Considering PA Systems: Wiring Edition③

The PA system overhaul I've been considering since the end of last year is now complete. In short, I’ve completely revamped the wiring system.

Before diving into the main content, I’d be grateful if you could read the previous blog posts:

• Considering the PA System – Wiring Edition
• Considering the PA System – Wiring Edition⓶

In this post, I took concepts from those entries and put them into action, and I tested the new setup in a live environment.
First, here are the newly introduced pieces of equipment.

All the gear I had listed and considered in the previous blogs has now been assembled.

Tried using it on site

To mount everything into the rack alongside the mixer, I based the setup around the CAX812 and CAX822 and prepared patch cables for 16 channels.

CLASSIC PRO / CAX812: 4ch (female) + 4ch (male)

CLASSIC PRO / CAX822: 4ch (male) + 4ch (male)

Although the wiring may appear tangled, once it’s all connected, there's no need to touch it again, so it’s nice and compact and neatly organized.
I shortened the CLASSIC PRO MIX010 microphone cable (1m XLR cannon, white) to 50 cm, then I added the CXL1B and CXL2B connectors to make two separate cables from one.

CLASSIC PRO / MIX010 White microphone cable 1m XLR cannon

CLASSIC PRO / CXL1B

CLASSIC PRO / CXL2B

The cables are grouped in sets of four channels using different colors to make connections and storage more intuitive and visually clear.
It’s a good idea to vary the color and length of your patch cables according to the equipment you’re using.

Wiring to the stage

Cabling was done from the CAX812 and CAX822 on the mixer side to the BDF104L and BDM104L on the stage side.
The cables used for the connection were the DRJ115 and DRJ110, with lengths of 15m and 10m respectively. These were more than sufficient for venues where the PA booth is located at the side of the stage, allowing for generous routing.
For AUX sends, since the power amp was located close to the mixer this time, cables of 2m or 3m should be sufficient. However, if you're using powered monitors or if the monitor power amp is far from the PA booth, I recommend using longer cables.

CLASSIC PRO / BDF104L Multi-Cable Box

CLASSIC PRO / BDM104L Multi-Cable Box

CLASSIC PRO / DRJ115

CLASSIC PRO / DRJ110

Microphone Cable Connection

Microphone cables were connected to the BDF104L units placed on stage.
This time, three multi-cable boxes were installed — stage right, stage left, and at the DJ booth. These boxes did not get in the way at all. Cable routing on stage became more compact, and there were no issues with tangled cables or interference with equipment placement, which helped reduce stress overall.
As for the sound quality which is crucial, there was no noticeable noise or signal degradation, and operation felt exactly as it should be, so there were no problems at all.

Summary

I ran the PA for three days using the new wiring system, and to sum it up — I’m extremely satisfied.
First of all, the speed of setup and teardown changed dramatically. Previously, I had to extend and coil each long cable from the PA booth one by one, and even when cables weren't in use, they still had to be laid out.
By installing multi-cable boxes for every 4 channels, setup time was cut down to one-fourth of the time. Unused channels can simply be removed, allowing more stage space.
Also, cable lengths that used to be 15m or 20m were now replaced by cables of just 2m to 5m, making transitions between performers faster. This is a huge advantage when operating the stage with a small crew.
For those running PA at a similar scale, I highly recommend this wiring system.