Backbone/ELCO snake..where to buy?

[JohnyJoe]

Hi!
I'm seriously thinking to buy a Manley Backbone... Anybody dissagree
with the Backbone?
Anybody knows where to buy a short pair of ELCO-XLR snare?

Thanks in advance!

jj

[Cellotron]

The Backbone is great - I'm very glad I got one.
I had Redco make my snakes - good price (about half of what Manley lists the Rapco stuff for), they made it in the materials I wanted (Mogami, Neutrik gold), and the turn was really quick (about a week).

Redco Audio

Best regards,
Steve Berson

[RedTuxedo]

I bought a Backbone and requested the D-Sub connectors. No issues and very easy to find cables.

I love mine. What are the advantages of the ELCO connectors?

[JohnyJoe]

Great!
I'll go for a pair of them.
Any sugestion about the length?
All my units are in the racks of a plan A from sterling modular.
Thanks a lot

[JohnyJoe]

Originally Posted by Cellotron

The Backbone is great - I'm very glad I got one.
I had Redco make my snakes - good price (about half of what Manley lists the Rapco stuff for), they made it in the materials I wanted (Mogami, Neutrik gold), and the turn was really quick (about a week).

Redco Audio

Best regards,
Steve Berson

Steve,
wich details you give to Redco people? I don't find the ELCO's in the "design your own cable".
The correct will be 16 channels (each snake)one side ELCO and the other 8 Female XLR and 8 Male XLR no?
I don't know how to build it at the Redco page.
Thanks again

[JohnyJoe]

Originally Posted by RedTuxedo

I bought a Backbone and requested the D-Sub connectors. No issues and very easy to find cables.

I love mine. What are the advantages of the ELCO connectors?

I don't know!
I was thinkind ELCO was the only way to connect the Backbone.
Where you bought the D-Sub? It's cheapest than ELCO's?

[Cellotron]

Originally Posted by JohnyJoe

Steve,
wich details you give to Redco people? I don't find the ELCO's in the "design your own cable".
The correct will be 16 channels (each snake)one side ELCO and the other 8 Female XLR and 8 Male XLR no?
I don't know how to build it at the Redco page.
Thanks again

Don't bother with the online order form - the Backbone cables are not listed there. Just email them or phone them and let them know you want two ELCO to XLR snakes in the Manley Backbone pinout configuration. You can get these made in any length you wish - just tell them what you want and they'll get you a quote on it. They've made a few of these already but if there's a question about it there's pinout info on page 19 in the pdf manual available for download at http://www.manleylabs.com/PDF/PRO_Ma...o/bbmanual.pdf

I dealt with Chris Stubbs at Redco - definitely a good guy - just tell him I sent ya.

Best regards,
Steve Berson

[Cellotron]

Originally Posted by JohnyJoe

I don't know!
I was thinkind ELCO was the only way to connect the Backbone.
Where you bought the D-Sub? It's cheapest than ELCO's?

You need 4 D-SUB to XLR snakes in the "Digidesign" pinout configuration - such as the one here - Digidesign DigiSnake 9940-29645-00 | Sweetwater.com

It might end up being cheaper than ELCO but I'd suggest getting quotes first.

Best regards,
Steve Berson

[Cellotron]

Originally Posted by RedTuxedo

I bought a Backbone and requested the D-Sub connectors. No issues and very easy to find cables.

I love mine. What are the advantages of the ELCO connectors?

2 snakes instead of 4 (which might be an advantage or disadvantage depending on the way you have things setup). A little more space to have a tiny bit thicker cable possibly.

Best regards,
Steve Berson

[JohnyJoe]

Great!
I'll contact them soon.

Amazing help

[RedTuxedo]

I'm selling my Backbone. I'll get one again in the future. It's in the classifieds, but there are so few looking for mastering consoles in general, I hope it's ok to mention it here if anyone is interested.

[WBM]

How it's possible than a mastering engineer can't built a simple elco to xlr.
the mastering world turn out to be with people than don't know this job and try to do it.

[JohnyJoe]

Originally Posted by WBM

How it's possible than a mastering engineer can't built a simple elco to xlr.
the mastering world turn out to be with people than don't know this job and try to do it.

Time

[Cellotron]

Originally Posted by WBM

How it's possible than a mastering engineer can't built a simple elco to xlr.
the mastering world turn out to be with people than don't know this job and try to do it.

100% agree with you. So - who makes the better ELCO snake - Bob Ludwig, Bernie Grundmann or Greg Calbi??

Seriously - I've known quite a few engineers who have very limited electronics assembly skills who can dial in great sounding results that stand up to the best of them. I'd say just because someone knows how to use a crimper doesn't make them a good at making processing decisions - and visa versa. However I do agree with you that it's a very good idea to know how to solder and assemble cables and deal with basic electronics trouble shooting so that if any problems come up during a session you can take care of them yourself.

fwiw - I've built the vast majority of the XLR cables and other cables in use here - but having dealt with how much a p.i.t.a. assembling a DB25 snake before - for my ELCO snakes I decided I'd rather pay a relatively reasonable fee just so that it would be some other persons problem, and so that I could get the cables made sooner as I had a busy session schedule at that time.

Best regards,
Steve Berson

[bobsandifer]

Originally Posted by WBM

How it's possible than a mastering engineer can't built a simple elco to xlr.
the mastering world turn out to be with people than don't know this job and try to do it.

Soldering is not hard but soldering correctly is another matter. Also.....some of us have issues that keep us from being able to hold the iron steady.

[George Necola]

we made a set of ELCO/XLR cables for the Backbone. it took us 3 hours (ordering parts, studying the pin in/out, manufacturing).

but you need the appropriate tools for doing this job right.