Members Jlliu59 Posted March 2, 2006 Members Share Posted March 2, 2006 I've been thinking about putting together some of my own cables. I looked at Redco.com and figure it would cost me about $12 to build an instrument cable with 18' of Mogami unbalanced cable and two Neutrik 1/4" connectors. Anyone build their own cables? Where do you go to buy parts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members The Real MC Posted March 2, 2006 Members Share Posted March 2, 2006 I build my own cables and redco is my source. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members where02190 Posted March 2, 2006 Members Share Posted March 2, 2006 I build all my own cables, my experience with prebuilt is it's all junk, built by minimum wage employees with about 5 seconds of training. I buy a lot from CBI if it's large quantities, if I just need a handful of something or I need it today I go to one of the local venders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fastplant Posted March 2, 2006 Members Share Posted March 2, 2006 I'm about to start doing this. My brother and I are building a studio and he just ordered a bunch of stuff to try this out. We'll see how it turns out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 Originally posted by where02190 my experience with prebuilt is it's all junk, built by minimum wage employees with about 5 seconds of training. Really? Which mfg's cables? Originally posted by where02190 I build all my own cables Why are your personally constructed cables better than manufactured cables? What is it that you do that apparently by your account many (or possibly all) of the major manufactures don't do or do incorrectly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BillESC Posted March 3, 2006 Members Share Posted March 3, 2006 We build all our own cables using Neutrik and Switchcraft connectors and top of the line Belden cables. We allso make cables to order for others and guarantee them for life. There is no magic to making cables, quality connectors, quality cable and a quality soldering job is all that's necessary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members B. Adams Posted March 3, 2006 Members Share Posted March 3, 2006 I don't want to defend some of Where's opinions, but I've occasionally had problems with manufactured cables. I don't have much experience with anything but Horizon cables, specifically, so I'll contain my review to their cables. I've seen 1/4" cables with too much insulation stripped off so the conductors short out, or just bad soldering jobs. With XLR cables I've seen bad soldering jobs as well, and more often than not, the screws on the XLR connectors aren't tightened properly so the joint is subject to more stress than it should be. I've also had Hosa molded connectors go intermittent after just a couple uses, or right out of the box. I think they're getting better though. I can only asusme that the other big manufacturers let similar mistakes slip through QC, although I don't have much experience with them. I should point out, however, that I only see problems in maybe 1% of the cables, at the very most. I've never counted, but it's not like it's a huge problem. The vast majority of the manufactured cables I've seen have been constructed very well, and have no problems at all. On the other hand, I have absolutely no problems at all when I build my own cables, because of my own rigid QC standards. Manufactured cables are mass produced, and obviously, mistakes will happen that won't be checked once the connector is screwed shut and slip past the testing station. That's the trade-off for convenience, and it happens with just about everything. FWIW, I haven't had any problems at all with EWI cables. Just so you know, Mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ctardi Posted March 3, 2006 Members Share Posted March 3, 2006 I make my own. I order 50' mic cables from http://www...oh crap. Can't remember the site, but good cable, crap connectors, and order new connectors off of ebay. The 50' cable is about $8, the connectors usually around $1/peice for xlr, or with my lot of 75 1/4" plugs, about $0.03 each. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BillESC Posted March 3, 2006 Members Share Posted March 3, 2006 I guess the quality of the Belden cable we use for XLR cables is overkill. 50' runs about $ 16.50 when purchased on 1000' spools. And the Neutrik connectors are over $ 3.00 each. We also use Mogami cable if requested, but that costs even more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members The Real MC Posted March 3, 2006 Members Share Posted March 3, 2006 Hosa and Monster cables are among the junk cables. I've found broken Hosa cables right out of the bag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted March 3, 2006 Members Share Posted March 3, 2006 Originally posted by where02190 I build all my own cables, my experience with prebuilt is it's all junk, built by minimum wage employees with about 5 seconds of training. Maybe with the "little-fish" suppliers that you have to use. There are plenty of quality cable houses that build outstanding quality product. Those companies also provide a lot of the national touring rig cabling packages. Hardly junk my friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gruvjack Posted March 3, 2006 Members Share Posted March 3, 2006 I used to make my own and it was reasonably inexpensive. Now, I can't stand solder fumes and my hands are not as steady as they used to be so I have electrical shops make assemble them for me. Still worth it. V. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlackBelt Posted March 3, 2006 Members Share Posted March 3, 2006 I generally build my own cables. Recently I needed 15- 3 foot TRS patch cables, but have been in a serious time crunch lately with too many shows to build them myself. I went with our own Audiopile's cables that hangs here on this forum. I was very happy with his stuff.Most of the time I buy my parts from mouser.com, digikey.com (Lenny Kravitz sound guy turned me onto those two-I had never heard of them before, but that's who he uses), or I go with parts express.com.I've got to solder up a 16X8 snake tomorrow for a guy who's bringing all the parts over. Don't know where he got them, but it promises to be a LONG day breathing in the 'fumes'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jabney Posted March 3, 2006 Members Share Posted March 3, 2006 Making my own cables has one big advantage - by using the same roll of raw cable (Canare for the 3 conductor, Mogami for snakeage) and by always using the same cable direction and the same shield comb-out point (I line it up with the label on the Canare) the cables 'lay out' the same way - every time. To avoid fumes, if it's a marathon soldering session, I'll wear one of those cartridge-equipped masks from Sears. Helps a little. And of course, I always wash my hands twice or more after handling the solder (I don't like lead-free solder - at all). best, john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Scodiddly Posted March 3, 2006 Members Share Posted March 3, 2006 I use one of those little muffin fans with a filter, a "solder fume extractor". Sucks the air away from me and through a carbon filter, much easier than wearing a mask. For my own stuff I keep raw wire and connectors in stock, building what I need when I need it. At work we get cables from good sources such as ProCo or AFAB - if you buy sufficient quantity you can get custom heatshrink, company logo, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 Originally posted by B. Adams Manufactured cables are mass produced Other than the possibly that mass production cable assemblers are using better tools and techniques under better conditions, I'd say that the process of mass producing v.s. home-made is virtually the same concerning many types of audio cables. Originally posted by B. Adams mistakes will happen that won't be checked once the connector is screwed shut and slip past the testing station. Admittedly, humans assemble audio cables and humans make mistakes, but... Some cable manufactures that I'm aware of go to fairly extensive lengths to make sure the mistakes don't get out the door. Originally posted by B. Adams That's the trade-off for convenience, and it happens with just about everything. FWIW, I haven't had any problems at all with EWI cables. Just so you know, Mark. Well... in the past 3 years, I know of zero customer reported manufacturing defects with the EWI cables. In the last 3 years, I have found 3 EWI factory mistakes here in my QC testing before the EWI product was shipped. One was an arguably defective end, and the other two were mis-labels. Admittedly there might be "preference differences"... like "I think this screw should be tighter, or that label should be different"... or damage in shipping issues (a couple customers reported a couple of cracked compression nuts), but as far as outright dysfunctional assembly... in the past 3 years I'd say the error rate making it past QC is fractions of a percent (approaching zero) for the EWI cable products distributed in the US. And, FWIW: Approximately 10% of the last batch of 500ea. Neutrik Speakon NL4FC connector ends I received were defective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 Originally posted by B. Adams I don't want to defend some of Where's opinions, uh... I read "Where's" post as stating a fact... not opinion. The quote: "I build all my own cables, my experience with prebuilt is it's all junk, built by minimum wage employees with about 5 seconds of training. " Admittedly, "my experience" might mean one cable from one manufacture, or it might mean thousands of cables across a wide spectrum of manufactures. Since "Where" is offering advice and stating seeming facts in a public forum to folks who could benefit from good advice or be hurt following bad advice, I'd like some backing evidence from "Where" to support his statements. More specifically, I would like to know exactly which cables from which manufactures "Where" has experience with. His statement is false (as well as possibly being malicious slander) from the standpoint that I know of at least one cable assembly outfit where the average assembler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 Originally posted by where02190 I build all my own cables What do those cables cost you to build including your time? I would think a man of your professed experience and expertise is worth at least $50/hr. Maybe the cost is irrelevant as building them yourself might be the only manner you know of to get the level of quality your application demands. If so, then what else do you also build? I wouldn't think that cables are the only items not up to your standards if you consider ALL prebuilt cables are junk. Or is it your assertion that cable manufactures and assemblers in-general are an abnormally low class of craftsmen with abnormally low standards? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members The Real MC Posted March 3, 2006 Members Share Posted March 3, 2006 I also use a fan when soldering. Just point it towards the ceiling, the fumes will be directed up and away from you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members milesdf Posted March 3, 2006 Members Share Posted March 3, 2006 Aren't whirlwinds cables made by electronics technicians? I think it takes a little more training than 5 seconds to even be able to build a cable. I like building my own cables because its kinda a fun way to chill out. Also i can shrink the connections and i find this to be more reliable. But i trust cables made of good parts and by a reputable company, the only issues ive ever had have been after alot of abuse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 Originally posted by The Real MC I also use a fan when soldering. Just point it towards the ceiling, the fumes will be directed up and away from you. The fumes from soldering could be considered reasonably nasty stuff since I believe the fumes are basically vaporized flux possibly mixed with some lead and possibly some vaporized PVC from insulation. I believe using a fan to disperse the fumes in a room is probably better than nothing, but I use a vacuum fume extractor with a activated carbon filter, and vent the scrubbed air outside. If you don't have an activated carbon filter fume extractor, I'd suggest at least venting the fumes outside. Some solder fume information: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg248.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted March 3, 2006 Members Share Posted March 3, 2006 The way a professional cable house makes their money is not by paying minimum wage, but bu efficiently manufacturing their product and buying efficiently with larger quantities. On an XLR cable, the cost of labor, even with a $12.00 labor is less than $1.00. Also, if a $12.00 laborer can do twice as much as a $6.00 laborer with better quality, the $12.00/hr is cheaper in the long run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 Originally posted by agedhorse The way a professional cable house makes their money is not by paying minimum wage, but bu efficiently manufacturing their product and buying efficiently with larger quantities. On an XLR cable, the cost of labor, even with a $12.00 labor is less than $1.00. Also, if a $12.00 laborer can do twice as much as a $6.00 laborer with better quality, the $12.00/hr is cheaper in the long run. I'll admit, I can only assemble about 5 or 6 XLR cables with regular 2 conductor/ braided shield cable start-to-finish an hour... but then I get interrupted a lot. I'm aware of folks that claim they can assemble upward of 10 ea. XLR cables on 2 conductor/ braided shield cable per hour, and I've seen their work, and it's very good... but I'll be dang if I know how they do it? They must be really good. Of-course these 10 cables per hour folks are set-up nice with great automatic strippers and stuff like that... but still... you can only measure out, strip, solder, shrink tube, final assemble, test and coil cables so fast. It just dawned on me: I've had some "help" from some "stage hands" who couldn't muster just "coiling" (their style of coiling) 10 cables an hour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pktaskes Posted March 3, 2006 Members Share Posted March 3, 2006 I used to make my own until I found Mr H. Mark's cables have never failed me yet and we gig at least twice a week with them!! The whole time/labor equation in making my own cables is a no-brainer. With 3 kids, my time is limited. The only time I break out the soldering iron now is to make a quick repair. I do miss the buzz from the satisfaction of making my own though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rxnet Posted March 3, 2006 Members Share Posted March 3, 2006 I'll jump on the mark wagon...I just received cables from him and as far as price & quality and ultimate value I would find it hard to beat. IMO I'd rather pay Mark and save my time to jam with my son. I did rewire my 1976 marshall cabinet (all original) and that was about as much fun soldering & cursing as i would like...for some of us It's better to leave it to the pro's!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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