Studio cabling: single or multi pairs?

[RaGe]

I am looking at Gepco's X-Band cable and they have it in up to 16 pairs. Would you rather use a multi-pair or several single pairs for connecting a wallplate to a patchbay on a lenght of about 15-20 ft?
At first I was going to get a bunch of single pairs but having them grouped together seems easier. What are the chances of having one cable of the multi go bad (inexistant i think)?

[jake-owa]

It's not likely for a single immobile line to go bad but I wold be sure to have a few extras in the snake run for future expansion.
I would definitely go with the multi-pair snake.

[frederic]

I always use snakes, mostly because it costs about the same (assuming the individual TRS pairs are the same quality) but mostly because the diameter of a 16-ch snake is a little smaller than 16 TRS pairs, with shield and insulation and outer jacket, bundled together.

This is because the outer jackets of the individual pairs can be much thinner in a snake because the snake has an outer jacket that will take any abuse. Also, its much easier to toss a snake into conduit, a duct, etc, than trying to drag 16 individual cables with wires ties.

In the many, many years I've installed and used snake cables, I've only had a few pairs "go bad". This was always due to a wobbly jack on the panel, flexing the solder joint, or people shoving stuff into racks immediately above or below, catching wires that weren't soldered on correctly to begin with.

Snakes are good.

BTW, if you're trying to pull a snake through a conduit, and you're having trouble, grease the cable. Most electrical supply places (not a home depot) have jars of cable grease. Its a nasty grease, almost like moly axle grease in consistancy, that makes cables slip through tight bends very easily.

An alternative is KY, but know that you will have to use a lot of it so you're not saving any money, and KY is usually scented. Used that in a pinch when doing a job in the middle of absolute nowhere, thus no electrical supply houses, but, walmart as we all know is everywhere, like a fungus

[casenpoint]

I am also about to run xlr, trs, and mono's w/cat5 wiring to and from. I am using a 2x6 wall with 2x3 staggered studs.

If I was to use conduit what size should I use? Should I use Plastic?

I am planning on doing a few bends in it and I know that using a bender is out of the question. So maybe use the elbows at the bends. The questoin still remains do I use a bigger diameter conduit as to pull the ends through

[casenpoint]

It will almost likely to be a short run. About six feet.

I need to purchase a wallplate. But cannot find any. Any suggestions.

I posted another thread about the subject. But did not get a reply. I guess I didn't wait very long!

Help!

John

[RaGe]

Anyone care to defend the multi "single-pairs" approach?