Hire our Cables

XLR, DMX and network: which lead for which job

They look similar and are not interchangeable

An XLR microphone lead, a three-pin DMX lead and a network cable do different jobs and are made to different standards. The audio lead carries a tiny balanced signal and has to keep interference out; the DMX lead carries a fast data stream between the controller and the fixtures; the network cable carries whole universes of lighting data over long distances. Using the wrong one usually works for a while, then does not.

Choosing the length

• Stock lengths run from one metre for linking fixtures on a bar to twenty five metres for crossing a room.
• The fifty metre reel and the hundred metre network cable cover a venue where the control is at the back.
• Order a little more than the measurement. A cable under tension pulls on a connector and is the most common reason a channel goes quiet.
• Run cable around the edge of a room rather than across it, and take it over doorways rather than under them.

Looking after the run

• Never let a cable take weight. Support it where it crosses a gap and tape at the connector, not on the lead itself.
• Coil over and under so the cable lies flat next time and the screen does not kink.
• Terminate the last fixture in a DMX chain. The terminator set costs less than an evening of chasing flicker.
• Label the runs on a complicated rig and it will be obvious where a fault is when something stops.

Common questions

What is the difference between a DMX cable and a microphone cable?

Both can have three-pin XLR plugs, which is where the confusion starts. A DMX cable is made to carry data at the rate lighting uses; a microphone cable is not. For a short hop it usually works, but on a long run a mismatched lead shows up as flicker or a fixture ignoring its instructions.

Do I need Cat5 if I am not using a computer?

No. Cat5e is for Art-Net and other network control, where a console or a node sends lighting data down a network cable instead of a DMX line. On a simple rig the DMX leads are all you need.

Are the cables tested before they go out?

Yes — leads are tested and tagged, and anything that fails stays behind. If something misbehaves on the night, tell us: a swap is quicker than a diagnosis.