25 pin d-sub connectors

[TomHoward]

A basic question,

For the 8-channel 'Tascam' style wiring of 25-pin Dsubs, is there a preferred brand of connector that fits 8 thin patch cords or a length of multicore, or is it budget CPC D-subs all the way?

Thanks

[sunray]

A basic question,

For the 8-channel 'Tascam' style wiring of 25-pin Dsubs, is there a preferred brand of connector that fits 8 thin patch cords or a length of multicore, or is it budget CPC D-subs all the way?

Thanks

I lot depends on how often and who plugs in and out.

 

Personally CPC has sufficed for me.

 

If very regular and by all sorts of people I'd try to fit a port protector.

 

[Brian]

I would buy a decent quality connector with tuned contacts and avoid the cheaper stamped ones at all cost. For the sake of a few quid it's not worth it.

[TomHoward]

It’s not regularly used at all it’s installed on the back of preamps for outputs to patchbay.

I didn’t know if there was a respectable main brand before I went digging through catalogues - the Neutrik of D-Sub. I’ll have a look at data sheets etc for turned contacts.

 

Thanks for the pointers

[jamesperrett]

I've been using the cheap ready made DB25 to TRS cable that CPC sell to connect my Audient preamp to a patch bay with no problems so far. The DB25 end is disconnected regularly whenever I take the rig out to do a mobile recording or to use the rig at home.

[TomHoward]

Thanks. I found CPC and Farnell sell DB25 "kits" which was a relief as I was first thinking I had to order the shell, contact, backshell, screws etc all separately. I had thought of buying the ready made cables but I needed bare ends for screw terminals at the other end so it seemed a bit of a waste to chop all the connectors off.

[Brian]

...I needed bare ends for screw terminals at the other end so it seemed a bit of a waste to chop all the connectors off.

 

[TomHoward]

Interesting but I needed to tail from D-Sub output to bare ends, it's connecting the D-Sub analogue output from preamps into Phoenix connector line level inputs. I don't mind soldering D-Sub as long as it's Tascam style where the connectors are at least together. Surprisingly I managed to get 8 small patch cords into a D-Sub backshell as well..

 

I'd thought about cutting an old D-Sub printer cable off but the lack of shielding made me think it was a bit of a bodge.

[sunray]

Interesting but I needed to tail from D-Sub output to bare ends, it's connecting the D-Sub analogue output from preamps into Phoenix connector line level inputs. I don't mind soldering D-Sub as long as it's Tascam style where the connectors are at least together. Surprisingly I managed to get 8 small patch cords into a D-Sub backshell as well..

 

I'd thought about cutting an old D-Sub printer cable off but the lack of shielding made me think it was a bit of a bodge.

The secret is to buy cables twice the length you need and cut in half.

 

 

The printer cable may verywell not have all pins connected, You're fanning the cable out to pheonix connectors and worried about screening?.

 

[themadhippy]

The printer cable may verywell not have all pins connected

A parallel printer cable is not what you want or you risk getting something with a centronics connector on one end,what your after is a fully wired 25 pin to 25 pin dsub,used to be fairly common in the days of proper serial ports.

Edited May 23, 2021 by themadhippy

[sunray]

The printer cable may verywell not have all pins connected

A parallel printer cable is not what you want or you risk getting something with a centronics connector on one end,

That may be what Tom meant by cutting off the end, rather than cutting off a 25pin.

[TomHoward]

The printer cable may verywell not have all pins connected, You're fanning the cable out to pheonix connectors and worried about screening?.

Interesting point, but it is analogue line level. It's only the last 8mm or so that would be unscreened which seems better than the whole length.

It's Phoenix inputs to a Motu 24ai from analogue pres. There are a mixture of pres, so some are proper connectors but some are D-Sub.

[sunray]

The printer cable may verywell not have all pins connected, You're fanning the cable out to pheonix connectors and worried about screening?.

Interesting point, but it is analogue line level. It's only the last 8mm or so that would be unscreened which seems better than the whole length.

It's Phoenix inputs to a Motu 24ai from analogue pres. There are a mixture of pres, so some are proper connectors but some are D-Sub.

One of the big AV / conferencing systems I ripped out in a finance house;

 

Audio and control was entirely cabled with CAT2, Board room was 44 phantom powered microphones, 24 ceiling speakers, AFILS, CD, cassette, VHS, Umatic, PC's etc. Plus about a dozen smaller meeting & conferencing rooms. All of which had loads of tie circuits to a central hub where all sorts of patching was possible

 

 

A lot of Drake kit and anything unbalanced was instantly converted with Alice Matchpak's.

[J Pearce]

I’d concur that I’m not too fussed about the shield for balanced audio on half decent kit. We’ve got long runs at mic level on cat5 that have a core for 0V continuity (mostly for phantom power), but no real shielding as you’d get on a mic cable.