How to Solder Audio Cables

Video Transcript

"Hi! My name is Kip Bradford and I am here on behalf of Expert Village. The first thing you want to do is to make sure you put all the components that belong on the cable before you solder on the cable before you solder. I make a lot of cables and I inevitably forget to do this once or twice during a job when I am doing a install. Really the only reason to make your own cables is to make them custom size or if you run it into a situation where you just don't have the proper cable because cables are relatively cheap compared to the time that it takes to make one and the cost of the components. Unless you are making lots of cables, the cost of two XLR connectors is not going to be a whole lot different than the cost of the cable. You will pay for a good quality one, one at a time or ten at a time, you can probably pay $4.00 a piece for them or more. So but the first thing you will do is put your components on here and then remember black, I use to always put the black one on first and since we tend our wires, we have some solder that will melt really quick and as soon as the solder melts, it will combine with the solder we put in the cup and then hold it there until the solder turns a smooth but not quite as shiny color. The next thing to do is double check and make sure you get the next color where it belongs and usually it is marked. On the female it will be on the right hand side to put the shield and so we will and once you get the first one on and sometimes it is a little bit tricky to get everything else in the right position, then simply flow it to the connector, hold it. You will see a distinct change in the color once it is cool enough. It will just kind of fog over just a little bit. Now if your solder tends to be lumpy when you are done and it is kind of like chewing gum, then something isn't right. Usually it is related to the fact that it wasn't really hot enough or your surface wasn't properly cleaned. You don't want to use it on a dirty surface because impurities will come to the surface and keep that solder from sticking if you will to the components. There we go. We just made an XLR connector."