Classic starquad UP SPOFC microphone cable

Van Damme Classic starquad is used for balanced analogue audio applications in areas of high electronic interference. It has better rejection of EMI (electromagnetic interference) and RFI (radio frequency interference) than conventional twisted pair microphone cables, and is the analogue standard for the outside broadcast industry. In addition the tightly packed construction and 98% coverage braided screen used by Van Damme for this cable make for a mechanically excellent cable more than capable of standing up to the rigours of OB use.

Materials
This cable now uses a mixture of Ultra Pure Silver Plated Oxygen Free Copper and Ultra Pure Oxygen Free Copper for its conductors. As with the ultra pure oxygen free copper used in other Van Damme Cables ‘solderability’ and conductivity are much improved. The additional advantage of UPSPOFC is that silver is approximately 5% less resistive than copper. High frequencies, which gravitate to the outside of the conductor due to the skin effect, are conducted slightly more efficiently than the lower frequencies which tend to saturate the UPOFC conductor. In addition silver is less susceptible to corrosion than copper and so the plating offers a protective barrier between the conductor and the insulation or free air.

Cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) is used for the conductor insulation. Although considerably more expensive than conventional polyethylene it offers distinct advantages over other insulation materials. XLPE has a low dielectric constant (2.2 at 1KHz), essential for minimising high frequency signal losses, and is stable at high temperatures. This temperature stability ensures that the insulation material resists shrink back during the soldering process. It has good abrasion and stress-cracking resistance yet remains flexible down to - 40 degrees C. XLPE also is less environmentally damaging than other insulation materials as it releases carbon dioxide and water during combustion with no halogen emission. The term starquad refers to the construction method used for this type of cable.

Four insulated conductors are tightly twisted together with natural textile fillers and overlaid with an anti-static paper separator. The overall braided screen uses 128 strands of 0.10mm tinned copper giving 98% coverage and unsurpassed screening and mechanical strength. The overall jacket is anti abrasion PVC/neoprene composite which is tough yet flexible even in sub zero temperatures. The four inner conductors of this cable are colour coded white (2) and blue (2). To maximise the cable’s resistance to interference the 2 white conductors should both be connected to the hot (+ve) signal and the 2 blue conductors should both be connected to the cold (-ve) signal.

Applications
• Microphone and line level analogue balanced audio use, especially longer runs
• For use in electrically harsh environments (proximity to lighting circuits and rheostats for example) and mechanically harsh environments
• The standard microphone cable for the outside broadcast industry
• 10 colours available for application specific coding