A different approach for Cat5E - Running Audio Signal

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Most of audio engineers and amateur audio enthusiasts use some sort of out board gear in order to get sound, or create sound. It is all connected via cables; most of these cables are ran through XLR balanced mic level audio signals. So why not try Cat5E? Since balanced audio helps cancel out much of the interference that would be caused by things like radio waves and power lines, shielded twisted pair cabling (like that found in Cat5e—or 'Category 5e'—cable) is not a bad choice for balanced audio signals. Granted I wouldnt use it for extremely high end studios that are using vintage gear such as a Neve console or an SSL. But for getting a lot of length for a very cheap buy, I think this is worth mentioning.

So what type of Cat5E Cable should I use?

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Since I would suggest running Line Level signal through something like this, I would suggest only running a Balanced Signal through it - Meaning we are going to need shielded cable. Here is a great product that would work perfectly for our Balanced Signal through Cat5E. We can wire this 1 of 2 ways. For the 1st method, we could run the shield to its proper position, and connect 2 pairs of 2 per connection for 1 XLR connector. And for the 2nd methond, we take the shield and split it between 2 connectors so there is a common shield, and connect the twisted pairs to the proper connections for a total of 2 XLR connectors. In conclusion to this blog, I think shielded Cat5E makes a great soltuion for running balanced signal. Would you run shielded Cat5E in your studio, or for your audio needs? Let us know in the comments below. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook.