Question 1

What is the difference between confectioned and unconfectioned cable?

Accepted Answer

Confectioned cable is a finished product with connectors already soldered or crimped on and cut to a fixed length, ready to plug in. Unconfectioned cable is the raw cable sold as bulk material — on a spool or cut to length by the metre — without any connectors fitted. Event technicians choose unconfectioned cable when they need custom lengths, specific connector brands such as Neutrik or speakON, or particular shielding and cross-sections. Unconfectioned cable gives you full control over your cable runs, while confectioned cable saves you the work of terminating plugs yourself.

Question 2

What is the difference between shielded and unshielded cable?

Accepted Answer

The difference between shielded and unshielded cable is the presence of a conductive screen around the conductors. A shielded cable adds an aluminium foil, a braided screen or a combination of both to drain electromagnetic interference and crosstalk to earth; the screen coverage should exceed 30 % to be effective. An unshielded cable has no such screen, making it lighter and more flexible but more vulnerable to interference. In event technology, low-level audio, DMX control and data lines should be shielded, while high-level speaker cable is usually unshielded because its signal level is high enough that induced noise is negligible.

Question 3

What does unshielded mean?

Accepted Answer

Unshielded means a cable has no dedicated conductive screen surrounding its conductors. Without a foil or braided shield, an unshielded cable cannot drain external electromagnetic interference away from the signal path, so it is more susceptible to noise in electrically busy environments. Unshielded designs are common for loudspeaker cable, where the amplified signal is strong enough that interference is not a problem, and for network cable in the U/UTP format used in quiet office runs. For stages packed with dimmers, LED walls and radio links, shielded cable is the safer choice to protect signal integrity.

Question 4

What is an unshielded Ethernet cable?

Accepted Answer

An unshielded Ethernet cable, designated U/UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair), is a network cable whose twisted pairs have no additional foil or braided shield around them. The signal integrity relies purely on the twisting of the pairs, which cancels much of the induced interference. Unshielded Ethernet cable is lighter, more flexible and cheaper than shielded types, making it fine for quiet, low-interference environments. On a stage or in a rack full of power and dimmer cables, a shielded S/FTP variant is recommended instead, because it screens each pair and the whole cable against the strong electromagnetic fields typical of event technology.

Question 5

How can I fix cables invisibly to the wall?

Accepted Answer

To fix cables invisibly to the wall at an event, run them along skirting boards, door frames or the top edge of the wall where they draw less attention, and secure them with reusable cable clips, hook-and-loop ties or gentle cable trunking. On short-term event installs, colour-matched gaffer tape holds cables flat without leaving heavy residue. Always respect the cable's minimum bend radius and avoid nails or staples that pierce the jacket. Where cables must cross the floor, use a low-profile cable ramp instead so the run stays tidy and safe rather than truly hidden.

Question 6

How do I connect a LAN cable without a plug?

Accepted Answer

To connect an unconfectioned LAN cable without a pre-fitted plug, you terminate it yourself with an RJ45 connector or into a keystone module. Strip the outer jacket carefully, untwist the pairs, arrange the eight conductors according to the EIA/TIA 568A or 568B wiring scheme, and keep the same scheme at both ends. Then crimp the RJ45 plug with a calibrated crimp tool, or press the conductors into a keystone jack using an insertion tool. Finally, test the finished cable with a cable tester to confirm all eight conductors and the shield are correctly connected before use.

Question 7

What does an unconfectioned cable cost?

Accepted Answer

Unconfectioned cable at LTT is priced per metre (Preis pro lfm.) or as a full spool, so the cost depends on the cable type and cross-section. Thin DMX or microphone cable at 2x0.22 mm² starts from a few euros per metre, while heavier speaker cable and multicore cost more per metre because of the larger conductors and construction. Full 50 m or 100 m spools offer a better price per metre for stock and installation. Rubber sheathed mains cable such as TITANEX H07RN-F is likewise sold by the metre. Buying by the metre means you only pay for the length you actually need.

Question 8

Which cable should I use for DMX lighting control?

Accepted Answer

For DMX lighting control you should use dedicated DMX cable with a 2x0.22 mm² construction and a defined 110 Ω impedance, terminated with 3-pin or 5-pin XLR connectors. The 110 Ω impedance is essential for stable data transmission to moving heads and effects, especially over long runs or with many fixtures in the chain. Do not substitute standard microphone cable, which typically sits around 45–75 Ω: the impedance mismatch causes signal reflections that lead to flickering fixtures and control errors. Always choose shielded DMX cable to protect the control signal against electromagnetic interference on a busy stage.

Unfinished cables