From inSync reader Don H:
| "My question concerns organizing the various cables in a studio. Even with a few pieces of equipment, there can be a lot of cables to juggle. I recently organized my cables through paper towel and gift wrap cardboard rolls. The result was more hum and noise. Are there certain restrictions when considering this, i.e., can power cables, monitor cables, midi cables, instrument/mic cables, speaker cables, etc. be put close together in the same ‘tube’, or should certain types not be put near others to avoid interference? What about keeping stereo left/right cables separated?" |
Thanks for the question, Don! How you physically route your cables will definitely make a difference in the hum and noise levels in your studio. As a very general rule, it is best to keep cables that carry signals needing amplification away from those that do not. It is also best to keep cables that can create strong electromagnetic fields away from other cables. More specifically:
- Power cables can generate a ton of electromagnetic energy, and will induce noise into audio lines. Keep them separate from everything else. If you must cross power cables with audio cables, do so at a 90 degree angle. Also be wary of close proximity between large transformers (like in computer monitors, computers, power amplifiers, and most power supplies) and audio lines.
- Data cables can create problems in nearby cables that carry low level audio signals (mic, instrument and line levels).
- MIDI lines generally don’t create serious problems. If you have a problem with them, a small amount of separation should solve it.
- Speaker cables are not too susceptible to interference, nor do they create many problems in our experience. The signal in them has already been amplified, so noise pick-up is not really an issue (this is also the reason speaker cables don’t need to be shielded).
- If you’re working in racks, try to keep all the power cables on one side, and all the audio cables on the other. If you have more than one rack side-by-side, watch out for interaction between cables in the different racks.
- In "desktop" situations, we’ve had good luck running power cables on the floor, and attaching audio cables under the desktop. This keeps them fairly well separated.
- We try to keep computer and "data" equipment isolated from audio cables as much as possible. This also helps keep data cable runs as short as possible (always a good thing).
As a final note, the quality of shielding in cables varies tremendously (see WFTD “shield” for more on this) – well-shielded, high-quality cables are more expensive, but trust us, they are worth every additional penny!