XLR microphone cable for DMX512

[MarkA]

I think this is adequately related to audio, as it has to do with audio cabling. Though not an audio application. So if the mods don't like it, tell me and delete it. Anyways, if it is okay, my question is simple - do you believe microphone cable can be used to reliably carry a DMX512 lighting console signal (assuming a 3-pin connection is all your board needs, as some boards use the unused pins on the standard DMX-512 5-pin XLR for diagnostics). I know a person who says it's okay. I say it's unreliable. I say, use the proper data cable, or at least CAT5. So I want to ask the audience!

[Steve Mehs]

I don't know, I guess you could always try it. At school our old board used a 5 pin connection, I have no clue what our new stuff, that we got two months ago uses. We must have over 500' of XLR cable in one of the storage closets, the stuff comes in handy.

How many channels does the board your using have? (Not that it makes a difference, I'm just wondering. :)

[Steve Mehs]

That light board you posted a link to is SWEET! Now if only my school could afford it :)

At school our old board was 2 scene with 36 separate channels (72 total obviously). Now we have a 96 channel 1 scene board with 18 submasters, you can program in macro's, que's, chases and all that other stuff. Both boards have VGA out, but with the new one it's almost a must to use an external monitor at all times. Our house lights are controlled by a separate unit that does 25,50,75 and 100% one touch fade in/outs. The new system is quite nice!

The new sound system is kickass, one little itsy bitsy problem though. It's mono! :mad: We have a dual tape deck, 5 disc CD changer, 2 amps, a 12 or 15 band equalizer, and the receivers for 6 wireless mics all crammed into one component rack. But still lack stereo capability. There are 4 speakers, 2 on built into each wall, plus 2 'monitor' or aux speakers on stage so folks who are speaking/singing can hear themselves.

Our whole auditorium was redone over the past few months. New stage, all new seats, new paint, sound clouds on the celling and padding on the wall to help with the acoustics. I almost never touch the sound stuff, I'm the lighting guy :) In the back of the aud where the light and sound equipment is a booth where we sit, everything is it that booth, last year all we had was a lousy old table from the cafeteria that was falling apart.

[Richard King]

Soundcraft has been a great name in audio consoles for many years. They are now owned by Harmon International, along with half the professional audio industry. I sold a ton of Soundcraft when I was in the pro audio business, in all varieties of price ranges. The one that you like appears to be one of their first dedicated live theater consoles, although Soundcraft consoles have been used for years in many live concert situations. As I am sure you are aware, a dedicated theater console has different requirements than a concert type console. Dedicated theater consoles were very expensive and rare when I was in the business (the most popular one was made in Canada, eh), so when I had a customer looking for such a product I would have to either have them boost the budget or be creative with a standard multibuss studio console and outboard submixers to provide the necessary matrix mixes required in a performing arts theater application. I have some pix of a console that I put together for the University of Minnesota Duluth theater department around here somewhere. If I find some time in the next day or so I will scan them and post them here.

I don't know enough about lighting consoles to advise you on your question, but I would suspect that if the console uses only 3 conductors and you can figure out how those 3 conductors are wired, that you can adapt the XLR-3 to the purpose.

[Richard King]

Here's that UMD console. It is made from a Tascam 512 12x8 mixing console, providing 8 discreet outputs. Those 8 outs go into a series of four Tascam Model One 8x2 line mixers. Each of the outputs of the four Model One's feeds a speaker location in the theater allowing any signal to feed any speaker location. This was much cheaper than a dedicated theater console with an integrated matrix mixer.

[Steve Mehs]

Wow 3 stereo! I though I was one of the only ones who liked that kind of set up. Give's a nice broad sound with no matrixing of the vocals between L+R, producing a better listening experience. Wish we had that. I never realized churches gave sound and lighting equipment like that before. What is the equipment primarily used for? Do they use it during the actual Sunday sermon?

Off hand I don't remember the make of the new light board, but the old 2 scene board was an Acclaim (sp?)

The sound board is mono. Our old system was stereo though. I've been talking with the head electrician from the construction team and he said it would cost another $5K to upgrade to stereo. :( The board is really nice though. It has 30 channels, IIRC. But most arn't used. We have 6 wireless, 6 hardwired, 3 mics hanging from the ceiling and the tape deck and CD player hooked in. That's it. On the board it's self theres a 4 band equalizer, and pan and gain controls.

I used to have pics our old set up, I looked through all my CD-Rs and can't find them, I must have deleted them. But I do have pics of the catwalk, above the aud. I remember the first time I went up, It's so weird climbing a latter, that's as tall as the school. But it's really cool up there!