What Microphone Cable would you recommend?

[Sacedog]

I finished reading through the Wiring Your New House 101, 102, and 103 (awesome guides BTW!!), and have a question about Mic Cable.

I have decided on Belden for all of my cable needs, as I use their TP cable a lot, and really like it. When it comes to microphone cables, however, they do not seem to have many economical options.

The Wiring Guides, suggest 22/2 shielded microphone cable. The only 22/2 SMC I can find from Belden is outrageously expensive (like $1 per foot). I did find some 24/2 belden on eBay for very cheap, and some other brands for a decent price.

What would you suggest, or what have you used?

I plan on using the cable for the keypad mics, and wiring most rooms for possible Voice Recognition in the future.

 

[pkoslow]

I've used Belden 8450 for mics and line level audio... I think you'll find it's quite affordable.

Cheers,
Paul

 

[rocco]

Hi, Sacedog, and welcome to Cocoontech.

When it comes to microphone cable, the wire gauge does not matter much. 24, 26 or even 28 gauge would work as well as 22 gauge. What the thicker gauges really add is strength, but that is not to be overlooked. The more important issue is the quality of the shield.

I have used Canaré microphone cable for the last 10 years or so. It's not cheap either, but it is very high quality. But one of the qualities you are paying for is its flexibility, which will be waisted inside a wall.

 

[Sacedog]

Thanks for the quick replies!

I don't know how I missed the 8450, but you are right; it's pretty affordable. I saw a 1000' spool for $170. Is this what you used in your house Paul? My thought to wire most of the rooms came from your setup (after checking out your website). I like the idea, but probably wont implement it until later.

The Canare looks awesome, but it is a bit out of what I was looking to spend for mic cables.

 

[pkoslow]

The 8450 is what I used in the first two homes I installed VR in. The 8450 is small in diameter and a little stiff (solid conductor) so it's easy to work with.

I ran out of the 8450 and used some 18/3 with drain/shield from a company called All Cable. It's a lot heavier wire, but was used simply because I received about 800' free, not necessarily because it's better.

Good luck with your VR implementation...

Cheers,
Paul

 

[IVB]

What type of mics are you using? The crown mic I got has an XLR connector which is 3 conductor XLR, but this is 2conductor wire. Are you using the ground wire for pin1?

Also, if i'm just doing testing and not permanent setup, any issues with using cheap CAT5 temporarily?