Buying microphone cable, 100m drums.

[Arpangel]

I need some bog standard reasonable quality mic cable for long runs to our our basement, mic lines from the piano room, it’s quite a convoluted route, but I reckon it’ll take about 20m per line, and we need four lines.
I’ve seen this,

https://cpc.farnell.com/pro-power/648b ... ble%20100m

Just wondering if this will be OK? There are others in the list, but they seem thinner, I just need normal thickness, to be quite rugged, as they won’t be permanent, and may be used elsewhere too.

[Mike Stranks]

[Arpangel]

[Arpangel]

This could be a better solution, and allow expansion for keyboard lines etc, works out cheaper and more convenient than running individual cables, plus, it’s ready made.

https://cpc.farnell.com/pulse/pls00035 ... tage%20box

[Hugh Robjohns]

I was going to suggest a multicore might be a more versatile solution going forwards....

[Wonks]

I was just wondering about your ‘might be used elsewhere’ comment, and would a multicore be suitable for that?

But then you can always buy single cables as and when in the future if that’s what you need.

[Arpangel]

I was just wondering about your ‘might be used elsewhere’ comment, and would a multicore be suitable for that?

But then you can always buy single cables as and when in the future if that’s what you need.

This is Arpangel nothing is simple!

On reflection, the multicore drum cable is thick, it needs to go under three doors, which might be difficult, or impossible, the thinner individual cables would.
I thought about running the multicore out of the window around the house, and in the basement window, we can have the door open in the piano room, but not the window, it's too noisy.
Bottom line, I think individual cables may be best, as we can sneak them under the doors.

[Music Wolf]

On reflection, the multicore drum cable is thick, it needs to go under three doors, which might be difficult, or impossible, the thinner individual cables would.

What about a solution using shielded CAT cable?

https://www.thomann.de/gb/the_sssnake_cat_snake_5mc.htm

[Hugh Robjohns]

It can be done, and it works fine with line-level signals. But personally I'm a bit reluctant to use it for mic-level signals unless you can guarantee the Ethernet cable has individually shielded pairs -- which means either a Cat6A S/FTP type, or a Cat7 cable.

For Arpangel, if you're going the individual cable route, and I understand the practical leanings towards for that approach, buy some long lasting means of cable identification as well...

If you're making up the cables yourself, then colour-coded XLR strain-relief glands is a simple and effective solution. If you're using XX series XLRs then buy the appropriate colours of these bushes: https://cpc.farnell.com/search?st=xlr%20xx%20bush They can't fall off or fade, and they'll also help to identify your custom cables from anyone else's standard ones!

I've also used these self-amalgamating wrap-around labels on a lot of installation cables and they seem pretty reliable.

https://cpc.farnell.com/pro-power/20750 ... dp/CB21252

[Arpangel]

It can be done, and it works fine with line-level signals. But personally I'm a bit reluctant to use it for mic-level signals unless you can guarantee the Ethernet cable has individually shielded pairs -- which means either a Cat6A S/FTP type, or a Cat7 cable.

For Arpangel, if you're going the individual cable route, and I understand the practical leanings towards for that approach, buy some long lasting means of cable identification as well...

I don’t know anything about Cat, seems like the single cable route is the way to go, as Hugh said, I need some sort of cable ID, maybe coloured rings?

[Hugh Robjohns]

Updated my post above with more suggestions re colour coding XLRs

[SimonZ]

Different colours of heat shrink sleeve also a fairly cheap option.

[Arpangel]

Updated my post above with more suggestions re colour coding XLRs

Thanks Hugh, got it.

[MOF]

I’ve always made my microphone cables with Starquad, maybe not relevant for you but my work has taken me to some places where there was the potential for picking up unwanted interference.

[Hugh Robjohns]

Starquad's famed superior interference rejection only applies to interference sources lying physically alongside the cable. So it's beneficial if you're running mic cables directly alongside lighting dimmer power cables, for example, but there's no advantage at all in more typical applications.

Moreover, the much higher capacitance compared to standard cables can become problematic on longer cable runs.

If you're concerned about RF interference then it would be better to invest in Neutrik's EMC XLR connectors and use a good quality cable, ideally with a double-Reussen screen.

[Arpangel]

Starquad's famed superior interference rejection only applies to interference sources lying physically alongside the cable. So it's beneficial if you're running mic cables directly alongside lighting dimmer power cables, for example, but there's no advantage at all in more typical applications.

Moreover, the much higher capacitance compared to standard cables can become problematic on longer cable runs.

If you're concerned about RF interference then it would be better to invest in Neutrik's EMC XLR connectors and use a good quality cable, ideally with a double-Reussen screen.

The only interference I’m worried about is my partner shouting outside the piano room "are you recording?"

[ef37a]

Starquad's famed superior interference rejection only applies to interference sources lying physically alongside the cable. So it's beneficial if you're running mic cables directly alongside lighting dimmer power cables, for example, but there's no advantage at all in more typical applications.

Moreover, the much higher capacitance compared to standard cables can become problematic on longer cable runs.

If you're concerned about RF interference then it would be better to invest in Neutrik's EMC XLR connectors and use a good quality cable, ideally with a double-Reussen screen.

The only interference I’m worried about is my partner shouting outside the piano room "are you recording?"

Heh! Can you not rig a red "Silence Recording" lamp outside the room? And whatever cables you finally get matey, I would chuck in at least one Cat5e/6 shielded cable as well...SO handy for all sorts of signals. If you find a local network installer he will probably GIVE you 30mtrs 'end of a box'.

Dave.

[Drew Stephenson]

I have often wondered if there were midi-triggered "recording" lights available. I know that if I had one that I had to remember to switch on it would be a waste of time; but something that came on automatically...

[SimonZ]

There are !!!
'Punchlight' have a few options and there are others

[James Perrett]

There are !!!
'Punchlight' have a few options and there are others

And we have a thread describing the Elf's adventures with an Arduino from a few weeks ago building something similar.