Help! Major audio cable problems

Steve House · July 31st, 2010, 05:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Meeks

..So, I'll never buy LiveWire again. Can you guys tell me a brand that doesn't suck?

Thanks for the help.

As Richard said, things can slip through QC with any manufacturer.

I've been happy with Remote Audio cables; they use Canare cable and Neutrik connectors.

John Meeks · July 31st, 2010, 11:20 AM

I bought one new cable for the shoot (since I only need two), and I'm going to pay my friend $20 to re-solder the 3 messed up ones, to have as spares and for future projects. He's better at it than I am, I tend to make a mess out of it, even after lots of practice.

Benjamin Maas · July 31st, 2010, 11:42 AM

Shielding is king with casbles... Have a cable that is poorly shielded and you can have major buzz issues from a number of sources. Interference can come from a number of sources. They range from the most common being electrical noise or multiple grounds in a system (common in music applications because the rigs are so large) to things like cellular telephones.

I find there are a number of "quality" cables out there that have shielding issues- the worst for me being Mogami cable. Fantastic sound, easy to coil and work with, but the shielding sucks. Canare Star Quad will resist just about anything, the german cable Sommercable is even better when you see how it's made.

The other thing to be aware of is if the shield is attached to the shell of the XLR. There is a school of thought that likes this- especially in production sound, but I prefer to keep all of my grounds away from the shells. Can open up too many problems in harsh enfironments for interference and in locations where multiple grounds are a bad thing.

These days I make my own cables, but a place like Markertek will have good workmanship and good quality wire.

--Ben

Chad Johnson · July 31st, 2010, 12:49 PM

I'm telling you the Audio Technica cables are great! They are thicker than most cables, which results in them lasting longer. The connectors are hearty, and they are shielded. To spend any more would be falling for hype. I've never had an AT cable fail after 20 years.

Rick Reineke · August 1st, 2010, 05:07 PM

(My two cents) I make most of my cables with Canare star-quad. w/ Neutrik XLRs. Relatively cheap in bulk.
I've had some for twenty years or more, though some of the the Neutrik boots need replacing. I also have couple of the AT premium cables, they are very nice, however not as quite easy to coil-up as the Canares'.

July 31st, 2010, 12:49 PM	#19
Chad Johnson Major Player Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Arcata, Ca Posts: 750	I'm telling you the Audio Technica cables are great! They are thicker than most cables, which results in them lasting longer. The connectors are hearty, and they are shielded. To spend any more would be falling for hype. I've never had an AT cable fail after 20 years. __________________ My Work: http://www.youtube.com/ChadWork1 Sony FS5 :: Panasonic GH4 :: Sony PMW-EX1 :: FCPx :: AT4053b :: Rode NTG-3,

July 31st, 2010, 11:20 AM	#17
John Meeks Regular Crew Join Date: May 2010 Location: Middletown, NY, USA Posts: 106	I bought one new cable for the shoot (since I only need two), and I'm going to pay my friend $20 to re-solder the 3 messed up ones, to have as spares and for future projects. He's better at it than I am, I tend to make a mess out of it, even after lots of practice.

July 31st, 2010, 11:42 AM	#18
Benjamin Maas Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Long Beach, CA Posts: 150	Shielding is king with casbles... Have a cable that is poorly shielded and you can have major buzz issues from a number of sources. Interference can come from a number of sources. They range from the most common being electrical noise or multiple grounds in a system (common in music applications because the rigs are so large) to things like cellular telephones. I find there are a number of "quality" cables out there that have shielding issues- the worst for me being Mogami cable. Fantastic sound, easy to coil and work with, but the shielding sucks. Canare Star Quad will resist just about anything, the german cable Sommercable is even better when you see how it's made. The other thing to be aware of is if the shield is attached to the shell of the XLR. There is a school of thought that likes this- especially in production sound, but I prefer to keep all of my grounds away from the shells. Can open up too many problems in harsh enfironments for interference and in locations where multiple grounds are a bad thing. These days I make my own cables, but a place like Markertek will have good workmanship and good quality wire. --Ben

August 1st, 2010, 05:07 PM	#20
Rick Reineke Inner Circle Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: New York Posts: 2,039	(My two cents) I make most of my cables with Canare star-quad. w/ Neutrik XLRs. Relatively cheap in bulk. I've had some for twenty years or more, though some of the the Neutrik boots need replacing. I also have couple of the AT premium cables, they are very nice, however not as quite easy to coil-up as the Canares'.