And the money pit just keeps eating cash

[LKTraz]

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Being a musician for as long as I have makes me well aware that there is always some expense or other necessary to keep playing but sometimes it just gets frustrating.

The gig we played on Nov 26 was fraught with the plague of bad XLR cords causing problems.  I actually ran out of cords to swap out and ended up doing a bit of P.A. system magic to get us through the night.

We had another gig last night so during the week I grabbed up all my cords including the ones that were put into the "bad cord" bin and spent a load of time testing and repairing them. 

Now these cords do have a limit on their lifespan simply due to the 2 big factors of being rolled up, unrolled, run where they need to go, connected and disconnected repeatedly, re-rolled, packed back up for the next job and then it's repeat the process all over again.  Obviously (for the most part) the better quality cords you buy, the longer the lifespan.  BUT.....cash flow does limit you to just how good of a quality cord you can afford.

Budget priced basic cords run around $7 - $10 each and the minimum number I need to get through a job is 14.  This leaves no room for problems.  Rightfully I should have 20 cords to allow for possible failures and ultimately 28 so that I would be covered if i had a 100% failure rate.
So even basics would cost me $196-$280 for all 28. But bear in mind that just because they are new doesn't mean there aren't bad ones right off the bat.  The cheaper cords are "hurry up and produce mass quantity" items so they can come with missed solder joints, cold solder joints and zero quality control at the sweat shops that make them.

The best option is to get tour grade cables to get the most out of them.  There are some VERY expensive ones ($60 - $149 each depending on the grade you get) out there from Mogami and technically they are NOT tour grade but they are very high quality studio grade.  Now they DO come with a lifetime warranty but that doesn't cover normal wear and tear from road use.

From a practical stanpoint the best option is the 8mm tour grade cables from Pig Hog.

   

At $34.95 each I'm looking at $978.60 in cables!  FUCK ME!!!!!!! 
Soooooooooooooooo........my answer is that I'll buy some shorter (and less expensive) ones for the job of connecting the mixer to the rack and jumpers from the EQ to the snake, five 25 foot cables (3 from the stage end of the snake to the power amps and 2 more to cover from my amp's direct out and my vocal mic) and I can get away with $259.50.

As for the rest.......I'll just get some basics and piece in Pig Hogs over time.  If my band mates don't like that, they can buy their own fucking cables.

Rant over.

[Twitchin Kitten]

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Why aren't they buying their own cables anyway?

[LKTraz]

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Why aren't they buying their own cables anyway?

Because I own the P.A. system.  If it was a band/communally owned system then hell yes they would be buying their own.

[Twitchin Kitten]

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That's what I figured. Had to make sure though. I don't see why they'd complain. Actually, I don't see why they don't keep wires like those for themselves anyway. There's always some emergency ya know?

[LKTraz]

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Well the big reason is that those who don't own a P.A. simply never give having their own cords a second thought. Occasionally you'll run into someone who brings their own XLR for their vocal mic but that's about it. They will buy expensive assed instrument cables and "stombox" jumpers but XLR's? Nah...why bother? The sound guy always has plenty of them!

I found a suitable middle ground here.....Strukturegear, the makers of Pig Hog, have a better grade 7mm cable for sale under their name. They are just a step below Hogs and way better than basic cables. If I combine the 7mm cables with the Pig Hogs I can get all that I need for just over $400.00. That's a damn sight better than nearly a grand!