| Author |
Message |
Lincoln J. King-Cliby
Guest
|
 Posted:
Sun Nov 21, 2004 9:56 am Post subject:
How important is one connection / Using DB-9s for Audio |
|
|
Hi all,
One more question from me for now: How much difference does one
(properly soldered, free of corosion/crud) connection make to audio
quality?
Next question: How much would said connection affect audio quality if
that connector, instead of an XLR, was a DB-9 (9-pin computer
connection -- i.e. serial port) connector with three balanced audio
lines on it?
I'm pre-building a rack for a mostly-permanant installation. All of
the other low-voltage (primarially video over twisted pair, TTL logic,
RS-232, and infared) is being terminated on a set of DB-9 connectors
so that I can dress all of the cables in the rack and also to allow
future removal of the rack for service if necessary.
Speaker connections (70V) are going to be made with a Speakon
connector... So the only connections I'm left with are the three mic
jacks in the room. Plan (A) was to just bring them into the rack after
the rack is installed and redress the bundle that includes these
cables, but since I have plenty of DB-9s, if there would be
minimal-to-no impact it would make my life very easy if I could dress
these cables into the bundle now and join them to the facility wiring
like all of the other cable leaving the rack...It also means that if
the rack ever had to be removed no zipties would have to be cut to do
it.
If this were any other room on campus, I would just do this without
worrying much at all about this, but I am trying to build this
particular room (with a budget 5 times our normal room budger) with a
cut-absolutely-no-corners philoposhy as far as signal quality is
concerned.
Thanks again!
Lincoln
|
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Mike T.
Guest
|
| Posted:
Sun Nov 21, 2004 1:51 pm Post subject:
Re: How important is one connection / Using DB-9s for Audio |
|
|
On 20 Nov 2004 20:56:26 -0800, chsvideo@hotmail.com (Lincoln J.
King-Cliby) wrote:
| Quote: | Hi all,
One more question from me for now: How much difference does one
(properly soldered, free of corosion/crud) connection make to audio
quality?
|
No difference, until something fails or gets dirty.
| Quote: |
Next question: How much would said connection affect audio quality if
that connector, instead of an XLR, was a DB-9 (9-pin computer
connection -- i.e. serial port) connector with three balanced audio
lines on it?
|
I have used DB-9 and DB-25 connectors with gold-plated crimp pins for
audio. They have been used on many pieces of pro audio equipment. They
should not be used where they will be frequently connected and
disconnected, because they are (mostly) rated for a limited number of
mating cycles; usually 100 to 250. If it gets disconnected every day,
it might not last a year. But in an application where they are rarely
disconnected, and not exposed to moisture, they will perform for a
long time.
Mike T. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Arny Krueger
Guest
|
| Posted:
Sun Nov 21, 2004 5:01 pm Post subject:
Re: How important is one connection / Using DB-9s for Audio |
|
|
"Lincoln J. King-Cliby" <chsvideo@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:45fa70e4.0411202056.2c24dfed@posting.google.com
| Quote: | Hi all,
One more question from me for now: How much difference does one
(properly soldered, free of corosion/crud) connection make to audio
quality?
|
None that is audble, as a rule there is not even a difference in
transmission that is measurable using the most sensitive availble equipment.
| Quote: | Next question: How much would said connection affect audio quality if
that connector, instead of an XLR, was a DB-9 (9-pin computer
connection -- i.e. serial port) connector with three balanced audio
lines on it?
|
DB-series connectors have a long happy track record as high quality audio
connectors. For example some of the highest quality audio interfaces
around - those by Lynx Studio - use DB-series connectors to attach XLR plugs
to the PCI cards.
| Quote: | I'm pre-building a rack for a mostly-permanant installation. All of
the other low-voltage (primarially video over twisted pair, TTL logic,
RS-232, and infared) is being terminated on a set of DB-9 connectors
so that I can dress all of the cables in the rack and also to allow
future removal of the rack for service if necessary.
|
You do well if you do not use the same type of connector for different
purposes. Your application seems to be following this rule.
| Quote: | Speaker connections (70V) are going to be made with a Speakon
connector... So the only connections I'm left with are the three mic
jacks in the room.
|
Putting them on a unique DB-9 connector seems like a good idea. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Jason Lavoie
Guest
|
| Posted:
Sun Nov 21, 2004 10:03 pm Post subject:
Re: How important is one connection / Using DB-9s for Audio |
|
|
On 20 Nov 2004 20:56:26 -0800, chsvideo@hotmail.com (Lincoln J.
King-Cliby) wrote:
| Quote: | Hi all,
One more question from me for now: How much difference does one
(properly soldered, free of corosion/crud) connection make to audio
quality?
Next question: How much would said connection affect audio quality if
that connector, instead of an XLR, was a DB-9 (9-pin computer
connection -- i.e. serial port) connector with three balanced audio
lines on it?
I'm pre-building a rack for a mostly-permanant installation. All of
the other low-voltage (primarially video over twisted pair, TTL logic,
RS-232, and infared) is being terminated on a set of DB-9 connectors
so that I can dress all of the cables in the rack and also to allow
future removal of the rack for service if necessary.
Speaker connections (70V) are going to be made with a Speakon
connector... So the only connections I'm left with are the three mic
jacks in the room. Plan (A) was to just bring them into the rack after
the rack is installed and redress the bundle that includes these
cables, but since I have plenty of DB-9s, if there would be
minimal-to-no impact it would make my life very easy if I could dress
these cables into the bundle now and join them to the facility wiring
like all of the other cable leaving the rack...It also means that if
the rack ever had to be removed no zipties would have to be cut to do
it.
If this were any other room on campus, I would just do this without
worrying much at all about this, but I am trying to build this
particular room (with a budget 5 times our normal room budger) with a
cut-absolutely-no-corners philoposhy as far as signal quality is
concerned.
Thanks again!
Lincoln
|
there's nothing wrong with that, but if you're cutting
"absolutely-no-corners" why not just put some XLR connectors on the
back of the rack?
three connectors won't break the bank. and then you'll have a test
point where you could plug in a mic to rule out half of the wiring in
the event of a failure.
at the very least you should make sure you reverse the gender of that
connector so that you don't accidentally get 5V logic into your mic
inputs.
Jason |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in