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Anyone have a recommendation for cable to roll my own TA3F to XLR adaptors?


DCsoundOp

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I'm about to make up some custom cables for my 442 and am ordering a pile of Rean RT3F (TA3F) connectors and standard xlr ends as well. Looking to see if anyone has a good recommendation, or even a part number from mouser for the cable they prefer. I have some Belden stuff that's nice and thin, but a bit stiff, more like installation cable... so I'd like to find something thin, that can be coiled and stand up to typical remote use. 

 

Thanks!

Steve 

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Canare StarQuad can be a bit of a pain to solder, especially with TA connectors, but it's a small price to pay for the level of RF shielding it provides. Back in 2012 I scored a little over 100' of L-4E5C for $50 on eBay and have been making my own shorty cables ever since. Which reminds me, I'm probably gonna have to buy some more soon.

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I use Canare L-2E5 mini microphone cable. @  $0.46 /ft. is cheaper/easier than the mini star-quad... which IMO is unnecessary for line level patch cables

http://www.markertek.com/product/l-2e5/canare-l-2e5-mini-microphone-cable-by-the-foot-black

This is good advice. While Starquad has occasional but definite advantages for longish mic level signals (though rarely any advantage for short runs inside a bag or cart), it is not needed for line level signal, particularly with short runs associated with TA3 connections. Also, twisting the same colored wires together inside a TA connector greatly increases the chance of short circuits and faulty joints. By far the best wire for planning against likely problems for short TA connector cables (1-meter or so) is a small gauge shielded pair that fits well in the TA connector -- not Starquad.

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  • 2 years later...
On 03/02/2015 at 8:42 AM, Glen Trew said:

This is good advice. While Starquad has occasional but definite advantages for longish mic level signals (though rarely any advantage for short runs inside a bag or cart), it is not needed for line level signal, particularly with short runs associated with TA3 connections. Also, twisting the same colored wires together inside a TA connector greatly increases the chance of short circuits and faulty joints. By far the best wire for planning against likely problems for short TA connector cables (1-meter or so) is a small gauge shielded pair that fits well in the TA connector -- not Starquad.

 

I'm about to make a couple cables up for use as camera hops from a Sr receiver (TA3F - XLRM), and am curious if people commonly use mini star quad on their cam hop cables for the extra shielding it provides - or if this is an irrelevant consideration for an 18 inch cable...

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Side note, after doing a lot of TA cables I've found I prefer the original Switchcraft TA3/TA5. I don't really like the REAN parts anymore, used to get stuck in plugs on my Maxx and the materials quality is just not as good. They melt easier, pins fall out easier etc. Maybe I bought a bad run but now I just pay more for the Switchcraft originals. Even some of the Switchcraft knockoffs are of lesser quality. For example Remote Audio used to sell some that had a soft rubber boot that you could choose to take off for large diameter cable. That's great but when you leave it on it almost always ends up tearing off on small diameter cable. 

 

 

 

 

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