Wiring Your Studio with Audio Over Cat5/6 (AES72/QTP/RJ45)

[aidanknight]

First post! I apologize if this has been covered in other threads, I tried searching for this exact subject but didn't find an answer.

I am working on a new studio build where I live in Western Canada. 650-750 sq ft, 2 iso rooms (100-ish sq feet each). ISO1 is a drum room with 12 channels of audio + 1-2 HP boxes (probably the Behringer P16 system), ISO2 is a piano and vocals room with 8 channels of audio + 1 HP. 24 channels of audio in the MAINROOM (synths, CP70, misc mic lines, etc). Another 4 channels of audio in the tiled bathroom bc why not! Reverb! So, 48 Channels of audio total coming back to the desk/patchbay.

I would like to run the wiring over CAT5/6 cables (4 analog channels per Cat5), which I hear from many festival FOH folks are great for long cable runs. Plus the Behringer system uses RJ45 connections. Plus I can send video (maybe to a monitor with lyrics/arrangements for performers) and digital signals in general, from what I understand.

I have a few questions:

1. I want to run cabling through the floor, which allows me to avoid punching holes in my walls. What is considered best practice? PVC conduit? Or something shielded?
2. Could I run digital signals alongside analog? Power will run through the floor as well, so I have two chases where I can put cables.
3. Should I install XLR boxes in the rooms (like the Sound Tools WallCAT) or leave them as RJ45 outlets and use smaller portable breakout boxes (like the Sound Tools CAT Tails)?
4. My interface is only 24 channels, not 48 - Could I use a RJ45 patchbay to patch groups of 4 to my patchbay (DB25)?. For example, ISO1 XLR 1-4 + ISO1 XLR 5-8 + ISO2 XLR 1-4 > PATCHBAY 1-12.
5. What are my options to convert the RJ45/Ethercon to DB25? I've found a few computer networking parts that fit the description but I have no idea if they will work for DB25 audio wiring (probably Tascam)

Really appreciate any insights from anyone who's installed analog audio over CAT5/6 in their studio. Thanks for reading!

[gullfo]

the answer to your questions is effectively yes.

the conduit can be PVC, or shielded if you can afford it. more likely to use the shielded version if you're running analog. running through the floor (as-in under the floor joists or in the concrete) works. if not, running the conduit into the space above the room can work - make sure to decouple either way to ensure the conduit doesn't directly connect the inner isolation mass with the exterior isolation mass. a rubber coupler section does the trick.

use a hyper-twisted cable type for best isolation. CAT-7 or better.

if you're using XLR in the rooms, i'd use an XLR panel, if you're using digital heads, the RJ-45. if both, then both

the terminations of the cables - break out the soldering iron and the pin-out diagrams. test thoroughly. there are likely some adapter cables available for common devices so do some research there.

[aidanknight]

the answer to your questions is effectively yes.

the conduit can be PVC, or shielded if you can afford it. more likely to use the shielded version if you're running analog. running through the floor (as-in under the floor joists or in the concrete) works. if not, running the conduit into the space above the room can work - make sure to decouple either way to ensure the conduit doesn't directly connect the inner isolation mass with the exterior isolation mass. a rubber coupler section does the trick.

Excellent. I've been doing some additional research and the cost/benefit ratio seems to point towards PVC as the CAT-5/6/7 shielding is quite good.

And as for soldering, I am mentally preparing myself for that stage. I guess I will learn how to do that more efficiently as I go

[Sinclair]

And as for soldering, I am mentally preparing myself for that stage. I guess I will learn how to do that more efficiently as I go

We got a quote of $2450 to install the wiring in our garage studio so we're doing it ourselves.
My son designed it, We have 2 iso booths a live room and control room. His design maximizing the recording options. A 40lb box of cables showed up today. We star soldering tomorrow.
We'll use a narrow PVC through one double wall into the live room panel, and a larger PVC into the CR.
I understand stuffing that with left over sound insulation is helpful. All cables will run in a narrow trough against the baseboard that will be almost invisible.