Snake Creation

A

applejax

New member
I want a DIY snake for my set up... I dont know if it's been asked on here or not lol. But here's what I've got in mind:

I want the box (live room..stage w/e end) to have 4 male XLR returns on top and 16 female XLR sends below that. Then on the fan end... I want 8 xlr male and 8 trs for the sends, then 4 trs for the returns. Understand? i have to go 8 xlr and 8 trs for the fan end because the Roland has 8 xlr ins and 8 trs ins :) .

Anyways how much should i spend for decent connectors a piece. I've heard of Neutrik? Should I spend 3$ and more just on connectors or can i get some for like 2.50 and below if i buy in more "bulk"?

I'm gonna be making a metal covering for the box so you dont need to see all the screws..just the connector any tips for this?

What cable should I use for wiring it all together? Any links you guys can give me :) ? I want to minimize crosstalk as much as I can...but I dont want to have to spend like 10$ a foot lmao... What should I encase all of these wires in?

Any wiring tips would be greatly appreciated also... do's and don'ts of this. I've done some XLR and TRS cables before...but I want to make this as good as I can.
Is this all that's needed for making a snake... if there's more...give me a shout. And I know frederic is a great guy on all this DIY stuff maybe he can chip in too :) Thanks a bunch guys! :p :) .
 
Thanks :) thats a good place for the plates and stuff... but i can make them on my own he he.

Its now 2:30 AM and i've been doing alot of searching on here...and found the companys Belden and Mogami. Now... if i want say a "20 channel" (for the 16 sends and 4 returns) how can I wire a xlr connector with only 2 conductors and no ground...? I must not have any good know-how on this... lol because the Belden site says only 2 coductors?? I know a couple of you have made your own snakes...frederic has, and was selling his snake cable.. but how do you do it lol Someone explain lol? Thanks! :)
 
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There should be a seperate ground for every pair. There's a foil jacket and then a nickle-plated stranded bare conductor wrapped around every pair.

If you have questions call FullCompass or Sweetwater. They can hook you up with exactly what you want.

IMHO the Neutrik connectors are spendy but worth the bread. FullCompass will give you a break on quantities.

Did you check out these guys? They will do custom stuff.

www.hotwiredcables.com
 
So...I'm a little confused. lol If I have just ONE "2 pair cable" inside on that cable is + and - wire... with the "foil" wraped around that... THEN the braided wire for using as the ground? :) Anyone have any more suggestions for the snake :). Thanks
 
Myself, I would probably buy a 16X4 snake, and either replace the 8 XLRs with TRS connectors, or get 8 short XLR-TRS cables.
 
I know thats what I thought of at first...but I want to be able to make more than just THIS snake... I'm probably going to have R-BUS (roland) on it also or a seperate one for other connections... so I need the flexibility of custom. and besides it's for FUN ;) This is studio BUILDING and display lol... :D
 
applejax said:
So...I'm a little confused. lol If I have just ONE "2 pair cable" inside on that cable is + and - wire... with the "foil" wraped around that... THEN the braided wire for using as the ground? :)
Click to expand...

Yes. Even though there are three wires, only two are considered conductors, the other is shield.

Some handy supplies:
Heat gun
Shrink tubing
Wire strippers
Wiring jig- a piece of wood with holes drilled in it to hold multiple XLR or 1/4" connectors. Lets you solder more quickly.

Pick a wiring scheme. I make a chart with two columns marked + and -, and list the channels down the side. Then I strip back the foil and check out all the wires.
Then I pick which are to be the - colors. Usually I start with black, then red, then green. So when I solder a connector, I know which is - without having to look at my chart.

What else....an XLR connector usually won't hold on to one thickness of shrink tubing, I always have to double it up at the end, unless I am using (like I have been lately) snake cable that has the inside pairs already jacketed and numbered.

If not, some clear shrink tubing and number labels are a good thing to have.
 
You said three wires...and thats what I thought too...but this "snake" cable only has "2 wires"...but I think it has the other "braided" stuff wraped all around it... and if so... that stuff is a PAIN IN THE ASS to wire with... lol Thats what I thought..that i need 3 wire cable but on the Belden site and Mogami site's it's only "pair"...and it better not be that stupid braided stuff for me to unwrap and do all that crap lol An i can't find any for snake creation :) Thanks man
 
Ok... your sure lmao? Cause It doesnt seem like that at all from the compay's designs... it shows like an outer shell...with two circles in the middle? Thanks a bunch
 
applejax said:
Ok... your sure lmao? Cause It doesnt seem like that at all from the compay's designs... it shows like an outer shell...with two circles in the middle? Thanks a bunch
Click to expand...

Post up a link, I'll check it out. :)
 
Also go to Belden.com and search for the product # 1225B and thats what I want.. but is it correct? and is it the braided sheild *thumbs down*?
 
Hey wait on the belden site under the specs of what I was lookign for it says this:
"Inner Shield Drain Wire Conductor Material: TC - Tinned Copper " and that's the same as the normal conductors...so there IS 3 wires in it :) ?
 
Those are both 2 conductor with a shield and drain wire. Drain is another name for ground.

The Mogami looks as though it may have braided shield? Hard to tell. But it would still be no big deal. There is a separate drain wire you can see, in contact with the shield, that is used to make the ground connection. It doesn't have a jacket. That is how it is possible to use a foil/plastic shield. The shield doesn't get directly connected, the drain wire touches the foil or braid, and the wire gets connected to ground.

They also both look like they have individually jacketed channels- a nice thing. Many snake cables are not. Under the outer jacket, each channel is just wrapped in foil, a pain as you have to heat-shrink every single one. Individual jackets mean you don't have to do this.
 
So all I'd need to do is connect the drain wire to pin 1 on an XLR and + at 2 and - at 3 and i'm all set? Thanks a bunch man :) Rep point for you!
 
Rep points for him and I get dissed because YOU don't know WTF you're talking about??? :rolleyes:

Best of luck to you. <slaps forehead>
 
Ummm yeah, where exactly did you get "dissed" He was just clarifying that he understood you correctly.....

PS - the english word is "insulted"

Cheers
 
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