Cable Fundamentals for Live Production: DMX, Power & Networking
In professional live production environments—concerts, festivals, club nights, corporate events—the backbone of any rig is not just the fixtures and gear you see, but the cabling infrastructure beneath it. When you organise equipment for lighting, sound and networked control, understanding the differences between DMX cables, power cables and Ethernet cables becomes vital. Combined into your suite of pro audio cables, these cable types enable control, energy and data in perfect sync. This article provides a structured, informative overview of each cable type, their role, key specifications, installation best-practices and how you can choose wisely for your production. The role of each cable type DMX control-cables DMX (specifically DMX512) is the standard for controlling stage lighting and effects. It carries digital control signals—such as intensity, color, movement—from a lighting console to fixtures. The cable specification calls for a shielded twisted-pair with 120 ohm impedance ...