John Sayers' Recording Studio Design Forum Archive

Like most people and I've read numerous sites and threads about what I am about to ask, so keep it low on the flames

If you check the "studio construction" i have a topic started stated "Little help with closet vocal booth" and it's what it states, I am changing a closet into a vocal booth. My problem is I need to run wires in and out of the vocal booth. So I am going to put a hole in each side of the wall (of course in different stud cavities on each side of the wall) and create a wall panel mount so I can just plug wires into.

I want it to be as inexpensive as I can have it, so making it myself would probably be what I want to do. Except there are SO many connectors, and different ways to do everything, and none specify what exactly to do!

Please please someone write up a how-to exactly what to buy, and how to make a basic wall mount with a few XLR and TRS (balanced of course!) connectors on each side. Male female, doesn't matter, I just need to know how to do it!

Few questions I have about this, is what type of wire to buy. Should I just buy a snake or make one my own? Should I make the front panel aluminum, or steel, or plastic? Is this actually a BOX, or is it just a panel? As you can see I am clueless! Don't forget to add some drawings PLEASE!

Well, if it's just at the house, if you're only doing a few connections, and if you want to do it on the good, but on the cheap, here's what I'd do.

Go to Radio Shack, get one of their bigger project boxes, like this. RS#270-1809

Drill holes in it for your jacks and your wire. Use Switchcraft or Neutrik Female chassis mount connectors, like the Switchcraft Y3FPC for XLR or you could use the Neutrik combo jacks for either XLR or 1/4".

If you really are running only a few lines, it might not even be worth your money to buy multipair cable, it'd just make a tighter sealing hole when you run it through the wall. Solder 'em up and you're set to go.

If you're really only doing one or two runs, you might just consider something like this. They work with a standard box and you wouldn't have to drill anything.

What type of wire?

How many connections do you need? (mic lines, headphones, etc.)

I would probably guess 2 maybe 3 mic lines? And a headphone send if you have a cue system?

I am doing actually 4 mic lines, I think I'll only use two at a time max, but the other two are just in case. More is better

And I'd like to do 2+ balanced TRS lines. Probably two only would be fine.

I have the project box I got from radioshack, I have two of them. They seem pretty decent size, I shouldn't have any problem fitting the plugs in.