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Booming with a cloth cable


larry long

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I haven't seen cloth-covered mic cable in decades.  Is it still made?

 

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Still made but difficult to find. I have about 25 feet of cloth cable that I typically use for short jumper cables to the microphone. I have one fishpole with an internal cloth cable that has a special shield configuration, not exactly spiral wrap or braided, not sure exactly what the properties are. Suggested to me by Bruce Bisenz for use with certain Neumann microphones that were susceptible to RF interference on the cable (not to be confused with wireless mic problems, this was way before anyone was doing wireless boom work).

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Top result on Google search cloth cable xlr: http://www.pelusomicrophonelab.com/parts/Cables.html

I boom with an uncabled pole (much more common here in Europe, I read here actually), just with regular cable. I've never actually even got to try a cabled boom. Especially for "run and gun" reality work a high quality cabled pole, especially one collapsable to "baby" length might be good though.

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Rycote used to sell cloth covered cable but the company who made it ceased trading. Not only was it cotton covered but the conductors were Litz cable which was developed by our national phone company for use as patch cords in telephone exchanges. The only cable available in this configuration is from Canford Audio who for some strange reason won't sell it unless they have fitted some sort of pluggery to it. Rycote got them to make up some 18 inch M to F XLR to go between the mic and the XLR clamp on their boom mounts which then gets rid of their conbox for people who don't like or use the box. I have no idea how to find it but this subject was covered in great detail about 12bto 18 months ago. When I need some to use as Jeff suggests I just buy a long patchcord usually fitted with an XLR on one end cut it to length and fit the other sex and I then have my Rycote jumper.

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I've often thought of using some of this super stretchy spandexy crushed velvet to construct a sheath (anchored at both ends by a zip tie) for the coily cable in my VDB. I have a few yards of it which were given to me after a job, by the art department.

 

I wonder, has this has been attempted before, and what [edit] notable results were achieved, if any? My main concern: the sheath becoming bunched up when retracting the boom for a shorter reach.

 

I use my internal coily cable all the time, and 95% of the time, it's very quiet as I move about...but only in some instances (boom all the way extended, almost stationary talent, but not stationary enough to warrant a C-stand/boom hook, cuing 416 back and forth for very long takes, over and over), I get a little tapped for strength, and it begins to make a little noise. Last time this occurred, all the talent were nude (TLC ~ Buying Naked), so no wireless were concealable, except for one in a small handbag on one of the female talent. The placement of the mic head was less than optimal, too.

 

Later on that day, just for a comparison, I ran all over a tennis court with the same talent, same rig, and the boom out most of the way, and we didn't hear it at all.  :wacko:

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I think Kortwich use the cloth for the various cable looms they make, but I don't think regular XLRs, but who knows.

Might I ask what the advantage would be mof cloth cables? A hope for reduction in handling noise?

The jumper cable was just that - a short mono XLR cable. Should be available at any length on request. Kortwich is very open to any customer ideas. Just shot them an email.

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We have used cloth cable at K-Tek. I'm not sure if we have any laying around still. We used it with the Woods quick release system we made, but that was discontinued a few years ago and we really haven't used it for anything else, so I know it is still out there in terms of availability, but I do know it is more expensive than regular XLR cable and it gets worn out much quicker than regular XLR cable simply because it's cloth.

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yes I am looking to reduce handling noise.

Larry,

If I am mis-interpreting what you are saying in that you are picking up handling noise from mic cables, I would respectfully suggest that you have a much deeper rooted problem.

The handling noise on a Mkh-50 when on a pole is well documented on this forum and it was the bane of my life until I started using the 18 inch cotton covered jumper I described earlier in this thread and before anyone jumps in, a con-box on the Rycote mount made things worse. Using the jumper has cured all the previous nonsense

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Malcolm,

Yeah it's funny, I've used the 50 for years.

Matt likes the internal coiled cable inside a PSC boompole with a Cinela Mount. It's like the cable noise recently has become very frustrating. I've never agreed with this setup but he's the Boom Op so as long as it works fine.

Matt is considering changing poles and while we were on the subject I was curious to see if any guys still used the old style cloth cable around an uncabled pole.

We'll prolly just switch up poles.

It's curious to me how the same gear that has been working fine, just has to be switched up once in awhile.

Haha Rachel!

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