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making your own audio cables...

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  • 04-03-2008 10:26pm
    #1
    Helix
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,661 ✭✭✭✭


    whats the craic lads,

    decided im gonna just make me own 1/4in jacks from here on in, ive done it in college and i know how, but my question is can anyone recommend decent cabling/jacks anywhere in dublin? and how much will they cost me, dont really want to go shopping for something with zero point of reference in terms of price and quality etc


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    #2
    PaulBrewer
    Registered Users Posts: 7,790 ✭✭✭PaulBrewer


    There's no reason why making your own cables shouldn't be better than 'average' shop cables.

    Buy good quality named brand plugs for reliability and integrity of connection.

    Even good quality cable is cheap per metre.



    The secret is the soldering Iron! I've found your Euro 9.99 cheapo Iron very difficult to use and get a clean and shiny connection. Those connections are electrically the purest, very important.

    If you get the matt grey unshiny one , clear it all off and start again!

    P


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    #3
    Helix
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,661 ✭✭✭✭Helix


    aye have a decent soldering iron, its a 15w one, would you recommend higher?

    what brand plugs would you recommend?


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    #4
    PaulBrewer
    Registered Users Posts: 7,790 ✭✭✭PaulBrewer


    15 w should be good enough for that.

    There are a few good quality plug manufacturers - Neutrik and Switchcraft are the 2 dominant players.


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    #5
    Helix
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,661 ✭✭✭✭Helix


    top man, ill check them out

    cheers


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    #6
    studiorat
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,408 ✭✭✭studiorat


    Balanced or Un-Balanced?


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    #7
    Helix
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,661 ✭✭✭✭Helix


    well the longest run of cable ill have will be 2 meters, so unbalanced will do


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    #8
    studiorat
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,408 ✭✭✭studiorat


    I'd really use balanced for balanced equipment, and unbalanced for unbalanced. If going balanced to unbalanced I think you have to connect the negative to the ground. But you're using jacks, so mono jacks will do that anyway. Doh!

    I've an iron with adjustable temperature. I find different gauges of cable need slightly different temperatures. Buy cheap buy twice an all that, my auld fella' had the same soldering station for over 30 years. A good iron makes things so much easier.

    Neutrik Jacks are about a €2.70 a pop.

    A look at the Canford Catalogue will let you know what's available.


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    #9
    frobisher
    Registered Users Posts: 2,413 ✭✭✭frobisher


    I have a gas one and its great. Got it in Maplin for €70 or so. Although I sometimes use it in rather odd places so I needed something portable. But it can be handy to bring the iron to the prblem rather than the prblem to the iron.


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    #10
    PaulBrewer
    Registered Users Posts: 7,790 ✭✭✭PaulBrewer


    I find spending a couple of hours on this forum is good too. Usually my head will melt solder very efficiently after that!


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