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Gear / Technical Help => Cables => Topic started by: Chuck on November 04, 2013, 09:05:17 PM
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I'm wondering if anyone has had any problems with the silver/Teflon Techflexed mic/line cables many of us buy and use.
I ask, because my understanding is that the silver/Teflon wire is meant to be used in permanent installs rather than be coiled and uncoiled like the way we use it in the field.
I have not had any problems with any of the cables I have bought or made myself. I'm going to make another pair and I was wondering if anyone has had any issues with them.
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Not me, I think it's ideal for what we do. Thin diameter, durable conductors and excellent shielding (at least what I have worked with).
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I only have a few short interconnects so I didn't vote.
But if I was still running full-bodied mics, I'd have a problem with the rigidity of the Teflon cable jacket. I like a nice "limber" jacket... The Canare mini StarQuad or the Mogami equivalent shrink-wrapped every 1.5" would be what I would run...
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I don't think they are optimum, but they are certainly functional. I prefer my "mic" cables as they seem to develop less coil memory (even doing an accurate over/under routine the silvers seem to develop a slight memory) and I get thicker shielding with those.
Techflex works in very specific situations, but outside of that, I find it more of a hinderance than a benefit. This past weekend I took apart one of my last flex'd cables, finally got tired of being limited in what I could do with them.
Where I do like them is in true interconnects; preamp > adc type stuff. If I used an outboard DAC at home to connect to my headphone amp, I'd totally be willing to use them then.
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I don't think they are optimum, but they are certainly functional. I prefer my "mic" cables as they seem to develop less coil memory (even doing an accurate over/under routine the silvers seem to develop a slight memory) and I get thicker shielding with those.
Techflex works in very specific situations, but outside of that, I find it more of a hinderance than a benefit. This past weekend I took apart one of my last flex'd cables, finally got tired of being limited in what I could do with them.
Where I do like them is in true interconnects; preamp > adc type stuff. If I used an outboard DAC at home to connect to my headphone amp, I'd totally be willing to use them then.
The memory/torsion effect of the Teflon/Techflex jackets is exactly what I had in mind. I work with gobs of plenum-rated cables every day encased in Teflon/Techflex. I can't tell you how many times I've had to re-terminate audio and video connectors on-the-fly. Usually 10 minutes-under-the-gun and in front of a particularly bitchy client...
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I bought one LD mic recently and needed a single 15' cable for it. I already have 15 feet of silver/Teflon wire and decided I'd use that to make the cable rather than go out and buy another type of microphone wire. The shield on that silver wire is so good and I actually like working with it as it's so easy to terminate.
So, I was just wondering how the silver mil spec wire is holding up by the people that are using it.
Back in the day some I remember some people were skeptical about whether it would hold up with repeated use. I haven't had any issues.
I suspect that it holds up very well.
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Where I do like them is in true interconnects; preamp > adc type stuff. If I used an outboard DAC at home to connect to my headphone amp, I'd totally be willing to use them then.
This is spot on page and an example is that I often get "where did you get those cables?" from FOH engineers. Recently one asked where he could get some beacuse he has some he uses as interconnects that are well over 20 years old and are holding up great. I hooked him up with my supplier and he was thrilled.
But if I was still running full-bodied mics, I'd have a problem with the rigidity of the Teflon cable jacket. I like a nice "limber" jacket... The Canare mini StarQuad or the Mogami equivalent shrink-wrapped every 1.5" would be what I would run...
I agree that "some" milspec has a very ridgid almost plastic coating. That type has a serious coil memory and can be a PITA trying to get straight. Most of the types that i use have a teflon wrap that is much more plyable and memory forgiving.
For the typical "taper" who is looking for low profile and light cable that they just use with a 15' stand the coil memory is not a big deal. If you are trying to run mispec cabled spot mics all over a stage that can be a problem.
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They're often listed as milspec, but spec'd for what application? What exactly are the specs on these cables?
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Where I do like them is in true interconnects; preamp > adc type stuff. If I used an outboard DAC at home to connect to my headphone amp, I'd totally be willing to use them then.
This is spot on page and an example is that I often get "where did you get those cables?" from FOH engineers. Recently one asked where he could get some beacuse he has some he uses as interconnects that are well over 20 years old and are holding up great. I hooked him up with my supplier and he was thrilled.
If I was doing a venue snake or some other stationary thing, I'd reach for that stuff pronto.
For the typical "taper" who is looking for low profile and light cable that they just use with a 15' stand the coil memory is not a big deal. If you are trying to run mispec cabled spot mics all over a stage that can be a problem.
I'll go along with this. If I had just a single one and I didn't coil it real tight, it always behaved. I got pissed at our set of silver flexed cables when they got past about 8' and we were moving stuff and having to rearrange things much more than just putting stuff up and hitting record. For that purpose, I reach for typical stage "style" cables. Where I still use my flexed cable is if I need an extension to connect into the recorder. Some of ours are pretty good, while others have a wicked memory effect.
I need a cable tester...
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I ran them with my km184's for a time, the coil memory got to be a pain even when just running straight up a 13' stand, not to mention on-stage, etc. Other than that they were fine. What I definitely did like about them was how solid the connections were, I still do use some short runs of this kind of cable for interconnects which is where I'd say they shine, nice and bombproof there.
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I found the techflex to work great with paired Belden 1804a silverclad. A cable that I found to be unruly on it's own. I have only techflexed them as pairs. it made handling the cable and laying out the cable a pleasure. The other silvers I have are solid silver (zaolla, Xstream) and the cable diameter is much larger with those I don't use techflex.
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For weight and compactness...Techflex Silver Milspec all the way...for the least time wasted unraveling cables then standard.
I have wondered about my stubby's being flexed at the connection...they are still solid after the two years I've ran them.
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For weight and compactness...Techflex Silver Milspec all the way...for the least time wasted unraveling cables then standard.
Could not agree more with the compactness and unraveling benefits. . .
I have wondered about my stubby's being flexed at the connection...they are still solid after the two years I've ran them.
. . . and connections also remain rock solid on my 3 channel Gakcable
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They're often listed as milspec, but spec'd for what application? What exactly are the specs on these cables?
Milspec is simply a term that refers to a standard set of specifications for anything manufactured that is qualified for procurment by the Department Of Defense. Stress "Anything"....building materials, foodservice equipment, personal items, and components of combat weaponry also have milspec standards. Each item or assembly has a unique code where numbers and letters in a given sequence describe the material, and can be referenced.
For the wire we are repurposing for recording, MIL-DTL-55021/2 which applies to shielded twisted pairs and triples for internal wiring intended for operating in a temperature range from -65 to 200 ºC. This is the only milspec wire suitable for arerospace applications, requiring an extruded PTFE (Teflon) jacket. Within the spec, various guages of wire, numbers of strands, and metal compositions are there. When you are considering milspec for field use, guage of conductor wire and the number of strands, the guage of the wire used for the shield, and the metal composition is what determines how flexible a cable is, the PTFE jacket is not as much a factor.
Any mic cables made using milspec MIL-DTL-55021/2 silver clad OFC copper wire for both conductor and shield, with conductor guages in the 20 to 22 awg range with low strand counts, extruded PTFE jackets over the conductors and the shield, and Nutrik XLRs will kick ass. Techflex looming adds great protection for the outer Teflon jacket, especially the top end Flexo that uses PolyPhenylene Sulfide (PPS) monofilament.