Avid Pro Audio Community

Avid Pro Audio Community

How to Join & Post  •  Community Terms of Use  •  Help Us Help You

Knowledge Base Search  •  Community Search  •  Learn & Support


Avid Home Page

Go Back   Avid Pro Audio Community > Legacy Products > 003, Mbox 2, Digi 002, original Mbox, Digi 001 (Mac)

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old 06-19-2003, 09:32 AM
kenhawkins kenhawkins is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Atlanta, GA, USA
Posts: 605
Default OT Mic cable lengths

Ok so i am extremely lazy and do not have an ibook to move the studio so easily. now i have a piano in an upstairs room which i would like to record but i am concerned about mic cable lengths and signal degredation. anyone know of a general length limit before you have to boost the signal somehow? am i makeing sense? i am trying to quit coffee so i might not be.

thanks,
ken;
__________________
What is Ken Hawkins up to?
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 06-19-2003, 10:11 AM
Eddie K. wannabe Eddie K. wannabe is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: LA
Posts: 407
Default Re: OT Mic cable lengths

I think the general rule of thumb is: If you use a mic cable longer than 15feet you need to use a balanced cable. The bablanced cable will provide protection against RF interference. Hope that helps.
__________________
PowerMac G4/1.2ghzPowerLogix
Panther OSx 10.3.4
Digi002/Protools 6.4/DVtoolkit
Certified Protools6.x Post-Production Operator
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 06-19-2003, 10:21 AM
Lowfreq Lowfreq is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Newbury Park, Ca.
Posts: 651
Default Re: OT Mic cable lengths

It would depend on the quality of the cable (sheilding, wire ga., etc.) and the connectors. Obviously it should be a balanced cable. I have had runs up to 150' in the studio situation & over 300' live with no real loss of level or quality. Although live sound it kinda of hard to get as accurate a sonic picture than a studio situation.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 06-19-2003, 10:29 AM
Christian Christian is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Chicago, Il USA
Posts: 81
Default Re: OT Mic cable lengths

If the mic pre's you are using are external put one next to the piano. The less cable between mic and mic pre is what is most important.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 06-19-2003, 10:54 AM
kenhawkins kenhawkins is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Atlanta, GA, USA
Posts: 605
Default Re: OT Mic cable lengths

Quote:
Originally posted by Lowfreq:
It would depend on the quality of the cable (sheilding, wire ga., etc.) and the connectors. Obviously it should be a balanced cable. I have had runs up to 150' in the studio situation & over 300' live with no real loss of level or quality. Although live sound it kinda of hard to get as accurate a sonic picture than a studio situation.
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">what kind of cables are you using in the studio envorinment?

thanks,
ken;
__________________
What is Ken Hawkins up to?
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 06-19-2003, 06:05 PM
TAPKAE TAPKAE is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Hog Heaven
Posts: 221
Default Re: OT Mic cable lengths

Mic cables, the reputable ones at least, are balanced. There are some funny ones by dubious makers that are not balanced. Part of the notion behind balanced cables is to run longer lengths BECAUSE the noise is all but eliminated by the balancing. Its the unbalanced cables that become more and more like antennas the longer they are. In general its not a bad idea to keep cable runs short, but don't let that lead you to believe that something terrible will happen after 20'. Even 50' isn't to be ashamed of. I think 200' is bound to be closer to the upper limit of the balanced cable's ability to reduce noise.

So don't fret. Get some Whirlwind, Horizon, Mogami or Monster types and you are fine, in whatever room you are in. I think that keeping AC power and audio lines from running together will do more to keep noise down anyway.
__________________
OS 10.3.9
1.25 mhz single G4, 1.25GB RAM, Firewire & Internal recording drives, Nomad Factory plugins
PT 6.4, 001, Motormix
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 06-20-2003, 05:56 AM
Hazy Hill Hazy Hill is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Ankara, Turkey
Posts: 137
Default Re: OT Mic cable lengths

In theory you can run balanced cables up to 1000 feet.

With cables like Klotz, Monster etc you won't have any problems with 300 feet or so.
__________________
Ufuk Onen
www.UfukOnen.com
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 06-20-2003, 06:10 AM
Hazy Hill Hazy Hill is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Ankara, Turkey
Posts: 137
Default Re: OT Mic cable lengths

In balanced signals two exact copies of the signal are used. While going into the cable, phase of one signal is reversed. Both of these signals (which are now completely out of phase with each other) pick up noise in the cable.

On the other side, going out of the cable, the phase of second signal is reversed again which means its phase is back to original, completely in-phase with the other signal.

The trick here is that, when the phase of the second signal is reversed on the other end of the cable, the phase of the noise it picked up while running in the cable is reversed as well.

Now the noise in the first signal is completely out-of-phase with the noise in second signal which means the noise is cancelled. [img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

Two same signals, their phase 180 degrees apart, they cancel each other.
__________________
Ufuk Onen
www.UfukOnen.com
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 06-20-2003, 06:12 AM
Hazy Hill Hazy Hill is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Ankara, Turkey
Posts: 137
Default Re: OT Mic cable lengths

And remember... One unbalanced device in the signal path will make whole path unbalanced.
__________________
Ufuk Onen
www.UfukOnen.com
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 06-20-2003, 07:25 AM
where02190 where02190 is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Boston, Ma USA
Posts: 8,145
Default Re: OT Mic cable lengths

Quote:
Originally posted by Hazy Hill:
And remember... One unbalanced device in the signal path will make whole path unbalanced.
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Only from the point of unbalancing on. Inotherwords, If you go Mic-preamp out balanced-compressor out unbalanced, the signal is unbalanced from the output of the compressor.

Hope this is helpful.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
DigiLink cable lengths Bambison Pro Tools TDM Systems (Mac) 3 06-21-2006 08:12 PM
Cable lengths... Lizardpoint Pro Tools TDM Systems (Win) 1 06-19-2006 08:20 AM
Differing Balanced Cable Lengths? mgriffin192 Tips & Tricks 1 11-18-2005 09:52 PM
192 DigiLink cable lengths RobMacki Pro Tools TDM Systems (Mac) 2 08-21-2005 05:20 PM
Firewire cable lengths TimP63 003, Mbox 2, Digi 002, original Mbox, Digi 001 (Win) 3 02-18-2005 06:54 AM


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 04:04 PM.


Powered by: vBulletin, Copyright ©2000 - 2008, Jelsoft Enterprises Limited. Forum Hosted By: URLJet.com