XLR, making cables.

[bruce]

we need to run the cans around the pros arch from SR to SL so we need quite a length.

 

Bearing in mind that you can get budget XLR cables from the likes of CPC very cheaply - about 5 pounds for a 20m length of their cheapest, and £8 for a slightly better quality one - you need to ask yourself whether the DIY route is best. Yes, these aren't the highest quality cables (although I was pleasantly surprised with the last batch of "slightly better" ones I got) - but if you've never soldered before, I'd be prepared to bet that they'll be more robust than your first home-made efforts.

 

They also do 50m cables for £16. I doubt that you could buy the loose cable for that price!

[paulears]

It's making more sense now. If you need cheap speaker cable, then all the nice rubbery, soft, really forgiving stuff is maybe priced away from where you're looking - but you can get perfectly servicable alternatives from people like our friends at CPC (who will, if necessarily, take plastic money on the internet site). 3 or 4 core mains in either 1.5mm or 2.5mm size depending on the lengths of your runs works fine. If you only have conventional speakers, you don't need the four core - so use the 3 and chop off the yellow/green one at each end. Standard PVC style mains is electrically quite up to the job. The downside is the cable is a bit stiff, so has a habit of nt staying flat. If you can live with this - it's by far the cheapest way of getting cables for occasional, or non-heavy duty use. A few back to back couplers to cope with when you need longer ones, and you are there!

 

The mic style cable with XLRs will do everything else you have described - job done!

[Just Some Bloke]

I agree with bruce that the best way is to buy the next-to-cheapest ready-made mic leads that cpc do: it'll be cheaper in the long run, and possibly in the short run too!

 

But please make sure you're not using the same cable for speakers as you use for mics. If you're doing that now and your speakers don't sound as good as they should, then that may be why! We still have some old speakers on XLR too and we mark all our speaker leads with an extra band of lx tape so we know the difference. I can advise doing the same.

[p.k.roberts]

I dont think we need an account with RS as they are going to reimburse us when we buy it.

RS only sell to account holders, as do CPC. Your school will have an account with one of them. Talk to a science or CDT technician. It is easy to set up an account with CPC, but you'd need credit or debit card or access to a parent / teacher with one.

 

Sorry, I know this is a bit off topic but you don't need an account withh CPC or RS to buy from them. CPC will accept cash orders and anyone can order online from RS as long as you have a credit card.

[d_korman]

Yes - I've been doing it for years. Just register online an off you go.

 

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/

[Ynot]

But doesn't registering on-line give you an online account...?

[p.k.roberts]

But doesn't registering on-line give you an online account...?

 

I think we are getting our terms a little confused here, what you say is absolutely true, but I inferred from Andrews original comment that he was under the impression that you needed the old 'Trade' type account (complete with a line of credit) to buy from the two companies mentioned which is not the case.

[stuartm]

Why is there so much choice!!?!?

 

Why can't somebody just make one cable and one link to the cable to buy ;)

 

A concurrent post has been automatically merged from this point on.

 

we need to run the cans around the pros arch from SR to SL so we need quite a length.

 

Bearing in mind that you can get budget XLR cables from the likes of CPC very cheaply - about 5 pounds for a 20m length of their cheapest, and £8 for a slightly better quality one - you need to ask yourself whether the DIY route is best. Yes, these aren't the highest quality cables (although I was pleasantly surprised with the last batch of "slightly better" ones I got) - but if you've never soldered before, I'd be prepared to bet that they'll be more robust than your first home-made efforts.

 

They also do 50m cables for £16. I doubt that you could buy the loose cable for that price!

 

Hee hee I can solder but you maybe right :** laughs out loud **:

[MarkPAman]

Why is there so much choice!!?!?

 

Why can't somebody just make one cable and one link to the cable to buy ;)

 

Because they need to do different things?

 

Because it's better to not be able to plug 240V into a desk or speaker? Or the output of an amp into a mixing desk?

 

Because some things need thick cable & some thin?

 

Because some things need twisted pairs & other don't?

 

Because some things need two cores, some need three, some need four, five, six......................?

 

Because some things work better with a screen & some things don't?

 

Because some things are tiny & have room for only a small connector & others are large & you want something much stronger?

 

Because you may need a higher IP rating?

[paulears]

stuart - that is such a stupid question!

 

Why do pot noodles come in more than one flavour?

Why is there not just a single car to buy?

Why not just a single holiday destination?

 

You can buy cheap cable, as I said - it isn't very flexible. Some people want to use it on types of loudspeakers that have two separate circuits squeezed down a single cable - they need extra conductors.

 

You can spend a fortune on cables or a modest amount. The choice is necessary to give everyone the chance to get what they need.

 

Your problem is that you don't know what you need - hence why we question what you're actually doing.

 

 

On this forum, we have a quality control. Next Generation is for newcomers - but it still has limits. Please try to think a bit before posting - a umber of our members who 'live' in this section of the forum don't have bags of patience - and I suspect before long you could find the heat rising a bit.

[cedd]

Stuart

 

It seems apparent that, because you don't really know what type of cable you should be using, you also don't really inderstand the differences between them.

 

Can I suggest you do a bit of light reading and research? Have a look into balanced signals, line and mic level signals and perhaps screening?

 

It's far better to learn these things at an early stage in the game.

 

Back to your own problem, as it's for a comms system, things ae slightly complicated in that the audio and call light signals don't quite work in the same way as a standard mic cable. That said, they are designed to use a standard mic cable, it's just not all the theories you read up on in my above sentence fully apply to comms systems - they're a bit of an odity.

 

My 2p worth, buy cheap ones from cpc, half of my setup is on them and whilst I do have a box of "quality" cables, the cheap ones have been used a fair bit too.

[berry120]

My personal take on it is if you only need a couple of cables and you're really that unsure, just buy the things ready made. I like making the things up, I usually buy a 100m drum of cable, a load of connectors and then just make some up every so often. I'm better at it now through practice but my first few cables weren't up to much! It's probably only a tad cheaper that way (I use neutrik connectors) but it keeps me up to scratch with soldering and I can easily label the cables while I'm making them up - they get colour coded with a bit of coloured paper at either end depending on length which is heat shrunk on.

 

So if you're planning to learn how to solder or you're going to be making lots of cables up and it's worth the practice then go for it - but if you're not sure about what cable to go for, not too keen on soldering and just need something that works, I'd honestly go for the pre-made route.

 

But please make sure you're not using the same cable for speakers as you use for mics. If you're doing that now and your speakers don't sound as good as they should, then that may be why!

Unless the speakers are powered of course! As well as your speakers not sounding as good as they should, there's also a very good chance you'll wreck (or just melt!) the mic cable.