analog.

[kristian]

there hasnt been much acticity in here lately, so i thought i'd fire up a new thread. what i did realise though is the reasn there is less acticity in here is the fact that people only buy digital now. some buy used analog but those are usually the ones who know what they want. people who are new in the game walk into GS or Mars and just become hooked onto the digital game. anyway, me personally i got one step closer to making my new cables and snakes. i went to a local specialty electronics store got a new soldering gun thats not covered in zinc, some silver solder wire, wire cutters etc. tonight i cleaned out the garage cleaned the counter top washed it so there was no dust going to get into my connections. tomorrow starts the actual work, and there are 118 connectors. wish me luck, its going to take me 2 days atleast i believe.

 

[MISTERQCUE]

I consider myself a DIGI-NALOG person. I use my Adats to record, and use a Mackie 1202 when I attempt to record on computer using CakeWalk Pro 9 (I'm STILL learning 'puter based recording) I love both worlds but I'm old-skool so I spend the majority of my time in the outboard gear world.
But with pc based recording, you can record your songs a whole lot faster than you wwould inthe analog world ,but i guess you prob'ly know this already so I'll shut my mouth.
Good Luck on your cables!
Mr.Q

 

[MISTERQCUE]

Yeah man, It looks like a night scene in some city with a bodega in the background. Kinda' looks cool!

 

[kristian]

weeks later, ive been kinda busy. just enough where i have to do other things in my free time rather then solder. 32, i think done. or is that 48. i cant remember. a snake, and the mic cables. analog lives on!

maybe just for me

 

[skippy]

It takes time, and it has to be done right... When I did my patch field (208 TRS points at the bay, and then the connectors on the other ends- total of about 380 TRS and XLR connectors), it took me about 20 hours all told.

One thing that will speed up this process *dramatically* is to make yourself a connector soldering jig. Get a little chunk of scrap aluminum and mount a 1/4" female jack (TRS or TS, it doesn't matter) and a male and a female panel XLR connector in it. You can then secure this to your workbench with a vise or some c-clamps. When you are soldering a male XLR, for example, you can plug the bare connector insert into the female panel XLR...

This will support the insert to keep it from rolling around and trying to run away as you tin it and solder to it. Making this sort of jig will cut your cable fabrication/repair time in half, and it is something that you only have to do once, ever. I added a wire bracket to mine to hold up the roll of solder so that I don't have to chase it all over the workbench as well. This really speeds up the process.

True cable nerds will also realize that if you like, you can wire the panel connectors to a battery, some LEDs, and a switch and make your solder jig into a cable tester as well, killing yet another bird with one stone (why not test it as you assemble it, rather than as a separate action?) Season to taste: add female DIN connectors to do MIDI cables, add coaxial power connectors if you do your own wallwart eliminators, yadda yadda. Sky's the limit.

You can go as far with it as you like: but a 1/4" TRS and two XLRs in a little jig panel will be your best friend, if you plan on flinging cables for long. And if you're building a studio, you _will_ be flinging cables...

Hope that helps!

 

[John Sayers]

Hey - noones mentioned heatshrink!! I hope you have some. Also my techo Donny always attaches a new green wire to the shield so that for a cannon all the connectors are wires(no crappy shield stuff)

Hey - if it breaks down you know how to fix it

cheers
john

 

[kristian]

first off. i use a vice to hold the connector then my hands do the rest. it works well. and for the heatshrink. i have no need. the multipair cables is each individually jacketed and shielded. the heatshrink would have been a waste.

 

[kristian]

just did 16 more. finished one snake. im really tempted NOT to do my XLR->XLR snake. but i am going to sometime this week. its a lotta work and i didnt realise this when i started doing it. but i guess you do get that sense of achievement.

 

[The Green Hornet]

Yo Guys:

Keep buying that stuff; keep working; keep working; keep working.

I'm about to start collecting my social security at my very young age and you guys are a big asset.

As for me, I'll buy the cables; too much work tires me; however, in the old days with my "electronic Accordiane" I did a lot of soldering, even while on the gig.

Cheers,

Green Hornet