Taperssection.com
Gear / Technical Help => Cables => Topic started by: fotoralf.be on January 12, 2009, 05:35:58 PM
-
Has anyone here tried using Cat-5 network cable as multicore microphone cable?
Ralf
-
There's a 3 page long heated thread here:
http://www.blue-room.org.uk/index.php?showtopic=11615&st=0
No consensus, most agree that it can be done, but it's better to boost the signal to line level first. Some advise against it, for sound quality reasons.
For our purpose, why cut corners? The cables are so short anyway, the saving would be minimal. For other purposes, go ahead and experiment! ;D
-
After using a couple of different multicore cables I think you'd be much happier with either the Canare L-4E3-P or the Mogami 2602. Another option is the Canare L4e6s, but since the channels aren't individually shielded I use this to make 5-pin to 3-Pin XLR stereo breakout cable.
John "Alpha Flying Monkey" Moore
sound.flyingmonkeystudio.com (http://sound.flyingmonkeystudio.com)
-
Not that there's any intense interest in this, but it is something I've thought about now and then. One point that's not too clear on the thread sunjan linked to is that there is such a thing as shielded cat5/cat6 cable and connectors. Apparently STP (Shielded Twisted Pair) cable is standard practice in Europe, while America has settled on UTP. So it can act as a super skinny four channel snake! The shield is a single overall versus one-for-each-channel as in a purpose built mic snake cable. But it works electrically (ground/shield for all channels tied together) and I would bet quite decently for mic cable sonically. As was pointed out, Cat cable is designed to accurately transmit very high frequency signal, so the twisting of pairs is very precise, hence the noise rejection very high (and I bet the capacitance is very low as well). At least in Cat6 cable, there's even an extra step of varying the pitch of the twist for each of the four pairs to further prevent crossstalk between pairs. Note that premade Cat patch cables do use stranded wire.
CSW (http://www.cablingsys.com/default.asp) is a good source for STP cabling and connectors: try a 75' 4 channel snake (cat5e patch cable) for $25! :D
Neutrik even makes XLR style RJ45 connectors:
(http://www.neutrik.com/client/neutrik/media/products/thumbs/210_1582222759.png) (http://www.neutrik.com/client/neutrik/media/products/thumbs/210_2140927947.png)
Just some idle musings...
Peace,
Sanaka
-
cat5 is solid core, not stranded....very easy to break.
i would advise against it as mic cable....although, i'd imagine it could be done.
-
cat5 is solid core, not stranded....very easy to break.
i would advise against it as mic cable....although, i'd imagine it could be done.
When you buy bulk cable for permanent facility installation it is normally solid core. However, when you get a patch cable, for instance to plug your computer into a RJ45 wall jack, it is stranded cable.
Peace
-
Hey Guys,
Really sorry for reviving such an old thread but hey, it's worth a shot.
I'm a student on a pretty darn tight budget for his audio gear, and I'm just wondering (before I go out and buy reels of STP cat5 cable!), would I be able to use the screening as the 0v return (ie. pin 1 of the XLR connector) so I can send balanced signal and use phantom power down my makeshift cat5 snake? What I plan to do is use multiple cat5 cables to give me 16 channels, then to make a breakout box at each end with 'real' mic cable (ie. flexible stuff that isn't going to snap like cat5 would) to break it out to seperate XLR connectors.
Thanks for your help!
James
-
I don't generally recommend using data cable for audio, but if you were to, I'd recommend the following
general purpose four conductor- good for data, control or audio- two-channel or single channel quad, shielded for audio
http://www.gepco.com/products/proav_cable/network/genpurp_2prshielded_M.htm
this heavy duty Cat5e cable is great for portable applications, but it isn't shielded
http://www.gepco.com/products/proav_cable/network/4pr_cat5Eheavyduty_M.htm
-
To answer your question, yes you can use the drain wire of a CAT-5 cable as your phantom return. This CAT-5 cable linked to below is stranded and shielded so it should work as snake cable. However, there are several problems with making a 16 channel snake out of CAT-5:
1) You have to use 4 CAT-5 cables to make a 16 channel balanced snake, and those 4 cables need to be bound together somehow or you will have a total rat's nest. This will add to your cost and the resulting snake cable handling will be poor.
2) You will have to buy 1000' of the CAT-5 cable to get a good price. That's great if you want to make a 250' snake. Otherwise you will have a lot of CAT-5 left over and the effective price of your snake will be much higher.
3) Assuming you buy the CAT-5 cable below, and assuming you are making a 250' snake, your price per foot will be about $0.30 x 4 = $1.20 per foot, plus binding costs.
http://www.computercablestore.com/1000FT_Shielded_DataMax_C_PID2856.aspx (http://www.computercablestore.com/1000FT_Shielded_DataMax_C_PID2856.aspx)
Disclaimer: I have never purchased anything from the company linked to above so I cannot vouch for them. Nor have I used this CAT-5 cable so I cannot say if it is any good or not. This cable just looked like it would work for your intended purpose.
Now it is not difficult to find real snake cable for a reasonable price. For example:
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=109-020 (http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=109-020)
This is real 20 channel snake cable for 2 bucks a foot. This would be a LOT less hassle than building a snake out of CAT-5 and less expensive too unless you want a really long snake.
-
There is a company on ebay Seismic Audio that is selling 16-channel 50 foot snakes for $139 with free shipping. New with a 1 year warranty. No hand soldering and assembly required with this.