making multi-pair cable

[seeabove]

Hello all - I have a quick question.

I came into some mogami multi cable. I'm putting some trs connectors on both ends and I came across something weird. There is an insulated hot wire, an insulated cold wire and a ground wire. But then there is braided copper shielding wrapped around all three. Should I solder this copper shielding to ground at either end of the cable? Or should I just cut it and let it remain unconnected?

Thanks in advance.

[Professor]

It's a shield drain wire, and since it is making contact with the braid you could just simply cut back the braid and solder, or twist the whole bunch together. It would really depend on which brand of TRS connector you're using. Those nice top-line Neutrik ones with the big metal plate are tough to heat up on their own and tougher with lots of wire to heat up as well - so maybe it's easiest to cut back the braid. But if you're using Switchcraft, Canare, or the lower-model Neutrik, then I usually like to but back the drain, squeeze the strain-relief fins in around the braid, and solder the fins & braid closed.
With XLR connectors some guys will solder the drain to pin-1 and the braid to the shell... or vice-versa. Since the two are making conductive contact it really wouldn't matter, although it's kind of a nod to the concept of separating chassis grounds and audio grounds - which ain't done too much inside the gear anyway.

Either way, pick the way to terminate that will be easy, without sacrificing what would be the most durable or the most effectively shielded.

-Jeremy