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DMX Cables vs. XLR Cables


Doug Beatty

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What is a DMX cable?

DMX is a lighting control cable that uses XLR connectors, they use 3, 4 and 5 pin depending on the DMX controller. You hook your DMX cable to your dimmer board and run the DMX cable out to your dimmers. DMX is essentially the same signal as midi or RS-232 just specific to lighting control. Since its a simple control signal it does not have to worry as much about quality issues like audio so I would cautious using it for audio cable. Why dont you just buy the connectors and 5 conductor cable and build the cable yourself, or if you dont know how have trew or coffey build it for you. Use starquad cable if you can, what are you connecting with a XLR5 to XLR3?

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I'm looking for an XLR5F -> XLR3M patch cable and everything I have seen is branded DMX.

You can either wire one yourself, by buying 5-conductor cable, an XLR-5F connector and two XLR-3M connectors (with some heat-shrink), or you can hire a pro audio company to wire it for you. I'd recommend Wilcox Audio in Burbank as doing great work: (818) 504-0507.

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There are a few on B&H, I think Sony brand perhaps and Neuman, if I recall right. The ones available are for breaking out a stereo mic and they are pretty darn expensive. I'm still mystified how difficult it is to browse B&H's 10,000 cable choices.

I agree shopping for big items on B&H is great but accessories and cables and adaptors is a nightmare! It kind of is anywhere unless I am ordering stuff i know the model number of(788t, CMIT5u...) I call the vendor and talk to a person.

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Awesome- thanks for all the input, guys.

I need to cable out of my RX900S to Nomad in my bag- I was thinking I could pick up a 6" DMX XLR5->XLR3 patch cable since they are cheap and readily available, but I'll wire something up. Remote audio makes them but I'm having so much fun soldering.

I'm pretty new to it, but these 2nd degree burns on my hands add a lot of character, as in "What kind of idiot character burns himself with molten metal?"

<holding up two burned thumbs> This guy!

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I'm pretty new to it, but these 2nd degree burns on my hands add a lot of character, as in "What kind of idiot character burns himself with molten metal?"

<holding up two burned thumbs> This guy!

Learning to solder at the moment as well, I'm actually shocked at how quickly my hands fall asleep while trying to hold them steady, is that just me or does that happen to everyone?

d- ??? -b THUMBS UP

I'm still mystified how difficult it is to browse B&H's 10,000 cable choices.

Without crystal clear direction finding connectors & especially cable on any of the store's sites I've tried has been a huge PITA, in the last two nights I spent a good 8hrs just reading up on and shopping for connectors and cable, and the sad end result is a couple online shopping carts full of Canare Star Quad, Switchcraft XLR connectors for "Michael P. Clark's" Low Profile Mod shown here & a local source for ta5 connectors(Calrad 30-641-5), still trying to pick out some Neutrik XLRs.

I did find this www.octopart.com to be a very helpful tool for price shopping, once I knew what connectors I was looking for.

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