Mic cables Bulk ??

Dracon

Dracon

New member
I'm getting ready to purchase some bulk cables and I've some questions.

Redco carries some 22 AWG Balanced Mic Cables and some 24 & 25 AWG Balanced braided shield cables.

In addtion, there is the 24 AWG Quad Cable.

I know that the 22 AWG will give me less Ohms of Resitance. However, does the shield really make a difference? I mean they are balanced, so in theory the shield should not really matter as far a picking up noise.
Also since the 22 AWG would provide less resitance than either 24 or 25 it would seem to got with the 22 as a better choice. However, the Quad cable which is 24 AWG (since you double the cables) would actually have more resitance per cable than the 22 but less resistance overall.

I guess I need help in deciding what exactly I should get.
22 AWG = 16 mOhms per foot of resistance
25 AWG = 32 mOhms per foot of resistance
24 AWG = 26.7 approximately mOhms per foot of resistance

Theoretically the 24 AWG Quad Cable would be approximately 13.35 mOhms per foot of resistance because of the doubled cable.

Can anyone bottom line it for me? What do you guys buy when getting Bulk Cables for mics?
 
Never mind. Aparently all the mic cables at Redco are shielded the 24 & 25 are Braided Shielding. I guess that's significant enough for Redco to list. According to Mogami's own catalog the 22AWG Balanced Mic is a NEGLEX type and they are easier and cheaper to terminate.

So, I'll be going with the 22AWG.
 
The advantage of the quad cable is that if one of the wires of a pair breaks, you still have the other to carry the signal, and so in theory it will last longer. I don't know if this is cost effective though. Is the quad much more expensive?
 
I have about 100m of CANARE STAR QUAD CABLE (L-4E6s). Anybody know if this stuff is good for a small home studio or live sound?

Also, where do you buy bulk xlr connectors? I need about 10 male and 10 female.
 
The cable resistance is pretty unimportant when choosing a mic cable. Capacitance is a lot more significant, as it affects frequency response. Even then, any decent mic cable has a capacitance so low it won't affect anything in runs of less than a couple hundred feet. But if you are looking for a spec to help you choose, capacitance is the one.

The gauge is more important for physical considerations, as 22 gauge wire can make a big difference in diameter and weight vs. 24 or 26 gauge. So when you build a snake or need to run cables through a conduit, gauge can be an important consideration.

The big deal with quad cable is increased noise rejection, due to twisted pairs of wires vs. single conductors. Unless you are in a high RF area, it doesn't make much of a difference. It may indeed help some in a home studio, where there tends to be a lot of RF/EMI interference from electronic gear in a small space.

I usually use non-quad cables for live work, as quads are a bit stiffer, generally. Not as easy to wind up at the end of the night, I feel. I do, however, use quad cables on my vocal channels, as I find them to be the most noise prone. (I use Belden Brilliance Star Quad, as I got a good deal on some.)
 
boingoman said:
The cable resistance is pretty unimportant when choosing a mic cable. Capacitance is a lot more significant, as it affects frequency response. Even then, any decent mic cable has a capacitance so low it won't affect anything in runs of less than a couple hundred feet. But if you are looking for a spec to help you choose, capacitance is the one.

The gauge is more important for physical considerations, as 22 gauge wire can make a big difference in diameter and weight vs. 24 or 26 gauge. So when you build a snake or need to run cables through a conduit, gauge can be an important consideration.

The big deal with quad cable is increased noise rejection, due to twisted pairs of wires vs. single conductors. Unless you are in a high RF area, it doesn't make much of a difference. It may indeed help some in a home studio, where there tends to be a lot of RF/EMI interference from electronic gear in a small space.

I usually use non-quad cables for live work, as quads are a bit stiffer, generally. Not as easy to wind up at the end of the night, I feel. I do, however, use quad cables on my vocal channels, as I find them to be the most noise prone. (I use Belden Brilliance Star Quad, as I got a good deal on some.)
Click to expand...

Awsome. Thanks! I'll bet that I got a better deal on my cable then you did! It was leftover from a job and I got it for free. :D If its free its for me. ;)

How 'bout the bulk connectors?
 
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