[Scott Dorsey]

Adam D wrote:
Is anyone using shielded CAT 6 or 7 cable for line level audio? I have
a job coming up where I'm flying with all my cable and would like to
save a little weight. Some cables will be up to 100m long. One idea is
to use shielded CAT 6 cable for all line level singles. This would
mean 4 lines down a single cable that's lighter then a mic cable.

Is this nuts?

You can do it but you should know:

1. the noise reduction is only as good as your inputs and outputs. If you
are using transformer coupling, you can often get away with unshielded
Cat-5 cable. If you are using typical modern electronically-balanced
stuff without common mode filters, you are very highly dependant on the
quality of the cable shielding.

2. Solid-core foil-shield cables are only good for permanent install work
and they WILL fail if you wrap them and unwrap them a lot on tour. But
they are a good choice for installed work; just make sure they have
stranded/braided pigtails for the section between the wall and the equipment.

3. Stranded Cat-5 patch cable combined with high grade transformers can be
phenomenally effective for long runs.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."