DIY cable

[5ergo]

Im soon going to do a balanced cable with TRS and XLR connectors. Which brands do you recommend for cable and which for connectors?

It will be used for (good) active sub.

 

[SonicAlbert]

I use Neutrik connectors and cable made by Mogami, Canare, and Connectronics.

 

[altitude909]

www.redco.com

They carry everything u need. Their brand cable very good and affordable (they have other brands also)

 

[BigRay]

www.markertek.com
is an excellent supply site..

ive been using them for years.

 

[rockcamaro97]

www.markertek.com
is an excellent supply site..

ive been using them for years.

I just got 140 ft of canare star quad from markertek for about 50$ shipped! cant beat that.

Matt

 

[5ergo]

Thanks!

Is it possible to do Y balanced cable with 2 TRS jacks and one XLR? Is there any loss of quallity if you do a cable like that?

 

[altitude909]

Assuming that you are talking about a Y insert cable, the answer is no because inserts are always unbalanced

 

[stetto]

Thanks!

Is it possible to do Y balanced cable with 2 TRS jacks and one XLR? Is there any loss of quallity if you do a cable like that?

I think you'd be better off establishing a mult bank in a patchbay...

Eric

 

[Ford Van]

Thanks!

Is it possible to do Y balanced cable with 2 TRS jacks and one XLR? Is there any loss of quallity if you do a cable like that?

You should be ok. We used to use a XRL splitter for a lead vocal mic for live use, and all was good.

Just make sure that you are wiring the TRS end so that it connects to the XLR:

Tip = Pin 2
Ring = Pin 3
Sleeve = Pin 1

You might want to make SURE that all your gear is "Pin 2 Hot". Some gear used Pin 3 as "hot". But, generally, that was very old gear.

 

[easychair]

Assuming that you are talking about a Y insert cable, the answer is no because inserts are always unbalanced

Not true. It won't work as an insert cable, you are right, but inserts are not always unbalanced. Balanced inserts on separate send/receive jacks were common on even midline consoles not too long ago, and balanced TRS or XLR inserts are still put on lots of better consoles and other gear. Lots of better compressors, eqs, de-essers, etc. offer choice of balanced or unbalanced hookup, and some are balanced only.


ps- 5ergo, I'm with Ford, splitting a balanced cable for your sub won't be a problem.

 

[5ergo]

I see. So a splitter is what i need.
Im my case yes balanced cable is a must cause Presonus central station has 2 fully balanced TRS outputs and Dynaudio sub just one XLR (couldnt they make 2?!)
So im going to do XLR to XLR cable and than buy XLR to 2 TRS jacks splitter, right?
Can i do Y cable with TRS to 2 TRS jacks cable this way?

 

[Ford Van]

I see. So a splitter is what i need.
Im my case yes balanced cable is a must cause Presonus central station has 2 fully balanced TRS outputs and Dynaudio sub just one XLR (couldnt they make 2?!)
So im going to do XLR to XLR cable and than buy XLR to 2 TRS jacks splitter, right?
Can i do Y cable with TRS to 2 TRS jacks cable this way?

Yes. Or make the splitter yourself.

 

[altitude909]

Not true.

Yep, i should have read the thread completly.

If the sound card only has two outputs would you not need 2 splitters and a joiner? I would think having it plugged into the right or left channel mess up the stereo field

 

[easychair]

If the sound card only has two outputs would you not need 2 splitters and a joiner? I would think having it plugged into the right or left channel mess up the stereo field

Yeah, it seems a bit unclear what you are doing, 5ergo.

 

[Ford Van]

I see. So a splitter is what i need.
Im my case yes balanced cable is a must cause Presonus central station has 2 fully balanced TRS outputs and Dynaudio sub just one XLR (couldnt they make 2?!)
So im going to do XLR to XLR cable and than buy XLR to 2 TRS jacks splitter, right?
Can i do Y cable with TRS to 2 TRS jacks cable this way?

Uhhhhhh...this looks fairly clear!

 

[easychair]

Uhhhhhh...this looks fairly clear!

But is he going from the sub to the Presonus, or from the Presonus to the sub? One way is splitting a signal, the other is combining. From that post, he seems to be going from two TRS outs to the XLR in on his sub.

Maybe I'm missing something.

 

[Ford Van]

Well, the sub only has an input. I would assume that you are going from the Presonus to the sub. Of course, I know this because I have hooked up subs to a Presonus Central Station before.

 

[easychair]

Well, the sub only has an input. I would assume that you are going from the Presonus to the sub. Of course, I know this because I have hooked up subs to a Presonus Central Station before.

Right then. Personally, I've had hit and miss luck passively combining signals with a simple Y cable. Sometimes I've had to use Ye Olde Combiner Box to prevent yon Impedance Problems and Steryo Image Displeasure, sometimes all is peachy. YMMV.

 

[Ford Van]

Unless he is setting the sub to above maybe 150Hz, there shouldn't be any problems with stereo imaging.

Not likely that he will have impedance matching problems with, but that is the more likely problem he could have.

I agree that the damn subs SHOULD have a left and right input!

 

[5ergo]

Im just trying to add a sub to my monitors and im using Presonus CS.
Im also about to connect analog soundcard with one stereo out to analog input on CS which is made of 2 (L&R) TRS jacks.
The CS is fully balanced so i need balanced cables.I know this, i asked at Presonus support.

As for impendance, i will check before buying!
easychair if this Combiner Box aint that expensive i might buy one.I wont use crossover (on sub) higher than 60, 80Hz.

Ill ask at both Dynaudio and Presonus support if those 2 will like each other.
The sub is quite a simple thing, so Presonus support might be enough.

http://www.presonus.com/centralstation.html
http://www.dynaudioacoustics.com/Default.asp?Id=2849&AjrNws=614&AjrNwsPg=1

I guess its a secret why they did only one input
Thanks!