anthony3_15
I need to purchase a longer set of Speaker cable, approx 50ft. What Gauge and Brand would you recommend for (2) Mackie SRM 450's???
Thanks!
Thanks!
Inviato Sun 21 Nov 10 @ 10:54 pm
DJECoast
I use Mogami Gold... they are well made with nice connectors & lifetime guarantee. Not sure what gauge they are, but I've got 3 different lengths and the longer they get the thinner they are.
50 footers go for $125 ea.
50 footers go for $125 ea.
Inviato Sun 21 Nov 10 @ 11:11 pm
Dazmax
Hi Anthony
The answer to this one realy depends on how mutch power you are prepared to loose in the cable. For example the loss in a 100ft cable of 18gauge at 4Ohms with a 350W amp. is a scary 91.1 Watts. with 6 gauge its only 6.9Watts
The clear answer is the heavier the better. At 50ft into 4Ohms and with a 500W amp 8 or 10 Gauge cable is not unreasonable. It is heavy and expensive tho!
You might want to look at getting the power amp closer to the speakers (not always practical) or a pair of amps with short speaker leads. If you realy need the speakers that far away then perhaps active units would suit. You should use the shortest and heaviest cables you can afford. As you can see it makes a major difference.
Regards
Daz
The answer to this one realy depends on how mutch power you are prepared to loose in the cable. For example the loss in a 100ft cable of 18gauge at 4Ohms with a 350W amp. is a scary 91.1 Watts. with 6 gauge its only 6.9Watts
The clear answer is the heavier the better. At 50ft into 4Ohms and with a 500W amp 8 or 10 Gauge cable is not unreasonable. It is heavy and expensive tho!
You might want to look at getting the power amp closer to the speakers (not always practical) or a pair of amps with short speaker leads. If you realy need the speakers that far away then perhaps active units would suit. You should use the shortest and heaviest cables you can afford. As you can see it makes a major difference.
Regards
Daz
Inviato Mon 22 Nov 10 @ 2:57 am
Charlie Wilson
Daz,
the SRM's are Active.
I imagine there not that powerful so I'd suggest getting a good pair of leads or you'll end up with nothing at the end of it.
PS,
I use skytronic Legend series XLR leads, I have found them to be really good quality which is suprising for Skytronic.
the SRM's are Active.
I imagine there not that powerful so I'd suggest getting a good pair of leads or you'll end up with nothing at the end of it.
PS,
I use skytronic Legend series XLR leads, I have found them to be really good quality which is suprising for Skytronic.
Inviato Mon 22 Nov 10 @ 5:54 am
DJ Andrey Seagull
Don't buy too cheap brands like Nady. They will not last long. Get LiveWire Microphone cable from Guitar Center.
Also you can buy 4 25ft cables instead and connect them together if needed. This will be more flexible.
Also you can buy 4 25ft cables instead and connect them together if needed. This will be more flexible.
Inviato Mon 22 Nov 10 @ 7:16 am
jakeintox
I've used many brands and quality levels of xlr cable to my mackies over the years, and the only difference I've noticed is that cheap cables don't last as long. As stated above, get some nice microphone cables. I recommend Whirlwind cables or Monster.
Inviato Mon 22 Nov 10 @ 4:33 pm
Caliente123
Good cable at a crazy cheap price. http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10244&cs_id=1024401&p_id=4756&seq=1&format=2
For powered speakers, You use instrument Cable. " Not speaker cables ". You use speaker cable for passive speakers. 16 gauge is good enought for most speakers because they can handle up to 1850 watts. If you are running heavy dutty speakers like the big Yorkvilles or JBL's, Then you use 14 gauge.
For powered speakers, You use instrument Cable. " Not speaker cables ". You use speaker cable for passive speakers. 16 gauge is good enought for most speakers because they can handle up to 1850 watts. If you are running heavy dutty speakers like the big Yorkvilles or JBL's, Then you use 14 gauge.
Inviato Mon 22 Nov 10 @ 7:26 pm
Dazmax
Thanks Charlie. Doh!
Missed that. The term Speaker cable seems to have become a grey area LOL.
Don't forget to factor cable length when choosing gauge for your speaker cables Caliente. The amount of usefull power delivered to your "passive speaker will depend on gauge and length. This starts to have a real effect when looking at cables 25ft or more.
Anthony. You can get cables made to mesure or buy off the shelf. Pay attention to the quality of the connectors used, I still swear by Neutrik. Check out Sommar and Klotts for good quality cable. I assume at the distance you are talking that you will use the balanced XLR type cables. Try and avoid using the jack type unbalanced cables as they can give you problems with noise and hum pick up.
Daz
Missed that. The term Speaker cable seems to have become a grey area LOL.
Don't forget to factor cable length when choosing gauge for your speaker cables Caliente. The amount of usefull power delivered to your "passive speaker will depend on gauge and length. This starts to have a real effect when looking at cables 25ft or more.
Anthony. You can get cables made to mesure or buy off the shelf. Pay attention to the quality of the connectors used, I still swear by Neutrik. Check out Sommar and Klotts for good quality cable. I assume at the distance you are talking that you will use the balanced XLR type cables. Try and avoid using the jack type unbalanced cables as they can give you problems with noise and hum pick up.
Daz
Inviato Tue 23 Nov 10 @ 1:08 am
Charlie Wilson
It's so much easier with active gear for so many different reasons, I just bought some used but as new RCF 522A's for small gigs that aren't worth getting my amp out for.
Inviato Tue 23 Nov 10 @ 5:59 am
anthony3_15
Thanks for The Input Fellas! It is much appreciated!
Inviato Mon 29 Nov 10 @ 11:21 pm