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[Riley Casey]

When building mic cables in house we always do two things to add some usability in the long haul.  First we use black female connectors and silver male and second we install some clear shrink at each end to cover a color band ( colored shrink or electrical tape ) and a P Touch label that has our initials and a number based on the length ( we keep a log in a three ring shop binder ) so that 25 ft cables will all have a number like ' 2056 ' and a 50 ft might have ' 5175 '.  It makes life easier when you have 60 plus inputs on stage, four or five sub snakes and a Maglite in your teeth.

I also use ONLY Switchcraft connectors on mic cables.  Neutrik is fine for patch cables and preferred for small diameter stuff like snake fans but only Switchcraft takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'.  In 30 plus years of doing this I've tried an awful lot of mic cable brands & models and Belden 8412 is the ONLY one that I continue to spec for stage use.    

[Chris Davis]

A truly good snake oil cable  

http://www.canare.com/files/Cat11_p35.pdf

http://www.canare.com/index.cfm?objectid=79844442-3048-7098- AFAD046DCA18AAFA

Not sure whether or not this is currently the best deal on this stuff but you can see it is nowhere near as expensive as the "esoteric" brands you mentioned earlier.
http://store.haveinc.com/Ebus30/Parts/Part.asp?Part=CANL4E6S BLA305M

Agreed with the others on Belden 8412 on it being 'the standard'.

[Kishore Kodolikar]

Hi All,

thanks a ton for all your replies this humble musician from India is grateful to you all for saving me a packet had i gone for the zoalla cables.

i am an acoustic guitar player, as belden 8412 seems to quite a popular cable can i use this along with Switchcraft connectors to rig my mixer to the amp (XLR to XLR)? furthermore i also need a mono 1/4 jack to jack to connect my guitars to the DI box and XLR to XLR between the DI box to mixer? Can I use the same combination?

Thanks again all of you for your replies

REgards,

Kishore

[John Halliburton]

and a P Touch labeler...

Love these, and it's been part of the retrofit this week. One thing I'd like to suggest to Neutrik-how about maiking hoods/locking caps with a recessed flat around the circumference to allow seating of a length of label tape?
I know Neutrik has the colored hoods and the colored rings, but why not some that would allow the P-touch label tape to wrap around in nicely?

Riley-your experience with Switchcraft connectors is opposite of mine-I hate the old style with set screws and the rubber strain relief.  They were always coming apart.  

A proud Neutrik user for almost 25 years,

John

[Jason Tubbs]

Monster's business practices are reason enough to stay as far away from their products as possible.  

It is not an infrequent occurrence to find cables left behind after load out.  The majority go into my spare cable crate.  Monster cables meet my diagonal cutters.

jt

[Greg Nolan]

I don't go anywhere without my Golden Oval Cables.
http://www.analysis-plus.com/prod_goldcable.html

Mainly because I can't afford a car after buying them, so I don't really leave the house. But I have never heard such amazing quality come from a cable. I don't even have to power my speakers anymore, the cables just absorb power from the atmosphere.

"Our patented oval design partners with pure gold over Oxygen Free Copper (OFC) to create a LITZ wire absolutely without equal. This 100% shielded coverage incorporates a meticulous designed conductive sheath eliminates microphonic movement noise. Proprietary Teflon dielectric provides the optimal impedance and it is made in the USA. This heirloom quality cable that dares you to compare it to any other cable on the market. All this for just $2,400/meter"

Heirloom quality, wow.

What really sucks is when you are trying to convince someone that what they are hearing by using snake oil cables is bullsh1t, but they refuse to accept it, especially after forking out big dough for it.

It's a good thing they don't make instrument cables for drummers, because then we'd in a world of hurt.  

-G Nolan

[Scott Helmke (Scodiddly)]

John Halliburton wrote on Thu, 12 July 2007 14:47

Riley-your experience with Switchcraft connectors is opposite of mine-I hate the old style with set screws and the rubber strain relief.  They were always coming apart.   A proud Neutrik user for almost 25 years, John

I'm conflicted about Neutrik vs. Switchcraft.  The Neutrik strain relief is much nicer, it's good with different cable diameters, etc.  On the other hand I don't think I've ever had to deal with a Switchcraft male XLR stuck into a panel jack, but a stuck Neutrik shows up at least every other month.  Doesn't help that it's usually a Neutrik female panel-mount that it's stuck into, there's no easy way to get the two separated.

Folks, do take a look at your Neutrik XLR ends now and then.  If there's any bent spots, please install a new shell.

[Dan Brown]

Jim Ferrari wrote on Thu, 12 July 2007 07:57

Not to hijack the thread, but, since I'm sure Bob's not suggesting that everyone stock up on Radio Shack cables   what mic cable holds up best to constant spooling/despooling?

I own hundreds of ProCo M-Series mic cables
Neutrik ends w/223B cable.

I have had maybe 3-4 bad cables in 8 years since I bought the first ones.

Also I have had good luck with Belden 8412 cable, Canare cable and Also Whirlwinds braided shield cables(not the cheap ones with switchcraft type connectors)

I also use only Neutrik connectors.
I have even been known to cut off switchcraft connectors on any used cables I have aquired.

sincerely,
db
Dan B

[Tim Padrick]

I've been 99% satisfied with Horizon.

Their Low Z1 is easy to terminate, is flexible, and has withstood being smashed in a door multiple times with no permanent damage (the there were smushes in the jacket, but they eventually went away).  

Same goes for their multipair CL2/CMG-VTG - with one exception - I had a 100' length in which one conductor developed at least four breaks.  Oh well - nothing is perfect (even Lexus has a service department).

[Olli Rajala]

The only problem with 8412 is the price. Yep, it may be worth it, but if I can get well performing cable for 1 euro/m and 8412 costs ~6e/m (both includes VAT 22% and are Finnish prices) it should be quite much better to "cover" the price difference...

It may not be a big thing for you big guys, but for me who does mostly combat audio with very limited budget, it's a big, big problem.

Actually, I thought that Belden 1800F is expensive, but it costs here only a little over 2 euros/m...

Of course you can bet that I really would like to have good cable, but alas, not for now.

Best,

[ProSoundWeb Community]