Installing cable and socket for an electronic organ console
April 2018
Overview:
Digital organ console cable
In the church of Saint-Boniface (Sint-Bonifatiuskerk) in Alphen-on-Rhine (Alphen aan den Rijn), in 2015 a second console was installed by Pels en Van Leeuwen on the church floor. The signal of the playing of the console is digitized by custom electronics and transmitted via a network cable to a receiver board in the old main console on the organ gallery.
On request of the church council, I made a much longer organ cable and installed a wall socket on the base of a pillar so that the cable path was more convenient. Since we designed the new interior of the church in 2008, the everyday use of the space has shifted. The planned choir organ was not built (I hope it will be in the near future!) and the choir was seated on the floor in front of the high altar, just behind the reinstalled communion railing, instead of in the side aisle near the Saint Joseph altar.
With the fifteen meter long cable, it is also possible to move the console to in front of the altar podium for organ or choir concerts.
Before the cable could be made, I had to assure to what cabling and connectors are used. They are RJ45 connectors with solid Neutrik shells and Cat 5e network cable.
I used a braided sleeve to accomodate for a mains power lead as well.
Digital organ console wall socket
To make a new wall socket, I had to cut the existing network cable. There was no additional length as the cable was tied to the pillar and laid into the floor between the tiles.
I relied on the common wiring of network cable, but to my huge surprise, the network cable was not only not wired conventionally, but also did not contain twisted pairs! Apparently the maker relied completely on the shielding of the 50m+ cable to prevent interference from deteriorating the signal. Therefore, it became very difficult to match each of the four white leads to the coloured signal leads.
The existing socket was wired in an uncommon way.
As it turned out, I initially made an error in wiring the new socket, sometimes leading to interference in the signal. In the end we traced down the connections and we now have the new connection operating flawlessly.
The sturdy RJ45 connection was installed in an aluminium housing, also to prevent interference. It was sprayed black and mounted on the pillar base with respect for the historical substance of this gothic revival monument, of course!!
Kind regards,
Rens Swart