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Title: favorite cost effective mic cable
Post by: (Brian) Frost on June 10, 2014, 07:05:10 PM
I need a few thousand feet of 2 conductor shielded cable for single run mic lines for an install Im working on.  Whats your favorite wire and source obviously weighing cost vs ease of installation, reliability, noise rejection, and sound. 

Ive always liked mogami for my smaller batch stuff because it bends well and is easy to work with. 
Title: Re: favorite cost effective mic cable
Post by: Kevin Graf on June 10, 2014, 08:25:31 PM
Are you going to use them as hand held / portable mic cables set them and forget them type situation?  For a portable cable, things like flexibility and robust rugged construction are the primary considerations.  For in-wall cable the fire code makes things complicated. 
Title: Re: favorite cost effective mic cable
Post by: (Brian) Frost on June 11, 2014, 12:00:05 PM
Are you going to use them as hand held / portable mic cables set them and forget them type situation?  For a portable cable, things like flexibility and robust rugged construction are the primary considerations.  For in-wall cable the fire code makes things complicated.

The cable is going to be used to send signal to 2 wall mounted powered boxes and for a few remote locations for ipod hookup.  Wire will be run along a ceiling trough and in conduit along a brick wall.  I dont believe the cable needs to be plenum for this application, but Ill check further.

Brian
Title: Re: favorite cost effective mic cable
Post by: Ivan Beaver on June 11, 2014, 12:29:19 PM
The cable is going to be used to send signal to 2 wall mounted powered boxes and for a few remote locations for ipod hookup.  Wire will be run along a ceiling trough and in conduit along a brick wall.  I dont believe the cable needs to be plenum for this application, but Ill check further.

Brian
Just buy some install wire and put the ends on yourself.

If it is exposed-then it does not need to be plenum-the plenum is for inside a HVAC return-to keep it from being "distributed" back into the room.

I assume you have some sort of "device" to take the IPOD signal-split it up and make it balanced?  and also boost the level? (depending on the actual input it is going into of course)
Title: Re: favorite cost effective mic cable
Post by: TonyWilliams on June 11, 2014, 12:31:57 PM
Belden 9451 is what I use for in wall, and believe it's the industry standard. Easy to terminate and pull.


- Tony Williams
Title: Re: favorite cost effective mic cable
Post by: (Brian) Frost on June 11, 2014, 01:37:16 PM
Just buy some install wire and put the ends on yourself.

If it is exposed-then it does not need to be plenum-the plenum is for inside a HVAC return-to keep it from being "distributed" back into the room.

I assume you have some sort of "device" to take the IPOD signal-split it up and make it balanced?  and also boost the level? (depending on the actual input it is going into of course)


I plan to buy 2k ft and put ends on myself.  Was just looking for suggestions like 'belden 9451' (thanks tony) before I order 2000 ft of something when there might be an easier to use better choice. 

Yes, I have devices planned to balance the signal.  Each run is only 150 ft so I didnt plan to boost it.

thanks for the replies so far.
Title: Re: favorite cost effective mic cable
Post by: Ivan Beaver on June 11, 2014, 02:27:45 PM

I plan to buy 2k ft and put ends on myself.  Was just looking for suggestions like 'belden 9451' (thanks tony) before I order 2000 ft of something when there might be an easier to use better choice. 

Yes, I have devices planned to balance the signal.  Each run is only 150 ft so I didnt plan to boost it.

thanks for the replies so far.
West Penn 291 is very similar to the Belden.  You can get it in quite a few different colors if needed.

We used to use 10 colors and they would all be matched to the resistor color code (with black being 10), so it was real easy to figure out what channels were what when coming from floor boxes-DSP outputs and so forth.

You would not need to boost it because of the cable length (until we start talking many many thousands of feet) but boost it due to the possible signal level difference between the IPOD and the speakers input requirements.
Title: Re: favorite cost effective mic cable
Post by: (Brian) Frost on June 11, 2014, 03:15:45 PM
West Penn 291 is very similar to the Belden.  You can get it in quite a few different colors if needed.

We used to use 10 colors and they would all be matched to the resistor color code (with black being 10), so it was real easy to figure out what channels were what when coming from floor boxes-DSP outputs and so forth.

You would not need to boost it because of the cable length (until we start talking many many thousands of feet) but boost it due to the possible signal level difference between the IPOD and the speakers input requirements.


Good idea on the colors.  Ipod inputs are going back to a board so that should take care of any level changes. 

Title: Re: favorite cost effective mic cable
Post by: Al Keltz on June 11, 2014, 03:37:06 PM
We see a lot more call for Belden 8451 than for 9451. Specs are the same and both are CM rated. The 9451 has the foil bonded to the jacket so it strips in one operation.

8451 is not bonded so you often have to strip the foil separately but the 8451 will be less expensive.

(9451 on left, used self adjusting stripper)



Title: Re: favorite cost effective mic cable
Post by: Jonathan Kok on June 11, 2014, 03:52:05 PM
I need a few thousand feet of 2 conductor shielded cable for single run mic lines for an install Im working on.  Whats your favorite wire and source obviously weighing cost vs ease of installation, reliability, noise rejection, and sound. 

Ive always liked mogami for my smaller batch stuff because it bends well and is easy to work with. 

Belden 8451/9451
Provo 92516 (92616BK for black)
Delco 33632
Anixter 317-023-2201-FR

Honestly, for 150' mic/line runs, you're not going to notice much of a difference between any of these in terms of how they will sound. Anixter's in-house brand has historically been cheapest for us. But if you want a somewhat 'finished' look, then Belden 8451, West Penn 291, or Provo 92516 would be my choice, as Anixter's and Delco's are rather thin.