Double Bass Balanced cable length from preamp to amp

[John Le Guyader]

I tried to search for this and found some individual posts that touch on the topic, but mostly I found discussions on cable length from pickup to hpf to preamp, not preamp to amp. Maybe my search wasn't very good.

Is there any general rule of thumb on cable length from preamp output to amp input? I am using balanced xlr to trs or trs to trs cables to run the preamp to a powered MAS 18 with an ice amp and a female trs input jack.

Its nice to have the preamp close to where you play for quick adjustment, so that might mean up to a 10 ft. run to the amp, but usually less distance than that. What might be too long?

 

[cheapbasslovin]

Balanced circuits are designed to be run a long way without taking on noise. I don't know the exact figures, but if you're anywhere close to guitar cable lengths, you're fine.

 

[DoubleMIDI]

With balanced cables (and balanced output and input) you can run cables very long. The output impedance of a preamp is low compared to a piezo, so no microphonic cable, the balance (if it is really there, I have seen mics with a an XLR output connector that had the inverted pin connected to ground) keeps noise entering the cable low.

10 meters are no problem, even more.

But be aware that when one side uses the cable only unbalanced by putting one signal to ground or ignoring the inverted input, then you have an unbalanced transmission (on a balanced cable with balanced connectors). But even then three to five meters should be no problem with an avarage quality cable.