Taperssection.com

Gear / Technical Help => Cables => Topic started by: mfisch on May 20, 2005, 07:38:01 PM

Title: How to make my first cables
Post by: mfisch on May 20, 2005, 07:38:01 PM
Okay, I found cheap cable parts:
http://www.gatewayelex.com/
Anywhere else I should look?
It looks like its 80% cheaper there than micsupply.com, and I can get gold connectors for only 2 bucks more.
This stuff is easy to put together right?

Qty Item      Description                   Price Total
20  L4e-rd    L-4ES Red                     $0.75 $15.00
20  L4e-blu   L-4ES Blue cable              $0.75 $15.00
60  L4e-bk    L-4ES Black cable             $0.75 $45.00
2   1312-177  Gold Audio connector          $4.00 $8.00
2   1312-176  Gold XLR Connector            $4.00 $8.00
2   1312-164  Mono Gold (Blk) 1/4 in Plug   $1.95 $3.90
2   1312-163  Mono Gold (Red) 1/4 in Plug   $1.95 $3.90
 
Sub-Total  $98.80

^^^
Canare Starquad cable
So, I'm figuring two 20' Female-Male XLR's with gold connectors for my mics.
... and two 30' cables with 1/4 inch mono plugs for board patching.

What is the most common connector I'll want on the board end? My FA-101 takes 1/4in mono plugs.

Am I making these too long? I dont want to be short, but I dont want signal loss / interference either. Will looping these up when I have slack cause issues?
Title: Re: How to make my first cables
Post by: mfisch on May 20, 2005, 07:41:14 PM
ps,

are gold connectors a waste of money vs normal?
should I use cheaper cable since I dont have more XLR ports to plug my second set of cables anyway?
Title: Re: How to make my first cables
Post by: mfisch on May 20, 2005, 07:42:47 PM
pss.

I was thinking red/blue cable for the mics so I dont mix them up. Is this going to end up being a real eye sore? Im thinking maybe I should go black now and just tape the ends.
Title: Re: How to make my first cables
Post by: tim in jersey on May 20, 2005, 07:50:59 PM
Quote from: mfisch on May 20, 2005, 07:42:47 PM
Im thinking maybe I should go black now and just tape the ends.

That is what I would do, personally.
Title: Re: How to make my first cables
Post by: Ed. on May 22, 2005, 03:28:01 PM
my cables are brown and orange, orange for right, brown for left.  i tape mostly smaller indie shows, i must say i do get some looks, but no one seems to mind.  not to mention, harly anyone else, if anyone else has brown and orange cables.  makes me feel special.
Title: Re: How to make my first cables
Post by: JasonSobel on May 22, 2005, 07:46:03 PM
Quote from: mfisch on May 20, 2005, 07:38:01 PM
Anywhere else I should look?

http://www.markertek.com has the canare star-quad cable for cheaper, I think $0.36 per foot.  I'm not sure how they're connector prices compare, but it's worth it to check out.
Title: Re: How to make my first cables
Post by: Genghis Cougar Mellen Khan on June 06, 2005, 12:57:18 AM
Quote from: Deee-troit Basketball! (aka Ed) on May 22, 2005, 03:28:01 PM
my cables are brown and orange, orange for right, brown for left.  i tape mostly smaller indie shows, i must say i do get some looks, but no one seems to mind.  not to mention, harly anyone else, if anyone else has brown and orange cables.  makes me feel special.

Closet Browns fan?  ^-^
Title: Re: How to make my first cables
Post by: fozzy on June 06, 2005, 11:44:50 AM
markertek.com

20  L-4E6S RD          Canare Star-Quad Microphone Cable Red       $0.36              $7.20       
20  L-4E6S BE          Canare Star-Quad Microphone Cable Blue       $0.36              $7.20       
60  L-4E6S BK          Canare Star-Quad Microphone Cable Black       $0.36              $21.60       
2  NC3FX-B          Neutrik Female XLR Black/Gold                     $2.74              $5.48       
2  NC3MX-B          Neutrik Male XLR Black/Gold                             $2.49              $4.98       
4 $7.96

Total: $54.42

I'd make your 30 footers RCA and make a set of XLR(f) > RCA(f) adapters and pickup some RCA(f) > 1/4 adapters.  Also maybe go w/ the mini quad for the RCAs to reduce the amount of weight/size.

2  NC3FX-B          Neutrik Female XLR Black/Gold                     $2.74              $5.48
2  SW3502AAU          Switchcraft RCA Male Silver/Gold                   $1.99              $3.98

total:  $58.40
Title: Re: How to make my first cables
Post by: keepongoin on June 06, 2005, 11:52:34 AM
also - 30 ft. is kind of long for an unbalanced cable (RCA or 1/4") - i would go with 10 or 12 feet - though I have never used a cable longer than 6 ft. for an unbalanced board patch.
Title: Re: How to make my first cables
Post by: rodeen on June 08, 2005, 10:02:47 PM
Quote from: mfisch on May 20, 2005, 07:42:47 PM
I was thinking red/blue cable for the mics so I dont mix them up. Is this going to end up being a real eye sore? Im thinking maybe I should go black now and just tape the ends.

I went with red and blue for my cables.  Hasn't been a problem yet. 
Except the red cable is a little hotter than the blue one   ;D