ger
Date: Tue Sep 9, 2008 5:14 am ((PDT))
Greg,
How do you wire your 5 pin xlr connectors? I see that Neutrik has water
proof 5 pole connectors for outdoor use (NC5FX-HD and NC5MX-HD).
Great info and thanks for posting.
Wil Hershberger
Nature Images and Sounds, LLC
170 Stallion Ct.
Hedgesville, WV 25427
Ph: 240-818-4450
<http://www.natureimagesandsounds.com/> Nature Images and Sounds
<http://www.songsofinsects.com/> The Songs of Insects
<http://cricketman.blogspot.com/> My Blog
From:
On Behalf Of Greg Simmons
Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2008 12:49 AM
To:
Subject: [Nature Recordists] Re: Microphone cabling
--- In
<naturerecordists%40yahoogroups.com> , "Max Catterwell"
<> wrote:
>
> Hi all!
> I have decided to start making my own mic cables.
Here's a personal perspective on cables, for what it's worth...
I use Mogami 2930 two-channel multicore cable for all of my location
work - it contains two separated shielded pairs of cable (served
shields, IIRC), each insulated from each other, just like having two
balanced mic cables in one. I am always recording in stereo, so I
figure why run two cables when one will do? This halves my set-up and
pack-up time, reduces the physical volume and weight required in my
pack, and means I only have one cable to run up the microphone stand.
It is also only marginally thicker and heavier than star quad, but is
considerably more pliable (it's one of the most flexible and limp
cables on the market) and has very little 'memory' so it stays where
I put it and always lays flat on the ground - no vertical loops or
cable bridges to catch your foot in when stumbling around the forest
at night. It is an absolute pleasure to work with, is reasonably
priced (relative to what it offers), and performs as well or better
than anything else on the market.
I have recorded in all sorts of situations with that cable, including
metres away from a solar-powered mobile phone repeater station on the
Tibetan plateau, and directly beneath a high voltage power line tower
after a thunderstorm (I was recording the buzzing and crackling of
the insulators due to the moisture, juxtaposed with low-flying
aircraft coming in to land, a very cool composition IMO). *Never* had
an RF problem, but YMMV...
For my MS rig there is a single 5-pin male XLR mounted in the handle
of the Rycote, outputting the M and S signals. I have the matching
female 5-pin XLR mounted on the end of the 2930 (the diameter of the
2930 cable is just small enough to coaxe into the end of a Neutrik
XLR). This means I only have to make a single connection, rather than
two, so I can never mix up the M and S signals - regardless of
whether I'm in a hurry, stumbling around in the dark of night, or
both of the previous situations while in a drunken stupor (the
consumption of local homebrew 'moonshine' is sometimes a customary
pre-requisite before the villagers will perform for a recording at
night).
Likewise when I'm using other stereo rigs. For spaced pairs, I have a
short length of 2930 break-out cable that has two female 3-pin XLRs
at one end to fit into the back of each microphone, and a single 5-
pin male at the other end to plug into my longer cable. I mount this
short cable on the stereo bar (or whatever) using cable ties prior to
the gig, so that it is not possible for me (or whoever is running the
cables) to make the wrong connection.
A similar break-out cable is used to plug the signal into my Nagra V.
This is about 50cm long, has a 5-pin female XLR on one end, and two
90 degree 3-pin male XLRs on the other end (to go into the Nagra).
The 90 degree XLRs are rotated in such a way that it is not possible
to plug them into the wrong inputs, if one is in the wrong socket it
physically blocks the other socket.
I have three lengths of 2930: 5m, 10m and 20m. They all terminate in
a single 5-pin XLR at each end, so I can make any length from 5m to
35m and never have more than 5m of excess cable to worry about. And,
thanks to the 5-pin connectors, it is impossible to confuse L and R
(or M and S)and get incorrectly deriw.
I have found this overall approach (using stereo cables and 5-pin
XLRs) to be very worthwhile and a real time-saver. For long cable
runs, it also saves considerable weight in my pack - not just in
cable, but because each stereo connection requires a pair of XLRs
rather than two pairs. XLRs get heavy, you know...
I used to carry a pair of 12m long Canare Star Quad cables fitted
with long-bodied Switchcraft XLRs with me (my ultra-RF-rejection
cables!) in case I encountered RF issues. But these days I don't
bother because I've never needed them and they just add a pile of
unnecessary weight. If I ever *do* come across a situation where RF
is a problem, I'll just get philosophical about it and pass it off as
a bummer; I've made enough recordings that I'm happy with, and missed
and/or ruined enough fantastic recordings, to not let that kind of
thing bother me any more. If it's a paid gig, however, I'll take
those Star Quads along just in case.
Hopefully this information might give you something to consider when
assembling/choosing your cables, Max.
- Greg Simmons
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