It is something we all use, but what is the best value? Obviously there are gold threaded this and that costing £1000 per metre, but going back down to earth what do most people use? For example on my low power imple rig I use 13A 2 core mains cable in black with XLR connectors

Gold connectors are a good idea for low level signals - i.e your turntable to mixer or Mixer to Amp leads even so go for GOLD PLATED connector based leads at around £3 - £5 rather than the 24k plated connectors priced at £30. OFC (Oxygen Free Copper) Cable is a good buy and again isn't that expensive.

13A Mains Cable is good for upto around 700 Watts. Personally I use 20A "Arctic Grade" cable, which will handle around 1000W terminated in Speakons.

The benefit of A/G cable is that it is pretty much robust and remains flexible even after 2 years of constant wrapping up etc. Being quite thick it is immune to the odd High Heel stepping on it .

It comes in either a yucky blue colour (240v) or Yellow (110v) Either type are okay for Loudspeaker Use. Personally I use the blue type since it matches the bottom of the speakons

QUOTE

Being quite thick it is immune to the odd High Heel stepping on it

Ah, at long last, me and Paula can stand up to chris!, Wearing high heels at the weekend ahh chris in your nice pink dress-LOL -bet that pic u posted pretending to be Kazz and Paula was really u-LOL

Oh Suit's u sir/madam (what ever you prefer-LOL)

Did I also mention that the thicker the cable...the easier it is to wind around certain people's necks??

QUOTE

Being quite thick it is immune to the odd High Heel stepping on it

Where-as Shaun is also quite thick and NOT Immune to being stepped on!

Do you know what, I am always amazed at the number of djs who I know who dont realise the importance of looking after their leads/cables. It baffles me that some dont realise that when they do a figure 8 round their elbow and hand with their leads that they are actually damaging them! Many years ago I had an ongoing arguement with a roadie of mine (back in the days when I used them) - I would always ask him not to figure 8 them - he insisted that it was ok to do so. Eventually, I made him take care of ONE cable and asked him to do it his way.... it didnt take very long for me to be able to show him the damage he was causing internally. We all take care of our equipment but some still overlook the leads.

QUOTE

Did I also mention that the thicker the cable...the easier it is to wind around certain people's necks??

No, I don't think so chris, you must have forgotton (eerrr....How do you spell? )

QUOTE

Where-as Shaun is also quite thick and NOT Immune to being stepped on!

Quite thick ahhh.......errrrrrr, no more like bit slower than your average.!!! im certainly not immune to being stepped on, normaly i step on other people!!!

i use a four core (2.5mm) cable - i bought 100m at a good price a while back - its really nice and flexy. this way i have the bass signal going down +1 and -1, and the mid high signal going down +2 -2 then the mid hi gets diverted in the bin to the output speakon to the mid highs - hmm - does that make sense - basically only one cable for each side of my bi-amp rig. whole cable is about 15mm thick - nice and heavy duty.

One thing ive never understood is why dont they make the arctic cable in black - i really want some to make some extra long kettle leads for my lights but i dont wanna have yellow/bright blue leads all across teh stands etc!

The cables round the arm is a tricky one - a figure of eight no - but ive coiled my cables up loosely around my arms/elbows for years and never had a lead break. Its like the tying kettle leads in knots - when i pirst started djing i used to listen to people telling me not to do it - but after a couple of hundred gigs with no problems i start to think they're being a bit paraniod.

I'm with Chris on this one...

By all means spend £8~£20 a pair on gold plated, oxygen free copper, phono leads to attach each CD-deck to your mixer, and on mixer-to-amp cables, and any Crossovers, equalisers and other "before the amp" leads...but dont worry too much about the cables that run from amp to speakers.

Your CD/Minidisc/soundcard (Line level) cables will typically be carrying very sensitive signals, peaking at a mear 775millivolts (typically), therefore a loss of perhaps 100millivolts from one end of the cable to the other is quite significant.

Losing 10 watts from a 600watt speaker cable, on the other hand isnt going to get noticed, either by the audience, or the amps protection/drive circuitry.

Similarly, its very important not to run Mains (power) cables alongside line level cables as it could easily pick up electrical interference/noise. Running mains cables alongside speaker cables hasnt given me any trouble at all - again, with all those hundreds of watts going through, a little mains cable sitting 6 inchs away isnt gonna worry it.

Kazz, do you wont to let us all into your little secret of how you look after your cables.
It could be another useful bit of knowledge i pick up on this forum.

OK, AG Mains cable it is! Thanks everyone! In addition, Ifrom time to time I hang my long bulgins to bulgins from a garage beam to help loose there natural curl!

would this work for people with curly hair as well

I loosely loop and cable tie... then I go on to brush my hair, repair any chipped nail varnish and apply more lippy! xx Dont get curls because of the way I do em! Like my knicker drawer, my leads box is always neat and tidy!!!

Your knickers are abit thinner than your speaker cables arnt' they Kazz-LOL

QUOTE (Dj SBD @ Jun 25 2003, 02:51 PM)

Your knickers are abit thinner than your speaker cables arnt' they Kazz-LOL

Karen has reached the age of:-

You cheeky young THANG!! LOL... chris, its almost worth considering coming to PLASA now just to make you pay for that one!!! I do not wear BLOOMERS but am considering 100 ways in which to use them to inflict harm upon you!!!!

Ha Ha another piccie of chris at the weekend-LOL

Least you shaved your legs-LOL

and there was I going to say your knicker drawer was only so neat cos there was nothing in it!!!!

so sin doctor! it IS you who keeps nicking my knickers... arent they a bit tight for you though! x

QUOTE

so sin doctor! it IS you who keeps nicking my knickers... arent they a bit tight for you though! x

LOL,spins been busted-LOL

Bit tight maybe.............. but oh that breeze blowing through the crutchless bit!!!!

But how good are knickers at dealing with low frequencies!!!!!!!! and can they handle 700W????????

Kazz, are you're knickers like Alton Towers.......... wait ages in get inside but once in you can have hours of fun!!!!!

Apologising now for the slight rudeness......

Somebody catch this thread quick....its falling into Oblivion....

Well fancy calling Kazz's knickers oblivion!!!!

Wasn't it something to do with cable?