Gear / Technical Help > Microphones & Setup
Trade offs of using active cables?
checht:
Many thanks all for the great information. Now I'll move forward with no worries, and be sure to cross at 90 degrees. ;)
Gordon:
I've been running neumann actives for 11 years with zero issues. the last year has been with nick modded lc3's with pfa.
fanofjam:
--- Quote from: ArchivalAudio on April 05, 2018, 11:50:01 AM ---If you get PFA's get the longer "extended" barrel, which can supply up to 60 v, and also help to eliminate any RF interference because of the shielding in the units.
--- End quote ---
FWIW, this isn't a universally accepted recommendation without considering WHY you'd select this option since the longer barrel PFA are more expensive and draw more power (and of course, have a longer barrel). As already mentioned above, RF isn't much of a concern, especially if the rest of the equipment in your rig isn't also RF protected, and powering at 60v versus the original PFA voltage (I think something like 40 or 42 volts) results in only a couple of db in mic sensitivity but zero change in frequency response. I've long maintained that both of these are differences without much distinction, but that's me and I recognize others may not feel the same. That said, if you're into spending extra money for RF protection and getting 2 more db out of your capsules at a 'cost' of a larger barrel and some amount of power drain, then yes i agree to go with the long barrel version of the PFA.
fanofjam:
You asked about tradeoffs of using active cables...to me one of the biggest tradeoffs is the decrease in the overall reliability of your rig. Cables and reliable power have always been the weak points in my rig. Someone already mentioned that their cable got cut when a monitor sliced it in two.
With actives when you lose a cable you also lose your mics. With the full body option, you're usually not dead in the water if a cable goes wonky on you since there are always spare XLR cables to borrow (or carry your own spares).
jbell:
I have run schoeps actives for several years without any issues!! I also use a KCY PFA with the extended barrel that is 60v and has the low noise option. The added RF protection, powering the caps to spec, and low noise chip seems like a great idea for an extra $20(that is cheap for this hobby). The 60v PFA are longer than the standard version, but in comparison to a set of schoeps or Microtech Gefell bodies they are way smaller. I haven't had any issue with the extra power required. I can't say that I even consider that a problem or noticeable. I recently switched to Microtech Gefell M20 caps with actives and had the cables built as KCY so I can use my existing PFA and extension cables. I like the single cable setup. As for cables getting cut I have a 2 foot active set and use extensions so if one was cut I always have a backup extension or can use them in combination for a longer cable run. I also have a 5 foot extension in case I ever need to run stealth. There really are great options for actives in today's taping world. Plan wisely and you can be set for most situations
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