Basic info needed - sorry!

[Eee-jut]

S'up Slutz?

I've been pointed in the direction of this forum to get some basic tips on the re-wire of my humble home studjo - sorry but this is basic stuff

1) can power cables sit happily next to audio cables - does the 'lectricity in the power cables cause some kind of problems with interference - balanced/unbalanced matter

2)Can i plug balanced gear into unbalanced? - apart from the level difference, balanced just has a copy of the signal with phase inverted, right? - can't i just tie one of the balanced lines to ground?

3) Can i use the same cable for balanced and unbalanced (line?) gear? - if so, what do i do with the xtra wire when making a cable for unbalanced gear? - tie it to the ground?

4) does anyone know those Neutrik 1/4" jack patch panels? - any good? - can i use these to bring up everything on patches?

thanks in advance to any biters

E

[Eee-jut]

Oh yeah, in a balanced XLR connector, is the cold (connector 3) wire the phase inverted signal?

[ebeam]

http://www.rane.com/note110.html

[Tim Farrant]

Originally posted by Eee-jut 1) can power cables sit happily next to audio cables - does the 'lectricity in the power cables cause some kind of problems with interference - balanced/unbalanced matter

This is to be avoided if possible. In some cases it's hard to seperate them, but it's sensible to keep mains cables away from ANYTHING audio.

2)Can i plug balanced gear into unbalanced? - apart from the level difference, balanced just has a copy of the signal with phase inverted, right? - can't i just tie one of the balanced lines to ground?

In most cases, you can tie the cold (negative) line to the sheild at the unbalanced end. Some equipment however does not like it's output shorted, consult the users manual if you have it.

3) Can i use the same cable for balanced and unbalanced (line?) gear? - if so, what do i do with the xtra wire when making a cable for unbalanced gear? - tie it to the ground?

Yes, tie it to ground.

4) does anyone know those Neutrik 1/4" jack patch panels? - any good? - can i use these to bring up everything on patches?

1/4" jack panels are OK, however you may get problems with the Normals down the track as the contact wear out. Get a new one, not second hand !!

Hope this helps.
Tim

[Eee-jut]

Thanx alot for those replies

Yes, it's going to be hard to seperate the power cables from the audio ones, but i'm going to try!

Best to all

E

[Eee-jut]

Oohh, actually, just another quickie:

How do y'all feel about bringing AES digital gear up on an XLR patchbay - good idea or do i need some sort of digital routing box?

[Tim Farrant]

Patching AES as you suggest is fine, but it does pay to use the correct 110 ohm type cable. In the past I've done installs with the AES on a bantam patchbay and it did not seem to cause any problems.

Another thing with the mains wiring, if the cables cross the audio cables at right angles rather than run alongside, that would be preferable.

Tim.