good excuse not to have at least one or two of them.

The next level up would include a small mixer and some microphones and stands and perhaps mic-splitter transformers as well.

And of course, REGARDLESS of where you sound is coming from, always (Always, ALWAYS) monitor the audio in GOOD, SURROUND, OCCLUDING HEADPHONES. Or GOOD ear-buds (not cheapie things that come with iPod, etc.)

Recording audio without monitoring and metering is exactly like shooting video with framing and focusing. You wouldn't try to shoot video without a viewfinder. You wouldn't expect to record audio without good headphones.

Terrific advice Steven and Richard (and everyone else who has posted to date). Shall absorb and post again soon.

In the meantime, the 3rd (of 3 -- they don't hire any others apart from these 3)sound technician emailed a reply in response to my email: "Our powered desks would (be able to provide audio via a quarter inch jack aux output, it will be unbalanced at line level) but our digital desks would be XLR.
If we are ever working an event in which you would require an audio feed all you need to do is contact us before hand and we can supply whatever input and run of cable you would require at no extra cost to the client."

So, these are my 3 sound technicians I will be dealing with:

1. A sound technician from one company wrote "All our desks can supply you with audio via a quarter inch jack aux output, it will be unbalanced at line level."

2. A sound technician from another company wrote "Can provide auxiliary XLR out balanced. You would need to have a female XLR at 90% of desk[s] to get a feed. It would also be worth you having converters (XLR to Jack) and you will also need to convert the female XLR at the camera end to input the camera. Most pro camera's can accommodate XLR but smaller camera's may not, not my game."

3. "Our powered desks would (be able to provide audio via a quarter inch jack aux output, it will be unbalanced at line level) but our digital desks would be XLR.
If we are ever working an event in which you would require an audio feed all you need to do is contact us before hand and we can supply whatever input and run of cable you would require at no extra cost to the client."

If I could focus on this particular sound technician first of all, just to get me up and running, and offer your thoughts if you could:

"All our desks can supply you with audio via a quarter inch jack aux output, it will be unbalanced at line level."

So,my thinking is that because I am taking unbalanced outs from their board, I'm definitely going to need a Rolls-DB25b DI box, to convert the unbalanced signal from the board to balanced, which can then go into the balanced XLR line input on my video camera.

----------

1. I purchase a cable with a ¼” unbalanced Jack ('Stereo Jack'/TRS) Connector on one end [#2 from below link] to plug into the sound desk output, and on the other end of this cable there is a ¼” **TS** unbalanced Jack [#1 from below link] which plugs into the Rolls-DB25b DI box input.

A Guide to Types of Cable Connector... | Dawsons Music (http://www.dawsons.co.uk/blog/a-guide-to-types-of-cable-connector)

What type of actual cable should I get (cable between the connectors)?

What length of cable is advisable? 3 feet?


2. I purchase an XLR mic cable for balanced signals with a female XLR connection at one end (for the balanced output from the Rolls-DB25b DI box) and a male XLR connection for the camera input.

What length of cable is advisable? 100 feet?

------

How does that sound?

"1. I purchase a cable with a ¼” Jack ('Stereo Jack'/TRS) Connector on one end [#2 from below link] to plug into the sound desk output, and on the other end of this cable there is a ¼” **TS** Jack [#1 from below link] which plugs into the Rolls-DB25b DI box input."
> The DI's 1/4" input is unbalanced I'd get a cable with 1/4" TS plugs (unbalanced, guitar type) at either end to go from the board's 1/4" output to the DI's 1/4" input. This cable is unbalanced so the length should be kept relatively short. Typically less than ten feet. Shorter is better in this case.
BTW, Not to nitpick but Dawson's terminology in incorrect: A male connector is a "Plug" a female connector is a "Jack" (at least in the pro audio world)

"2. I purchase an XLR mic cable for balanced signals with a female XLR connection at one end (for the balanced output from the Rolls-DB25b DI box) and a male XLR connection for the camera input."
> A standard XLR cable to go from the DI's XLR output to the camera's XLR input. The camera must be set to Mic level BTW

"What length of cable is advisable? 100 feet?"
> Depends how far you will be from the DI. Most have many of different lengths. However since it's balanced coming out of the DI, length is not an issue. You could likely run 300+ feet without any audible issues. I would recommend purchasing good quality cables.. Not only are the less likely to pick up extraneous RF noise, they much easier to work with and coil up. A good quality cable should last your entire career. w/o catastrophic accidents.

Richard, Your last post has to qualify for some kind of record about how much good information can be fit into one post. Great stuff!

Peter, A couple more basic tips:

Tech areas, ie: the table where the desk is, are notorious for having big piles of messy cable all over the place. Make sure your audio cables are not run alongside AC power cables. You should avoid contact with power cables at all times. If they must touch, do it at 90 degree angles.

Depending on how much gear is at a tech area, it is also common for their to be a 3 phase 60 amp electrical drop box nearby. Technicians often throw a piece of black drape over it because they are ugly. Keep your audio cables away from it too. One time, we had one leaning against a back wall next to a tech station covered by a black screen skirt. I looked over and saw a guest sit on it, and he set a large cup of coffee down next to him on top of it. After I caught my breath, I politely removed him. I did not know how to explain, if he spilled his coffee his gonads were going to be welded to a metal box by the electrical arc.

Using an aux send is a good feed. Remember that the gain must be set for every channel that is in use. If the audio guy forgets to turn up the gain on a channel, like PC audio for example, you will not receive audio from that channel. A totally unacceptable but common fail! If every channel is tested and gain levels are set this does not happen. So what does the fail tell you?

Steve

Edit: I should note that now if a drop box is placed outside of our tech area they are clearly labeled as HAZARDOUS. Not only would the coffee spill have been catastrophic.....I HATE it when my show goes black!

Steven,
I was laughing out loud at your description about the drop box. I am sitting here and am thinking about the times when I was running either camera or acting as a V1 which honestly I'm not (a solid V 1 1/2 though) and have seen clients cheap out and try to run everything thru the exsisting 110 wall outlets. Yep, I 've seen that. Hey these lights (that could light up a small town) had regular plugs so we can just plug them into the wall. What do we need a drop box for...BTW, what's a drop box?
Shame on the show runner and the AV company suppyling the equipment which around here is quite common. Those Av companies will load in, set up and in 99% of the times run the gear but I've worked shows when some of the most basic gear isn't there because the client didn't order it. Duh, isn't that the job of the AV company contact to tell them why they need it?
Oh well, I'll try to remember the line about someones gonads the next time I see something like this happen and I'm gonna guess it won't be to long before it happens.

What type of actual cable should I get (cable between the connectors)?
For using the DB25 or similar boxes, I would use TS (unbalanced). Because the input to the DB25 is unbalanced, and TS will work with both TRS balanced outputs, as well as TS unbalanced outputs. If you use TRS balanced, you run the risk of it not working (open circuit) if plugged into an unbalanced (TS) output.

What length of cable is advisable? 3 feet?
3 ft/1m is a good length. The longer it is, the more risk of picking up interference in the unbalanced section. Too short, and you may not be able to get into tight places in some situations.

2. I purchase an XLR mic cable for balanced signals with a female XLR connection at one end (for the balanced output from the Rolls-DB25b DI box) and a male XLR connection for the camera input.

What length of cable is advisable? 100 feet?
I have various length of XLR cables from 3ft/1m to 100ft/30m. Most of my XLR cables (20 or 30 of them) are 50 ft. because I do mostly larger-scale live event audio and video stuff.

Yep Don, shows crash for a lot of reasons. All most all of them are avoidable. Shame.

When I have a client that does not want to pay for power I tell them this story: I was a green tech working a beautifully done show with four other techs at our station. The TD told us to be careful because we were on wall power because the client refused to pay for a drop (stupidity on the TDs part too, just get the damn box in there!). Anyway, two hours into morning kick off, all going well....Bam....EVERYTHING lost!

The banquet department was on the other side of our wall setting up a bagel station for the morning break. We crashed the show because of a bagel and a toaster! I learned my lesson early on with that gig. You can only imagine how ugly the finger pointing got as those responsible all ducked and covered.

A frigging Bagel took out a $50,000.00 show! I do not work without proper power if it is my gig!

Steve

OMG, Steven, I swear to God, the same thing happened to me at a show in October at a high end hotel in the Chi town suburbs. Big show about 800 people attending, 1, ONE yes 1 camera---me center rear, DXC35 with a Canon 40, Nice AV station set up at the rear to my right, I'm on a spider pod everything is taped down enough that it would hold the space shuttle together. We run a rehearsal in the early AM, show starts at 10AM and I don't see a single drop box anywhere. There are light trees, single Lekos up lighting on the stage, a 16 channel mixer and not 1 but 2 Folsoms plus 2 laptops and 2- DSR45 deck plus 3 projectors. There was some other stuff mixed in I can't remember it all but all I know was 5 minutesbefore the show started BAM! we went dark. No nothing! Why? We all started running around like crazy chickens looking for the cause when it dawned on the V1. The kitchen and main highway were right behind the banquet room. We had lights plugged into the wall plugs back there. that line was a mainline to all the others I guess because when they plugged in a 4 slice toaster that was all she wrote. Darkness!
Fortunately I knew the house man there and asked him if he could get us some drops. We actually needed 4. Inside of 15 minutes we had the drops and moved everything over and started the show. True we were late but the group was so disorganized it didn't matter. I swore I would NEVER do a show again without drops. Oh yeah, the AV contact asked who was going to pay for the drops. I was going to answer but the house man got in there and said, that he wasn't going to charge him because he knew me and BTW why didn't you order them to start with? I had to walk away to keep from laughing.
Louis, I still owe you a beer for that one! ;-)

Met the sound technician today who wrote (my earlier post) "All our desks can supply you with audio via a quarter inch jack aux output, it will be unbalanced at line level."

He said they can offer a TRS AUX balanced output.
So, in this instance (TRS AUX balanced output), am I thinking right that an XLR cable with a TRS connector at one end, and an XLR connector on the camera end, should be okay (discounting limiting etc for a moment) to get balanced signal into my camera?

"a TRS connector at one end, and an XLR connector on the camera end, should be okay to get balanced signal into my camera?"
> Yes Peter, that should work. Obviously the camera's audio input would need to be @ line level.
Always have a plan B. (and C) Carry a DI along in case there are ground loop or other issues.

an XLR cable with a TRS connector at one end, and an XLR connector on the camera end, should be okay ...to get balanced signal into my camera?

1) LEVEL; You can probably accommodate the signal as "line level". But it would be prudent to be able to handle "oddball" levels (too hot for mic-level and too low for line-level). That is why something with a variable attenuator (like Rolls DB25) is valuable for handling the widest variety of cases.

2) ISOLATION: Directly connecting your camcorder (or whatever you are using) to the venue system runs the risk of ground loop issues (or worse). IMHO is it STRONGLY RECOMMENDED to use a proper isolation solution like a transformer. Especially if you are operating YOUR equipment from mains power.

3) MIX: I don' remember that you told us what kinds of programs/productions you are doing? If this is a simple lecture/talking head, then an "aux mix" is probably OK (REMEMBER TO ALWAYS ALWAYS MONITOR YOUR AUDIO WITH GOOD HEADPHONES AT ALL TIMES!!!!!)

But if this is anything more complex (more than 2 microphones), giving you an "aux mix" or "aux feed" is troubling. It makes me think they are proposing something that will require more active attention than they are likely to manage easily. Unless they have proved otherwise, I would much rather have a tap off the main mix vs. some "special mix/output" just for recording. But maybe I am just paranoid.

Okay here's where I'm at (pressing video requirements are filming one person standing at a podium). How does this sound for the following two situations:


1. **For TRS unbalanced AUX output at line level**

TS unbalanced 3 ft/1m cable with 1/4" TS PLUGS (unbalanced, guitar type) at either end.
3 ft/1m

Rolls-DB25b DI box

2 50 foot XLR M>F MIC CABLES

—

2. **For TRS balanced AUX output**

Again same setup as '2' to handle "oddball" levels (too hot for mic-level and too low for line-level):

TS unbalanced 3 ft/1m cable with 1/4" TS PLUGS (unbalanced, guitar type) at either end.

Rolls-DB25b DI box

2 50 FOOT XLR M>F MIC CABLES

Yes.
And for male XLR source, a female 3-pin XLR to male TS 1/4 inch plug (for the Rolls DB25).
And a male-to-male "gender changer" adapter for female XLR source,.

CA-302 (http://audiopile.net/products/Adaptors_Connectors/Adaptors/XLR_Barrel/CA-302/CA-302_cutsheet.shtml)

Plan C for 'one person standing at a podium':
Put an additional mic on the pod. For instance, a lav can easily be attached the existing house mic.
Plan D; a mic splitter. Actually this would be a good Plan A. On occasion I have even used both a direct feed and pod mic split. I would use the pod mic alone and bring in the others in if there were comments from a panel.
There are number of ways to approach these type of projects. My usual M.O. in some of the NYC hotels: I would integrate the systems by putting all the mics through my mixer and send a pre-fader mix to the house and use the main linear faders for the record mix. This gave me complete control over the systems. However this was with an unattended system, the hotel A/V staff or external A/V company would set-up the system and leave.
Not recommended for the inexperienced though.
PS: A room mic or two to pick up applause and such is recommended as well.

Yes, absolutely everything that Mr. Reineke said.
It sometimes works to use the microphone ON your camera to pick up the "room tone" or audience reaction (applause, laughter, etc.), assuming your camera is somewhere near the audience. Of course, you would be using only one channel, and the other channel would be the venue mix or your microphone on the presenter, etc.
Note that it is NOT typically workable to use an on-camera microphone for anything else, particularly speech or dialog of any kind because the camera typically puts the microphone too far away from the source.

Don,

The toaster strikes again!!! That is wild.

Mistake number one. No drop box.

Mistake number two. Using plugs outside of the ballroom. That was a disaster waiting to happen.

Mistake number three. Not knowing the circuit pattern in that ballroom.

Ten minutes in the dark, priceless. The TD is lucky he still has a job. Also, what was common about your story is it was YOU who came up with the fix. The guy that made the bad decisions is rarely the guy that knows a fix when the DODO hits the fan! Moral, don't get burned by a toaster, they can hurt more than blisters on your fingers! Good job.

Peter,
Me and Don went off topic with old story's but here is why they apply to you. There is one big problem when working in a ballroom. They are full of people! So your a camera guy, you got through your morning session and all went well. What could you possibly worry about. You take a quick 10 minute break while everyone else takes twenty. Your 45 minutes in to the next session and all of a sudden you notice the battery icon is in your finder and it is flashing low. What the hell, your on shore power, right? Not anymore. While you were on break some moron was having a crisis because the battery on his I-phone went dead! Guess where your power cord is. It is lying on the ground under the socket you were plugged into. And the guy put a chair in front of it so it would not be as noticeable. I am not kidding, things that stupid happen! Be prepared for anything. And the key to success is vigilance through constant monitoring of everything, not just audio. For a simple composition like a podium presenter I keep all data information live on the monitor I'm shooting with.

Also, ask your audio guy if the presenter is going to be wearing a lav? The only time you can count on your subject staying at a podium is when the podium mic is all they have. Most presenters like to walk around on the stage. How good is your fluid head and your focus skills on a moving target in what will probably be dim light. If your lucky they may have thrown up a couple of lekos, but that is a whole different story.

Steve

Yes.. it's not uncommon for inexperienced speakers (without warning) just walk away from the pod whilst talking.. or have 'Microphobia' (fear of microphones)

Steven,
We have worked the same jobs quite possibly for the same clients and with the same audience. Well maybe not but they sure all seem the same.

Rick,
I have thought about using some electro magnetic force field to keep people at the podium under any and all circumstances.
I love it when they walk away from stage right to center which is about 20 feet away and aren't mic'd. Luckily, I don't run audio too often but when I do I cringe anytime I see someone's foot start to move.

This kit of adapters has come in very handy for me (pro model) as I can make just about any kind of cable with it and an XLR cable:
Adapt-a-Pak adapter kits | Remote Audio (http://www.remoteaudio.com/adapt_a_pak/)

You'll never find another box that holds that many adapters in such a neat arrangment.

Nice one Tom!

Could anyone recommend a large audio bag that could accommodate 4 x 50 foot XLR cables, a Rolls DI box and a bunch of adaptors?

How about a large, soft, toolbox like they sell at WalMart, Lowe's, or HomeDepot?

What I actually use for all my long cables, gaff tape, power strips, etc. is a large gym bag. Small parts are kept in smaller color coded bags inside the large bag.

Have been quoted for a Bespoke (hard) Flight Case (with wheels and handle) of the below sizes which I'm interested in

2 ft x 2ft x 2ft
3ft x 2ft x 2ft
4ft x 2ft x 2ft

Which would be a good size for 4 x 50ft XLR cables, Rolls DI box, adaptors etc? Potentially may get a mixer and other accessories down the line.

IMHO, they are ALL too big. How about something attache-case size? I have a bunch of inexpensive cases from Harbor Freight. And some of their plastic bin boxes to carry and organize adapters. Cheap, flexible, and not so slick and expensive-looking that they shout "STEAL ME" like some fancy box with "SONY" in big chrome letters on the side.
Click on the link below to see a photo of what I'm talking about. For some silly reason, this forum won't let you post images from the internet.

http://www.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/image_21232.jpg

For a typical ground travel (event type) gig. I have two heavy duty canvas bags, one for a 12x100ft. (fan to fan) snake, the other for link cables of different lengths of mostly 10 and 25 footers. A few 50's and some short 3' links are in there as well. The canvas cable bags can be easily put in larger road cases if needed.

This kit is my first line of defense because it fits in my briefcase. That is important because it means it is ALWAYS with me. I have other kits that vary in size and complexity.

The pile of cables fit in a pocket in the case. There are also things you can't see, like my Leatherman tool, flashlight, zip ties, and board tape.

For me, these kits are not a one time thing. They change and evolve. Unfortunately there is also inventory control and attrition involved.

I do not think I have ever been on a gig when I did not reach for this bag at least once. It has literally saved shows when we needed something in a hurry and I had it within reach.

Steve

I keep a cheap Leatherman knock off from Home Depot in that case. I am out two real Leatherman tools. Both of them were stolen from tech tables. Weird, at least $100,000.00 in gear on those tables and my leatherman gets clipped. I guess it is hard to fit a 32 channel board into your pocket!

I carry an old tool bag I got at Home Depot years ago. All my cables of all kinds under 100ft fit nicely, as do a few mic clips, adapters in a plastic zip lock bag, cable ties and cable wraps, gaff tape, electrical tape, a couple of screw drivers, a knife, small and medium sized pliers, small flashlight, board tape, a couple of knock off SM58 types and I think there might be a PB and J in there for emergencies. Nothing big, nothing major but it's saved my sorry butt more than once.
Like American Express used to say, "Don't leave home without it"! I go, it goes!

Happy days, I got a balanced feed from a sound desk (sound technician provided a balanced XLR pre-fade output with gender-changer XLR adaptor and quality Van Damme XLR lead with Neutrik XLR connectors).

However, he mentioned that a DI Box (e.g. Rolls) wouldn't really be ideal for my video purposes of people speaking at conferences. He said a DI Box should only really be used for musical instruments (guitars etc).

He suggested I should use a 'balanced isolation transformer' instead. Thoughts? Surely the Rolls is also capable of isolation?

The Rolls DB25 is a "balanced isolation transformer". I agree with the sound technician. But so many people call those things "direct boxes" that the names and definitions have been blurred together.

A "direct box" is a special version with a very high impedance for an electric guitar pickup.and a built-in buffer amplifier. The Rolls DB25 is a conventional isolation transformer with a variable attenuator. It is not a "direct box" in the original definition. The sound technician is correct that a proper "direct box" is NOT suitable for this kind of application.

Brilliant Richard, thanks for the clarification, that's a great help.

Thanks guys for your photos and info about sound bags

"However, he mentioned that a DI Box (e.g. Rolls) wouldn't really be ideal for my video purposes of people speaking at conferences. He said a DI Box should only really be used for musical instruments (guitars etc)."
> For musical instruments (acoustic electric guitar especially) passive DIs tend to 'load' the instruments high impedance (aka, Hi-Z) electronics, seriously affecting the tone. However this not an issue with lower impedance line level signals. I still have a Countryman Type 85 active DI which was the (indestructible and great sounding) musical instrument DI of choice for most pros in the 80s'. I haven't used it in a while as it only has two level settings: instrument and speaker.

Here's what I've gone for to get up and running for talking heads at podiums (additional recorders/mixers/backup can be looked at later for projects involving anything more complicated):

BALANCED ISOLATION TRANSFORMER

1 x Rolls DB25b (a conventional isolation transformer with a variable attenuator)


NEUTRIK / VAN DAMME CABLES

4 x 15 metre (50 foot) VAN DAMME M/F XLR CABLES (with NEUTRIK XLR connectors at each end)

3 x 1 metre VAN DAMME cable with NEUTRIK 1/4” TS plug at one end, and NEUTRIK Female XLR at other end (advised to get 3 of these for the price of one carriage as they often go missing)

3 x 1 metre VAN DAMME cable with NEUTRIK 1/4” TS plugs at each end (again, advised to get 3 of these for the price of one carriage as they often go missing)

1 x 1 metre VAN DAMME cable with NEUTRIK 1/4” TS plug at one end, and RCA at other end



NEUTRIK XLR ‘Y’ SPLITTERS

1 NEUTRIK XLR Female to 2 XLR Male Y-Cables

1 NEUTRIK XLR Male to 2 XLR Female Y-Cables



NEUTRIK GENDER TURNAROUNDS

XLRM - XLRM

XLRF - XLRF

RCA-F - RCA-F

1/4" TRS-F - 1/4" TRS-F


As a 'fallback' from the mixing desk AUX pre-fade feed (which will run through my Rolls DB25):

I will also have a SONY ECM-VG1 mic ("a short shotgun, electret condenser-type microphone, which delivers excellent sound performance in field and studio production applications") and a mic stand (Beyerdynamic GST 500 Heavy Duty Telescopic Boom Stand) which I can place by the podium and attach via the long XLR to the camera.

Also have wireless mics, both Sennheiser G3 ENG (tieclip and plugin) and Sony, which I can place on the speaker or mic stand by the podium.

I hesitate to add to this very thorough exploration of essential kit, but I don't remember seeing any reference to any sort of cable tester (and do pardon me if I missed it). I won't go on any sort of gig which involves setting up audio stuff without my trusty cable tester (http://www.studiospares.com/test-gear/studiospares-ultimate-cable-tester/invt/458260?VBMST=cable%20tester).

Even with the best of gear correctly rigged used and stored there can be problems, and it's great to be able to eliminate cable faults if there's a issue. It's can save a great deal of time to be able to prove that the problem is not your cabling, and that it lies elsewhere.
I have lost count of the number of times I have been able to help out a panicking keyboard bass or guitar player (and even more than one sound tech!) by finding their duff connection for them. It amazes me why some of these guys never think to have one themselves. Don't start me on some folks' inability to diagnose faults logically and systematically :-)

Oh, and I always test the mains power outlets (http://www.pattesters.co.uk/pat-accessories/socket-testers/martindale-check-plug-socket-tester?gclid=CLOWqNGYkr0CFQoYwwod7hQAVQ) too. Found a few horrors there I can tell you.

Time and life savers:

Nice one Colin, will check 'em out, thanks.