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Re: XLR Cable Connection

Subject: Re: XLR Cable Connection
From: "Flawn Williams" flawn1951
Date: Wed Apr 20, 2011 3:59 pm ((PDT))
Ray--

Each AT4022 has a three pin XLR output. If you want to run both into a sing=
le StarQuad cable you'll need to either:

(a) solder two XLR plugs directly onto the individual leads in the StarQuad=
, which is not recommended because it's hard to maintain proper shield cove=
rage and mechanical integrity when doing that

or (b) make or get the following:

 a Y cable that goes from two female XLR3s to a male XLR 5 pin;
a length of Star Quad wired with 5-pin XLR connectors, female at the mike e=
nd, male at the recorder end;
and a Y cable that goes from a female 5-pin XLR to two 3-pin XLR male plugs=
.

When you use StarQuad in this manner, you give up some of its special prope=
rties of radio-frequency interference (RFI) rejection.  In most cases where=
 nature recordists work that's not a big issue. Closer to sources of RF has=
h it can be a noticeable difference.

You can run a hundred feet or more of mike cable without noticeable problem=
s. But using the Y cables mentioned above introduces an issue of multiple c=
onnections, each of which is a potential failure point or (when working out=
 of doors) a place for moisture to get in and compromise the connection.

It's probably simpler to use two runs of regular mike cable (or two runs of=
 StarQuad wired the way it's supposed to be wired, with both blue wires wir=
ed to pin 3 and both white wires wired to pin 2 of some 3 pin XLRs) from th=
e mikes to the recorder.

I would caution you about putting your mikes only 25-30 feet from a car. If=
 it's been recently parked, you'll be serenaded by the assorted noises a ca=
r makes when it's cooling down. If it starts to rain, you'll hear rain on m=
etal and glass in addition to more natural sounds. Longer cables will let y=
ou position the mikes farther from the car's noises.

--Flawn




On Apr 19, 2011, at 6:12 PM, rayb wrote:

> I have an Sound Devices 702 and 2 AT4022 mics and will be doing quite a b=
it of recording from my car which will be parked at the edge of a woodland/=
meadow. I want to run a single 25' - 30' Canare star-quad cable from the 40=
22's in my boundary array to my SD702 which will be in the car with me. Wha=
t connections will I need at the mic end and will these connections effect =
the sound quality? Also will the length of the star-quad cable I'm using ef=
fect sound quality?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Ray








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