Mic Snake problem...any body have ideas?

[Zeke_Sayer]

So I have an 8 channel XLR to XLR snake that i use for recording, i've had it a little over a year, only moved it once and now for some reason Channel 8 will not work. I've checked the ends of the channel (to make sure everything was still together right) and even checked my Board / Mic cables just to be sure, but it is indeed the snake that's having a problem.

When I try to use it, all i get is either silence or a hissing sound.

Anyone here ever had this same problem? I dont expect there will be any way to fix this without tearing the entire snake apart first

 

[ido1957]

Cables go bad. I had to change both the ends on CH 1 of my snake a couple years ago. Resolder or cut off and add a new connector on one or both ends until it works.

 

[Zeke_Sayer]

So just replace the ends? We'll that's good that i may not have to some how replace channel 8 in it's entirety.

 

[bogushippie]

Take the XLR connector apart, and you will have three wires to three pins. Sometimes one of the wires breaks, usually at the solder joint. It happened to me. The shield wire broke at the joint inside my snake box. Quick, easy fix. Just be sure to use flux when you re-solder so you don't get a cold joint.
You can use a cable tester or a multimeter to test the cable. If you use a meter, check from pin 1 to pin 1, 2 to 2, 3 to 3. You should read near 0 ohms on all three. Then check pin 1 to 2, 1 to 3 and 2 to 3.
If you get a reading on those, you have two conductors shorted.
A hum sounds like a shield wire is broken at one end.