Recs for MS rig 5pin to 3pin XLR Cabling?

[msimonson]

Hi, I want to make my own 5-pin to 3-pin XLR cable for my M/S rig. The ones I buy keep having issues.

What bulk cable should I get for this?

I don't see a lot of options that break out in the way that these do, maybe I am looking in the wrong place.

[tourtelot]

Do you have 2-pair 5-pin cable already?  Mogami or Canare terminated in 5-pin XLRs?  Then it is only a matter of taking skinny mic cable (or Beldon console wire) and making two adapters, one 5-pin XLR to break out into two 3-pin XLR.  Pin 1 on the 5-pin XLR goes to pin-1 on both 3-pin XLRs. It's a standard wiring scheme, but if you can't find it on the net, drop me a PM and I'll send you a sketch.

 

D.

[msimonson]

On 10/28/2019 at 12:03 AM, tourtelot said:

Do you have 2-pair 5-pin cable already?  Mogami or Canare terminated in 5-pin XLRs?

No, I'm not sure what that is. I know what connectors I need and where to buy them, but I don't know about the cable

I just want to make this, but with better, longer-lasting parts

[tourtelot]

I use Belden console wiring cable to make adapters like this.  Easy to work with, 100% shielded and skinny.  Good stuff.

 

https://www.markertek.com/product/bl-1508a-500/belden-1508a-2-conductor-paired-microphone-cable-500-foot

 

I also use nothing but Neutrik connetors for the most part.  Some Switchcraft (RCA and some power coax) but the Neutrik connectors are really good.  You can get them in nickel or gold plated, black or silve shells.  I buy these at Parts Express.

 

And the other cable I was talking about was Canare or Mogami two-pair.  You can take a long length of this, say 100', put 5-pin XLRs on each end and make the adapters that you need to convert it back to two 2-pin XLRs (like the one above).  Saves having to deploy and wrap two long regular mic-cables. Or just plug the female end right into the mic and only need to adapt the other end.  Or build whatever system you like.

 

https://www.redco.com/Mogami-W2930.html

 

D.

[msimonson]

On 10/31/2019 at 5:40 PM, tourtelot said:

I use Belden console wiring cable to make adapters like this.  Easy to work with, 100% shielded and skinny.  Good stuff.

 

https://www.markertek.com/product/bl-1508a-500/belden-1508a-2-conductor-paired-microphone-cable-500-foot

D, thanks so much for the help. One more question if I may.

Could you use the Mogami two-pair for both purposes (a 5-pin to 5-pin, or a 5-pin to dual 3-pin)? Is the advantage to the Belden just that it's skinny?

[tourtelot]

Sorry, I was away.

 

Yes, absolutely.  When I do that sort of breakout, I usually forego the 5-pin altogether and just strip back the jack 24" or so and use tech-flex on the exposed pair (exposed as in "not inside the outer jacket", not electrically exposed) and go right into 3-pin XLRs.  Use heat shrink liberally.  The Mogami individual pairs, especially, are thin and fragile.  Fitting EXRs directly on the 2-pair is a bit tough but it can be done.  No heat shrink on the 2-pair to 5-pin or the connector won't fit the increased thickness.

 

Mogami 2-pair is very limber and easy to coil.  The Canare is beefier but not as flexible.  I use the Mogami now exclusively for any duplex but I have some Canare that is, wow, probably 35 years old and still works perfectly.

 

I use the Belden when I need to stick more than a single pair into a connector.  It is much easier to work with than struggling with putting connectors on 2-pair.  Just the way I do it.  I don't believe that I have 5-pins on anything that isn't for a stereo mic specifically.  I have one stereo mic at this point.  Almost all my duplex cables are just stripped back and terminated in 3-pin XLRs. But my way is not the only way of course.

 

D.

[Freeheel]

For a microphone cable that will see coiling and uncoiling, I'd recommend the Mogami.  The individual balanced strands seem fragile, but I've got 20 year old Mogami Stereo balanced cable that is still fine.   Canare, as Doug mentioned, is even more bombproof but doesn't handle nearly as nicely.

 

I'd be a little wary of that particular Belden cable as a mic cable.  It is designed for fixed installations, where the cable is only flexed once or twice when installing and then never moves again.   It uses a foil shield that will break down if used as a run and gun stereo mic cable, which makes it's lifespan of RF resistance much shorter.  Also as the foil breaks down, it will change capacitance when it's moved, which can cause crackly audio artifacts. 

 

Cheers,

Brent Calkin

[msimonson]

Thank you so much, I've learned a lot and this really helped me finally order some cable! I appreciate it.

[Ronen]

I'd like to wake this thread, 
I'm building an M/S setup and got Mogami 2930 to make the cables, i'm encountring a strange problem of cable noise, i was using the cable to make the breakouts (2x 3pin XLR to 5pin XLR) extensions(5PIN XLR M/F)
and i'm hearing noise when touching the cable, at first i thought i overheated the cables when soldering but than i redid it, and it kept appearing, what am i missing?
I tried soldering the drain wire with the shield, and than tried to solder the drain to the shell tab on the XLRs

Noises come up when phantom is activated and even when the other end of the cable is unplugged.
 

My setup is MKH50 / MKH30 (not so relevant since noises come up even when unplugged)
My plan is to make 2 male XLR to 5 pin XLR F (Mixer inputs to short 5pin)

5 pin XLR extension

mic shockmount with 2 female XLR leading to 5 pin XLR M

Cable is mogami 2930

the wiring is:
 

3 pin XLR:

1 shield

2 hot

3 cold

 

which leads to the 5 pin XLR:

1 shield

2 hot L (Mid)

3 cold L (MID)

4 hot R (Side)

5 cold R (side)

 

traeting it as a normal L/R cable, L,R grounds and shields are combined

Thanks 

 

[The Documentary Sound Guy]

I've noticed that my Mogami cable is quite sensitive to handling noise when unplugged.  It gets much better (though not perfect) when fully connected.  My guess (and it is a guess) is this probably has to do with induced capacitance in the shield when the cable is moved.  Does your problem improve when the cables are connected at both ends?

 

Separately, every M-S cable I've ever built has been much more sensitive to handling noise than regular mono cable.  What helped the most was switching to a Cinela Piano windshield from a Rycote Cyclone.  Not sure why this helped, but I think the mechanical separation / shock mount for the cable is better on the Cinela.

[Ronen]

On one hand I'm happy to hear I'm not alone and there's another person experiencing the same phenomena, but i don't understand how can it be. 

If i won't find some solution for this problem i don't think i could use this cable. 

But then, what did Miami intend this cable for? 

It says "multimicrophone cable" on it