Adaptors

[Charlotte_R]

Hi all,

 

A while ago, I built up a load of adaptors for both sound and DMX. Unfortunately, they were involved in a rather catastrophic incident a few years ago, where they melted.

 

I'm in a position where I'm starting to feel that it would be useful to build my stock of special cables back up and I wondered if you could look over my list and see if you have any comments.

 

I'm thinking of building the following:

- 4 off 1/4" phono to convertcon

- 4 off m-f earth lift cables

- 2 off m-f phase change cables

- 4 off "spiders" (m-m-f-f)

 

- 2 off 3-5 pin DMX

- 2 off 5-3 pin DMX

- 1 off DMX combiner (M5-F5-M5 with one male wired to pins 2&3 and the other wired to pins 4&5)

- 1 off DMX splitter (the opposite of above)

- 2 off DMX terminator

- 1 off DMX tester

 

I intend to use coloured boots to denote function:

- black for normal audio signals

- green for earth lift

- red for phase change

- blue for DMX, with a yellow ring for 3 pin and green ring for 5 pin (these mimic resistor colour codes).

 

I also have various 3.5mm jack leads to XLR and 1/4" jack; and similar with 1/4" jack to XLR and 1/4" jack.

 

Is there anything that I've missed, have too many or too few of?

 

Thanks,

 

Charlotte

[Stuart91]

That looks fairly comprehensive to me.

 

The only thing I'd maybe increase in quantity is the DMX terminators, simply because they go missing so easily.

 

Might be worth getting some speakon couplers too.

[johnhuson]

Re-read the OP after posting and missed something so my original post was wrong!

 

But to add it might be worth having some 5-pin gender changers as well.

[timsabre]

What is the "DMX combiner" (2x3 pin to 5 pin) for? Even 5 pin DMX cable normally only has pins 123 connected. I have seen the other way round used on older avo desks which have 2 universes on one 5 pin socket but I can't think of any other use. Unless of course you have DMX cable with all 5 pins wired.

[Shez]

The "DMX combiner" is also useful for comms when mixing one and two channel systems ;)

[cedd]

Most useful leads I've ever owned (aside from the stuff used every day like 3-5 pin converters etc.) were some funny hybrid xlr adaptor cables that I made up myself. You need some nice and thin cable to make them work though. Wired as follows, with the middle 2 connectors having 2 cables going through the strain relief. 3 pin XLR;

 

Male XLR------Female XLR-------------- Female XLR------Male XLR

 

The whole lead is about a 1.2m long, with most of that on the middle length.

 

This lead then serves the following functions;

1m ish patch lead

Male-Male adaptor

Female-Female adaptor

Male - 2 x Female split/combine

Female - 2 x Male split/combine

 

With the small cable diameter it doesn't take up much more space than the 4 connectors would.

[kgallen]

with a yellow ring for 3 pin and green ring for 5 pin (these mimic resistor colour codes).

 

<pedantic>

3 is orange; yellow is 4

</pedantic>

 

 

[Stuart91]

Male XLR------Female XLR-------------- Female XLR------Male XLR

 

We call these "Z-adaptors" because they can take that shape if you wire them right. Definitely worth having. I tend to make mine up shorter, each link is less than 15cm.

 

It's also possible to make them up with 3 and 5 pin DMX connectors:

 

5 pin Male XLR---- 3 pin female ------ 3 pin male ------ 5 pin female

 

Which can be useful for certain bits of bodgery.

[MarkPAman]

Many baby audio desk still use TRS for outputs, so TRS > M-XLR is often useful.

Others in my kit are:

 

"Z" adaptors as above, but with an additional TRS plug on one end (and an appropriate sized plastic pen cap taped on, to stop it shorting when not in use).

 

"Sniffers" that have TRS at one end with the T&R joined and go to a TS at the other end. Used to "sniff" unbalanced audio from a channel insert without interrupting the signal.

 

Simple mic splitters with one of the M-XLR having no pin 1 connection - also serve a my earth lift cables.