Yes it is okay to make your own cables.However it takes lots of practice to get a good clean and soild end that where the connections won't break off.I made all of my own cables and the only thing I regret not doing is to use some shrink tubing for a strain relief.It is going to be quite a job when I finaly decide to redo all +200 connectors.Use a quality cable for signals,the difference is night and day when it comes to the high frequency's.I know this by doing comparisons with different cable type with just my guitar running into the board.I don't know what kind of cable is at home depot, But the cable I used was from "West Penn".And at the time it was what most studios in my area where using. jer
All the parts and cable you need are available from Parts Express or All Electronics at VERY reasonable prices. Both are reputable and sell quality parts......you'll save a fortune against Home Depot and Guitar Center. As Jer said, good strain relief is hard to attain in DIY cables compared to manufatured ones and building and testing them can take a lot of time. On the other hand, you can customize lengths. I haven't convinced myself that I can actually save money building them.HAve fun and good luck.
If you don't count your own time in making the cables you can certainly save money, for an equivalent quality; but it might take you quite a while to save as much as the tools you need cost you.
On the other hand, you can customise cables to your own requirements, not merely lengths but non-standard connectors, ground connected at only one end, polarity inversion and such (be sure to label all non-standard wiring very clearly; I keep a special colour of cable just for that).
Most importantly, when they go wrong - and even good cables do go wrong from time to time, only yesterday I had to replace a cannon XLR I'd put on 49 years ago with a Neutrik – you can mend them. You don't need to just junk them. If you have a repair kit on the road with you (strongly recommended) you can resolder a questionable connector between soundcheck and performance; if you've the confidence of knowing you did it in the first place.
The standard problems are to do with impatience: not waiting for the solder to spread itself evenly over the metal, or moving something before the solder has completely solidified (although overheating the conductor and melting the insulation further back in the cable or between contacts in the connector itself can be fun, too).
The heatshrink (and the glorified hairdrier for installing it) can neaten up a job enormously, but don't forget that a sleeve round a joint can hide a defective solder job, and keep the conductors in contact long enough to pass a test, then give up when real life intervenes. Transparent heatshrink (in various sizes for different cables or conductors) has the added convenience that it protects the label saying what the cable was made to do; yesterday's XLR was still labelled "Leslie top right" after having been used for a thousand jobs in between.
On the other hand, you can customise cables to your own requirements, not merely lengths but non-standard connectors, ground connected at only one end, polarity inversion and such (be sure to label all non-standard wiring very clearly; I keep a special colour of cable just for that).
Most importantly, when they go wrong - and even good cables do go wrong from time to time, only yesterday I had to replace a cannon XLR I'd put on 49 years ago with a Neutrik – you can mend them. You don't need to just junk them. If you have a repair kit on the road with you (strongly recommended) you can resolder a questionable connector between soundcheck and performance; if you've the confidence of knowing you did it in the first place.
The standard problems are to do with impatience: not waiting for the solder to spread itself evenly over the metal, or moving something before the solder has completely solidified (although overheating the conductor and melting the insulation further back in the cable or between contacts in the connector itself can be fun, too).
The heatshrink (and the glorified hairdrier for installing it) can neaten up a job enormously, but don't forget that a sleeve round a joint can hide a defective solder job, and keep the conductors in contact long enough to pass a test, then give up when real life intervenes. Transparent heatshrink (in various sizes for different cables or conductors) has the added convenience that it protects the label saying what the cable was made to do; yesterday's XLR was still labelled "Leslie top right" after having been used for a thousand jobs in between.
agreed that making your own cables is a great thing and the initial investment could be prohibitive. radioshack does have 2 conductor with shield if you don't need it to be large caliber wire (as in, big enough for patch cables, interconnects, etc, but probably not speaker wire).
for sprucing up the look of your cables beyond terminations and insulation, there are a wealth of places to get heatshrink and sleeving from, in all uses, shapes, colors, materials, etc. radio shack has some of hte basics of this (mostly heatshrink and ugly cable wrapping). I currently get cable sleeving from mdpc-x (the uv reactive stuff), but most people would probably look for a fabric sleeve (nylon multifilament) like you'd find at wirecare.com in the specialty sleeves tab
for sprucing up the look of your cables beyond terminations and insulation, there are a wealth of places to get heatshrink and sleeving from, in all uses, shapes, colors, materials, etc. radio shack has some of hte basics of this (mostly heatshrink and ugly cable wrapping). I currently get cable sleeving from mdpc-x (the uv reactive stuff), but most people would probably look for a fabric sleeve (nylon multifilament) like you'd find at wirecare.com in the specialty sleeves tab
if you use a lighter, get one with a long/tall flame, and use more of the base of the flame, not the tip. definitely keep it moving.
heat gun is usually a better option if you're going to do more than a couple cables, though. I use the lower heat setting (about 700 degrees vs 1100) so I can adjust the shrink as it's shrinking if it moves where I don't want it to.
heat gun is usually a better option if you're going to do more than a couple cables, though. I use the lower heat setting (about 700 degrees vs 1100) so I can adjust the shrink as it's shrinking if it moves where I don't want it to.
I can't believe cutting costs are that high. Sure, I buy hundred metre reels, and have all the tools on hand, but I can easily build four cables, connectors included, for the price of one prefabricated. And if I want say a twin digital cable, one stereo send and one return ib one sleeve with XLRs in opposite directions, I've just about got to build it; no-one will have one in stock. So building several hundred ordinary mic cables is good training.
Here is the data on the West Penn #291 and #77291 cable.
The #291 is about $150 a spool and the #77291 is about $220 a spool.
I used #291 in my system as #77291 did not exsist at the time and has half of the capacitance of the #291 that I used.
I have even used this cable (291) for short runs (up to at least 30 feet) of video as well with no degradeation or loss in signal.
However this is not a rubberized cable and it will make a crackling noise when stepped on hard or whipped around violently.
But this type of action is considered cable abuse anyhow.
I hope this helps you. jer
P.S. Just remember to only ground the shielding on one end only, and make sure that all the the cables are going one way.
It doesn't matter which ends you use for input or output, just make sure that you use the same format throughout the system.
Just think of the cable as a oneway road (sort of speaking).
If you ground the shielding on both ends you cause a ground loop within the cable itself and the shielding becomes useless.
Also the spools are 1000 feet
The #291 is about $150 a spool and the #77291 is about $220 a spool.
I used #291 in my system as #77291 did not exsist at the time and has half of the capacitance of the #291 that I used.
I have even used this cable (291) for short runs (up to at least 30 feet) of video as well with no degradeation or loss in signal.
However this is not a rubberized cable and it will make a crackling noise when stepped on hard or whipped around violently.
But this type of action is considered cable abuse anyhow.
I hope this helps you. jer
P.S. Just remember to only ground the shielding on one end only, and make sure that all the the cables are going one way.
It doesn't matter which ends you use for input or output, just make sure that you use the same format throughout the system.
Just think of the cable as a oneway road (sort of speaking).
If you ground the shielding on both ends you cause a ground loop within the cable itself and the shielding becomes useless.
Also the spools are 1000 feet
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The prices I quoted where from West Penn MSRP list.
These guys have it much cheaper,
West Penn Wire
Here Is the cable,
22awg/2 stranded tinned copper conductors, shielded with an overall jacket, 1,000'
These guys have it much cheaper,
West Penn Wire
Here Is the cable,
22awg/2 stranded tinned copper conductors, shielded with an overall jacket, 1,000'
Not really suitable cable for audio leads as we're discussing here though, which costs a lot more than that.
18AWG 3 conductor with shield: BELDEN|4301FE.00100|CABLE, SEC, SHLD, GREY, 4.5MM | Farnell United Kingdom
still relatively cheap when bought in bulk. less than £1 per meter.
still relatively cheap when bought in bulk. less than £1 per meter.
Like I said it is not the rubberized type of cable that is used as microphones and guitar leads to the amplifiers on stage and such.
But, It is what is used for the interconnects between the mixer, recorder and effect units in professional recording systems and I have well over 6000 feet of it in my system.
Belden is a very execelent cable as well and I have been using it exculsivly since whirlwind was the first to come out with it in the 70's for its use as a guitar cable.
There are many different types of cable for different applications and in this particular example the application was not specified.
The question was ; "is it okay for me to make my own cables?" and " where can I get shielded cables with two wires?"
As I stated before the diffrence between these to types of cable is night and day when it comes to high frequency response and I have confirmed this with an a A/B comparison between the two different types.
Cherrs. jer
But, It is what is used for the interconnects between the mixer, recorder and effect units in professional recording systems and I have well over 6000 feet of it in my system.
Belden is a very execelent cable as well and I have been using it exculsivly since whirlwind was the first to come out with it in the 70's for its use as a guitar cable.
There are many different types of cable for different applications and in this particular example the application was not specified.
The question was ; "is it okay for me to make my own cables?" and " where can I get shielded cables with two wires?"
As I stated before the diffrence between these to types of cable is night and day when it comes to high frequency response and I have confirmed this with an a A/B comparison between the two different types.
Cherrs. jer
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You could also start with coax and either just add the connectors you need or make a cross-connected pair. Below are a few links to articles and some comparison tests. I think some of them are geared toward speaker cables, but there is information that is useful for all applications, also.
Belden 89259 DIY RCA Interconnect Cables
Cross Coax Cables Design vs Zip Cord - Analysis — Reviews and News from Audioholics
Speaker Cable Face Off 1 — Reviews and News from Audioholics
Technical Info
diy audio cables - Google Search
diy audio cables coax - Google Search
Belden 89259 DIY RCA Interconnect Cables
Cross Coax Cables Design vs Zip Cord - Analysis — Reviews and News from Audioholics
Speaker Cable Face Off 1 — Reviews and News from Audioholics
Technical Info
diy audio cables - Google Search
diy audio cables coax - Google Search
But you can buy a ready made XLR lead, as cheap as 30m for £19.11+VAT (from CPC, a division of Farnell) - and their quality seems good, nice low noise and not at all microphonic.
That's my point - it's often cheaper to buy leads than make them.
Running fitted leads for a studio is a different matter, you don't need the flexibility and strength, but you do need it in BIG drums
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