6 Irreplaceable Audio Tools

When considering a new gear purchase, it’s easy to get caught up in extravagant equipment and overlook things that would ease the pain of daily audio life. There are routine processes that can be simplified, common problems that can be more quickly solved, and significant sonic improvements that can be made if you have the right tools. I’d like to share six audio tools that can easily become irreplaceable pieces in your arsenal. Manufacturers such as Audioengine, dbx, Galaxy Audio, Little Labs, Phonic, Pyle Pro, Radial, Sonarworks, and Waves make options well worth your consideration.

Tool #1: Cable Tester

When signal-flow problems occur, cast a suspicious eye on cables. Wiring issues can cause signal to be distorted, low in level, inverted in polarity, or completely gone. Rather than swapping out a bunch of cables to see if the problems vanish, your time would be more efficiently used testing cables to see if they need to be replaced. Also, it’s wise to test cables before using them or installing them in areas that will be difficult to access. Add a cable tester to your toolbox and never go to a gig without it.
The dbx CT-3 allows you to test 11 different cable types—XLR 3-pin, MIDI 5-pin, RCA, BNC, DMX 5-pin, Banana, RJ11, RJ45, 4-pole speakON, 3.5mm, and 1/4" TRS/TS. It is battery powered and has a tone generator with adjustable level as a sweet bonus.

dbx CT-3 Advanced Cable Tester

The Pyle Pro PCT60 packs 14 connector types into a sturdy housing. It supports XLR 3-pin and 5-pin, DIN with 3, 4, 5, 7, or 8 pins, RCA, BNC, Banana, RJ45, speakON 4-pole and 8-pole, 1/4" TRS/TS, 3.5mm, TT (Bantam), USB Type-A and USB Type-B ports. It also has a tone generator and is supplied with batteries.