Concepts & signal flow
Cable types & signal flow help
The Cable types & signal flow questions live-event techs bring to Ask Roadie most (also called cable test, cabling, HDMI cable, SDI cable). Pick your symptom, or describe your own in plain words, and get the likeliest fix first, with the manual page when there is one.
Common Cable types & signal flow questions
What techs run into most, and what's usually behind it. The step-by-step fix for your exact topic is in Ask Roadie.
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HDMI 2.0 vs 2.1 — bandwidth, resolutions, and how far can I run it?
Short answer: HDMI is high-rate TMDS/FRL over copper; loss rises with rate and length, so passive runs are short.
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I get hum/buzz on a long audio run — balanced vs unbalanced?
Short answer: Common-mode rejection on a balanced pair cancels induced noise; unbalanced lines have nothing to cancel against, so hum grows with length and proximity to power.
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My lights flicker/strobe randomly when I use a mic (XLR) cable for DMX
Short answer: DMX512 is RS-485 digital data.
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What do 3G / 6G / 12G-SDI actually mean and which cable do I need?
Short answer: Higher bit rate = higher frequencies = more loss per meter and more sensitivity to impedance bumps.
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What Ethernet cable/switch do I need for Dante (or other AV-over-IP audio)?
Short answer: Dante is standard Layer-2/3 Ethernet with tight timing (PTP).
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Which adapter/direction issues bite people (HDMI/DP/SDI/analog)?
Short answer: Matching direction and level avoids dead links and damaged inputs.
Not on the list? Describe it your way, or paste the error code off the display. Ask Roadie works the problem with you until it's fixed or you have a clear next move.
How Ask Roadie helps with Cable types & signal flow
- 1. Pick Cable types & signal flow. It's already in the list.
- 2. Describe what you're seeing. In your own words, or the error code off the screen.
- 3. Get the likeliest fix first. Steps in order, the manual page when there is one, and a note when other techs have confirmed it.
- 4. Still broken? Tap 👎 and it keeps going from where you left off.