Making my own cables - have questions

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David Lo Pan

New member
Last time around (many years ago) whenever I needed a cable, I went to the music store, saw what looked good and fit my application, and bought it. I spent a lot of money on cables that way.

This time I want to make my cables myself. From my searches many people seem to recommend mogami cable and canare connectors. The connector part is easy. The cable part has too many choices and I don't know where to start.

I'm going to need about 50 feet of cable for mics (longest run will probably be 10-12 feet) and maybe 50-75 for various rack connections, both balanced an unbalanced. I might even make a few nice cables for my guitar and bass.

So what do I need for each application? Can I get by just using one type and just slap on different connectors? What guage for the length of cable I'm running?

And if you have a preference, who has the best prices on mogami cable and canare connectors?
 
I dont know all that much about mogami cable, but I do know alot about cables and resistances and loads and impediance. For your aplication of no more than 10 to 12 feet for mic cables, you can probably get away with #22 -2 conductor shielded. For runs longer than 25 feet, I use #18 -conductor shielded. As far as the other question, yes, you can use all 2 conductor wire for your applications of unballanced or either ballanced. There are correct and incorrect ways of wiring it up though. I would sudgest researching that before I bought 200 feet of just one type of cable.
 
There's a great book you should buy called "Sound Reinfordement Handbook", published by Yamaha. It has diagrams for wiring all sorts of different kinds of cable. It also has step by step pictorals about how to put the cables together (plus a lot more of course!). Really a must have book in my opinion.

I use Canare cable mostly, with Neutrik connectors. The Neutrik connectors are easy to work with and are possibly the most used type, along with Soundcraft.

For cable runs intended for microphone use, what some people use is star quad cable, as it lowers handling noise. I've made a couple star quad cables for my mics. They are a little trickier to make than tw conductor, so maybe shouldn't be your first cables.

I do use different kinds of cable for different purposes. For example, mosst of my behind the rack wiring is done using the thin kind of cable called "console" cable. It has the shielding of regular cable, but not the padding, so it takes up less space and is good bundling.

For patchbay cables I use cable made by Connectronics, called "musi-flex" or "musi-lux". (Depends if you are in the USA or the UK). It's a super flexible cable that I find easy to solder and it sounds good too!

In addition to these cables which I've made myself, I've also purchased several Mogami snakes for connecting my synths to the patchbays.

If you are going to make a lot of cables, then it is cheaper to do it yourself, and you get more quality for your money. If you are only making a few cables, and don't currently own the soldering iron, solder, clamp, etc., then it cost a bit more per cable if you include those costs.

I usually buy my cable supplies from Full Compass.

Hope some of this helps.
 
Albert is right, that is a good book. If you are cheap like me, and dont want to spend the $40 on it, take a notebook and a pen, go and sit at barnes and noble, and make yourself some notes. That book is really detailed. It took me 3 or 4 trips to b&n to complete that one.
 
Thanks for the advice so far. I've found the book a local library and requested a transfer to mine. As far as the parts go, full compass is only about 90 miles or so away, so when I figure out what I need I should be set.

I do have some wire making experience - I had to make adapt some XLR -> XLR cables to 1/4" TRS -> XLR for a TC m2000 I used to have, and a couple other frankencable jobs. Seemed simple enough, just the patience to take your time, I guess.
 
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