Soldering Quad Mic Cable

[zobomix]

Hello guys,

I've got one dumb question. I want to make some mic cables and I bought quad cable (4 wires) as suggested by the shop owner. He told me it isolates more from RFI and hum.

Now, there's only three prongs on a XLR connector. Do I need to leave one of the wires unsoldered?

If this post is too dumb, I apologize. Soldering cables can be a way to practice for the DIY projects, right?

P.S.: Flamenco is da bomb!!!

zobomix

 

[Samuel Groner]

Now, there's only three prongs on a XLR connector. Do I need to leave one of the wires unsoldered?

No. Shield goes to pin 1. Then you have to solder the four conductors pairwise to pin 2 and 3. It is important to select the right pairs. Which brand are you using? Perhaps the pairs have the same or similar colors, i.e. you solder both blue conductors to pin 2 and both white conductors to pin 3.

Samuel

 

[ohrange]

hello,

you should use the conductors crossover like this:

X O
O X

(connect the two X and the two O cables) and solder them to the connector as described in the other post.

This kind of wiring is called in german " Kreuzvierer" wich means something like square-four-core, and is mostly used in broadcasting uses. the crossing of the two conductors brings down the cable capacity.

Flo

 

[BR]

I personally have used both starquad and regular 2 conductor +shield cables and I have to tell you that I didn't find the star quad to be any beneficial and it was more of a pain to make the cables...
my 2 cents...

 

[jrmintz]

My sense is that quad cable is helpful in a high RF evironment, but there's nothing to be gained if RF is not a problem.

 

[NewYorkDave]

Actually, the quad cable's chief advantage is in a situation (such as onstage) where the cable will be moving around.

 

[Guest]

Quad cable definetly hels with RF, heard it with my own ears... If RF is low then it dosent matter. As for wiring, just make sure the same wires go to the same pins on both sides of the cable 2 wires per pin on pin 2 & 3, and the braided sheild on 1.

 

[Gus]

http://www.canare.com.hk/star_quad_mic_cables.htm

 

[zobomix]

Thanks for the info.

The cable I have is mogami 2534 quad cable. I definitely have RF problems.

I have this portable sony cd player which I hook up to the mixer via mini jack stereo-two 1/4" jacks and I can pick up radio programs through that cable. So, I assume there's the RF thing going in my bedroom studio.

Mogami cable has two clear wires, two blue ones, and the shield.

 

[Samuel Groner]

I definitely have RF problems.

That's bad. What mixer are you using? Are the inputs balanced? Starquad will only help if your mixer has balanced inputs.

BTW, check the great papers @ www.jensen-transformers.com/apps_wp.html.

Samuel

 

[zobomix]

The cable picking up radio stations is unbalanced.

I use a Yamaha 01V digital mixer.

I have never had any specific problem running balanced lines from the synths or external compressors to the Yamaha 01V.

I chose the quad cable for extra protection based on the fact unbalanced lines can pick up RF at my place.

 

[Samuel Groner]

Sorry, you have to help me: you asked how to solder a starquad to XLR, but the connection you have trouble with goes from mini jack to 1/4" jack. Do you want to solder a mini jack to XLR now?

Samuel

 

[zobomix]

Maybe I didn't explain the situation to the fullest. I gave the unbalanced mini jack-to-1/4" jack example to explain why I chose quad cable. There is definitely an RF problem in my studio. I am going to replace that portable CD player with a pro version with balanced outs anyways.

Hope that made it more understandeable.

 

[Samuel Groner]

OK. Everything's fine then..!
Samuel

 

[pucho812]

I think quad cable sounds better the standard mic cable. To wire quad cable is very easy especially with Mogami cable. You got 2 blue wires, 2 clear wires and a shield. So all you gots to do is wire your shiled to pin one. Take to wires of the same color and wire to pin 2. Then take the remaining 2 wires of the same coloer and wire to pin 3. Pretty simple. I prefer Mogami wire over any other wire. My rule of thumb with Mogami is that the clear wire/wires will alwayd be my cold and the colored wire/wires will be my hot. This works real well when doing a snake as to in my knowledge Mogami colored wire, clear wire and ground per balanced connection.

 

[Nutts]

Yep, Quad definatly has advantages over a standard single pair wire in the RF rejection world. It has to do with the lobing effect that the 4 wires cause and the twisting of the pairs. If it's Canare quad it has 2 blue wires and 2 white wires. I do the same as puncho and wire the blue to hot (pin 2) and the white to cold (pin 2) and debraid the shild and go to pin one. Good luck with the wiring, hope it helps.

Tom