Topic: best cable for core sound dpa 4061 replacement

[bonghitwillie]

i forget how many wires i need in the housing. there needs to be enough wires for 2 mics. essentially this is super thin lavelier cable. what is the best and most durable cable available? thanks in advance

[SMsound]

I don't know how many wires you need for 4061. However, for 'regular' mics (2 conductor + ground shielding), I use the very thin Mogami lav cable W3031, which is a standard lav cable used by musical theater houses. Here's my build, which shows the size of the cable linked below. I really like that stuff. I get it for $0.50/ft custom-sized from performance audio It is just 2.8mm overall diameter, which is very similar to Schoeps LEMO cables (for ccm). It feels nice and flexible.

https://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=200731.0

https://www.performanceaudio.com/mogami-w3031-miniature-balanced-mic-cable-with-braided-shield-black-by-the-foot.html

Stripping the tiny leads is annoying with tools even though I have them -- I prefer to nick the insulation with a knife then pull it off with a fingernail in the nick. Soldering iron helps to remove the white fluffy stuff packed in with the leads.

PS please post your build -- a 4061 pair is on my short list.


Here's Mogami's writeup on their different lav cable options (which shows why our group probably wants W3031):
These miniature microphone cables feature necessary mechanical strength (tensile strength and long flex life) and flexibility for lavalier microphones and other applications. All balanced configuration. Part No. W3031 cable is exactly same construction as Part No. W2697 cable except for shield structure. Part No. W2697 cable is constructed with served (spiral) shield, while Part No. W3031 cable is constructed with braided shield. Part No. W2901 is specially designed with better tensile strength and longer flex life, sacrificing some sound quality, and creating a slightly more difficult soldering job because of used copper-tin alloy conductor, this cable is mechanically very strong and durable.

Before I found the W3031 and learned that Soundmirror used it (which convinced me), someone on this subforum suggested Belkin lav cable in a recent thread -- that may be worth checking out too.

[Gutbucket]

Just came across this thread.  Old but updating..

The miniature DPAs are two wire mics.  The DPA cable is coaxial, with a very thin signal wire that is rather difficult to solder, a braided shield ground, and aramid tensile reinforcement strands. 

I use this source for microdot extension cables of whatever length I want- https://www.cdint.com/catalog/category/Cables
There are cheaper sources of cable, but those folks supply cables of whatever length you want terminated with male or female microdots.  If I need a pair with different connectors on the opposite end I order a cable twice the length I need, cut it in half and reterminate the cut ends myself.  The RG174 cable thicker than the DPA cables, but not overly large in diameter, and features a center conductor that is easy to solder. I use the the "flexible" version which features jacket that is "rubberier", but would also consider the "low noise" version of the cable.  For multiple channels combine I run a bundle of however many run of this I need in a single Techflex sheath.  That retains good flexibilty even with bundles of 8 channels or more, forming a snake about the diameter of a finger.

For single-wire multichannel runs, typical balanced mic cable will accommodate a stereo pair (shared shield/ground), as will multi-conductor cable for higher channel counts.  I've used some Mogomi multi-conductor cable for that which is super small in diameter, similar to a single run of RG174.