Longest safest cable for condenser

[wearashirt]

Hi guys,

I'm hoping to cut and solder an 8-meter XLR cable to connect my interface and my condenser. Asking in advance if anyone has had bad experiences with cables up to 8 meters, or if anyone has had success with this length or longer.

Cable stock I have is NOBELLE.

[ef37a]

Make and model of microphone would have been useful but, assuming it is a conventional capacitor mic with a balanced output impedance of around 200 Ohms 8mtrs is no problem at all.

I suppose there is a cable length limit at which the on board active electronics start to have trouble driving the cable capacitance but I doubt that length is less than 100mtrs and probably greater. Will of course depend upon the impedance converter design and the particular cable type. 'Star Quad' for instance has a higher capacitance than standard mic cable.

Should this be a valve capacitor mic then the cable will be a multicore and usually unbalanced and quite short to the PSU. BUT! "If you hafta ask" you really should not be messin' with such things.

Dave.

[ConcertinaChap]

Is there a standard for cables joining valve mics to their power supplies? I always thought the cables were proprietary and you had to use the cable supplied by the mic maker. Regardless, as Dave says for non-valve condensers* 8m is not an issue. Go for it.

CC

* I shall probably get in trouble for saying "condensers" ...

[ef37a]

Is there a standard for cables joining valve mics to their power supplies? I always thought the cables were proprietary and you had to use the cable supplied by the mic maker. Regardless, as Dave says for non-valve condensers* 8m is not an issue. Go for it.

CC

* I shall probably get in trouble for saying "condensers" ...

Yes indeed CC, valve mic cables would be peculiar to the maker (I doubt there is a standard pinout?) I included it JUST in case OP was thinking of monkeying with one!

"Condensers"? Use them in steam engines and AC don't they? Not seen the term in electronics literature for 60 years! But, I have all but given up matey, that and "rms" bloody watts!

Dave.

[Hugh Robjohns]

Hi guys,

I'm hoping to cut and solder an 8-meter XLR cable to connect my interface and my condenser. Asking in advance if anyone has had bad experiences with cables up to 8 meters, or if anyone has had success with this length or longer.

In my audio cupboard I have three cable drums. One has twelve 10m cables, the next has eight 15m cables, and the last has six 20m cables. There are also two 25m eight-way multicores, and one 50m 16-way multi.

I have joined the 8-ways to the 16-way and ran 20m cables off the end on more than one occasion... so 8m is nothing at all! 10metre mic cables are commonplace in professional studios.

Obviously, the longer the cable the more important screening becomes. I have no experience with Nobelle cable, but hopefully its screen arrangement gives good coverage.

Regarding valve mics, there is no standard for cable types, colour coding, or connector pin out. Different manufacturers do their own thing although most end up using 7-pin XLRs and a seven-way cable with different core thicknesses, pair twisting, and screening arrangements.

Most valve mics actually provide a balanced audio output on one (screened) pair, another pair carries the heater supply, anode HT (also used for the front capsule bias), plus a variable bias voltage for setting the polar pattern, and a ground.

[wearashirt]

Obviously, the longer the cable the more important screening becomes. I have no experience with Nobelle cable, but hopefully its screen arrangement gives good coverage.

Thanks for your reply.

Might you elaborate on what screening means?

[ConcertinaChap]

Lots about screening here:

https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques ... udio-cable

CC

[ef37a]

On the subject of connectors and 1/4" jack plugs in particular, whilst I would always recommend Neutriks for cables that get a hard life, guitars etc, plugs that will be essentially 'static', back of a patch bay, AI or amp say, there are considerable savings to be made by buying cheaper plugs in bulk.

As the article says, cheaper plugs can have inferior cable clamping and poor to no cable relief. Both these shortcomings can be addressed by the clever use of heat shrink sleeving
On S/PDIF connectors Nukes make a 'jumbo' RCA plug that works well and can accept UHF TV 'downlead'. Yes, such cable does have a solid core but we rarely jazz about with S/PDIF conns!

Dave.

[Wonks]

Dave, why can’t you just use proper names for things like other people? The O/P is in the Philippines, but even people in Peterborough would struggle with some of your nicknames.

And whilst cheaper than Neutrik XLRs are OK for some jobs, as Hugh often mentions, the housing size on some of them can vary from standard, and so make loose or very tight fits when used with standard sized XLRs. So if you are using budget connectors, best to get a couple first and try them for fit, before buying in bulk and then finding there are issues with them.

And once you find a good budget brand, then I’d stick with them.

But Neutrik’s own budget brand, Rean, are always worth looking at.

[Drew Stephenson]

Dave, why can’t you just use proper names for things like other people? The O/P is in the Philippines, but even people in Peterborough would struggle with some of your nicknames.

Seconded!

But Neutrik’s own budget brand, Rean, are always worth looking at.

Also seconded.

[ef37a]

Dave, why can’t you just use proper names for things like other people? The O/P is in the Philippines, but even people in Peterborough would struggle with some of your nicknames.

Seconded!

But Neutrik’s own budget brand, Rean, are always worth looking at.

Also seconded.

Well! Sorry chaps. Can you be more specific?

And I agree about cheap XLRs, fallen foul of out of tolerance ones myself. Mind you, the offending plug was stuck an old RS* 'Cannon' XLR 3 so you cannot be 100% sure unless both genders are the same brand!

My economy suggestion was IYRC only aimed at jack plugs? By far the most numerous connector we use.

*"Radio Spares" electronic components company. OK?

Dave.

[Wonks]

Nukes? Presumably Neutrik but I'm never 100% sure sometimes.

[ef37a]

Nukes? Presumably Neutrik but I'm never 100% sure sometimes.

Really? Would have thought it was pretty obvious seeing as I had used the full word earlier and was in context?

Ok, slap noted. i shall strive to K.I.S.Sirs in the future.

Trying to bling things up a bit but YCPAOTPAOTT.

Dave.

[Wonks]

Not to a non-native English speaker it won't be. Fine in a thread a regular started in say the DIY section, but it does help if you try and stick to the actual words where the O/P is obviously new to the subject.

[ef37a]

Not to a non-native English speaker it won't be. Fine in a thread a regular started in say the DIY section, but it does help if you try and stick to the actual words where the O/P is obviously new to the subject.

Ok but OP has been with us a year and has 70 posts under his belt. I also did not get any impression that his English was anything but 'native'?

I regularly contribute on an American forum and they seem to take my foibles in good part. Probably just think of me as that "quirky old limey"!

I shall try to be more po-f...I mean CORRECT in the future!

Dave.

[Hugh Robjohns]

Quirky is fine, but I often struggle to translate many of your obscure shorthand terminology... and I'm not even going to consider YCPAOTPAOTT!

[Aled Hughes]

Dave, why can’t you just use proper names for things like other people? The O/P is in the Philippines, but even people in Peterborough would struggle with some of your nicknames.

+1 here I'm afraid Dave!

I'm sorry to say but I don't know what you're referring to half the time... and some of your 'shorthand' contains more characters than the standard spelling! (e.g "neg ten" for "-10" always raises a smile!)

[shufflebeat]

I'm not so impressed with the Rean offerings, I bought some ¼" TS jacks and ended up replacing them all with proper Neutriks.

As previously mentioned, maybe not a problem for low stress situations, like installations.

[ef37a]

Dave, why can’t you just use proper names for things like other people? The O/P is in the Philippines, but even people in Peterborough would struggle with some of your nicknames.

+1 here I'm afraid Dave!

I'm sorry to say but I don't know what you're referring to half the time... and some of your 'shorthand' contains more characters than the standard spelling! (e.g "neg ten" for "-10" always raises a smile!)

Well "neg X" comes from working with those dastardly guitar electronics guys! You know, the people that use the MUCH more logical dBVolts!

Still, I shall try not to type so much from the hip when here in the future but of course Hugh, You Can't Please Al.......

Dave.

[Wonks]

Still, I shall try not to type so much from the hip when here in the future but of course Hugh, You Can't Please Al.......

Dave.

Al's easy to please. It's me who's the toughie!

[Aled Hughes]

Still, I shall try not to type so much from the hip when here in the future but of course Hugh, You Can't Please Al.......

Dave.

Al's easy to please. It's me who's the toughie!

Yeah. It just raises a smile here...

Al

[merlyn]

It took me a minute but .. YCPAOTPAOTT -- You Can't Please All Of The People All Of The Time.

[ef37a]

It took me a minute but .. YCPAOTPAOTT -- You Can't Please All Of The People All Of The Time.

Ain it the truth!

Dave.

[Mike Stranks]

Keep posting Dave!

I value your contributions and your knowledge - even if we disagree about printed manuals!

For the record, I have very little difficulty with your vernacular style, but maybe best to dial it back a bit for the wider - and younger - audience.

But please do keep contributing...