[Les Cargill[_4_]]

Ralph Barone wrote:
Mike Rivers wrote:
On 11/12/2018 10:03 AM, Ty Ford wrote:

As I've mentioned before, pre 2000, myself and two other recording type
found differences in mic cables at Flite Three in Baltimore. GAC-3,
Belden (don't recall the number) and EMT (still have a length of it sent
to me by Gerry Graham of Gotham sound along with the M71 Gefell mic.

We were simultaneously excited and dismayed. We all agreed on the nature
of the differences.

When you throw a mic and preamp into the mix you have too many
interactive variables.

It would be interesting to do a null test on mic cables with a preamp in
line. Even with two channels of the same preamp and same cables it would
be unlikely that you'd get a perfect null, so I'd suggest a test like this:

Test an ordinary cable along side an ordinary cable plus preamp and
learn (or record) the sound with the best null you can get. Then start
substituting boutique cables and lengths of zip cord, whatever, for the
cable between the source and the preamp and listen for differences.

The results will almost certainly differ with a different preamp, and
whether the source is inductive, capacitive, or resistive.


The one thing that wasn't discussed in Ethan's video was source impedance.

It rather was discussed - most sources these days are pretty lo-Z.
Anything with an RCA almost certainly will be.

I seem to recall there being an adjustment on one of his boxes for
impedance, but he didn't spin that dial during the tests. If your source
impedance is low enough, wire should just be wire. However if both source
and load impedances are very high, then differences in the shunt parasitic
elements of the cable might be audible (guitar cables).

They might be and they might not be. If it matters, buffer it or
select cables more carefully. The worst case is some sort of peizo
and there are several good DI solutions for that.

A lot of people like GeorgeL cables but I can't tell the difference
myself in practice.

Similarly, if your
load impedance is very low, then series parasitical may cause audible
effects (ie: trying to run a 2 ohm cabinet via 200' of Cat 5).


Doctor, doctor, it hurts when I do that....

--
Les Cargill