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I'm looking for someone with a fact based view on patch cables, connectors and shielding.

A while back I purchased some high end audio signal wire. It is fully shielded like normal guitar patch cable but it is all very thin. The wire is silver coated fine copper wire and I've used it for signal transmission elsewhere with no difference in performance to anything else.

I have to make some patch cables for my new board and I would like to use this wire as it is super thin and easy to lay out. Plus, it cost me heaps and I need to justify owning it!!

I'll post photos soon, but any issues with this approach? I intend on soldering the ends to standard plugs without the plastic bits on them. I make my own shields out of heat shrink tubing.

Just try it mate, I can't see a problem with it but I'm no expert and I have tin ears.

Your signal is going through tiny little wires in your pickups, through some solder joints to pots, then through more solder joints, across a jack, down yer cable, across another jack, and then patch cables finally come into play.

Can’t imagine they’ll do anything wrong.

continuity isn't the issue but the quality or lack of shielding may be noise inducing, only one way to really find out

Should be fine on a board where it isn't getting any abuse.

I've been running stereo mike cable around my studio/man cave for patching audio and when I actually look at the conductors etc. they're very thin, as observed elsewhere not dissimilar to the pickup wire. Most of the bulk is made up of the shielding and the rubber is there to give the whole cable protection from being kicked around/stood on/pinched etc.

I'm planning on wiring the end connectors up in a similar manner to you since I want multiple connectors (TSR and twin RCAs) the key will be getting the shielding correctly connected to reduce noise pickup.

sty wrote:I've been running stereo mike cable around my studio/man cave for patching audio and when I actually look at the conductors etc. they're very thin, as observed elsewhere not dissimilar to the pickup wire. Most of the bulk is made up of the shielding and the rubber is there to give the whole cable protection from being kicked around/stood on/pinched etc.

I'm planning on wiring the end connectors up in a similar manner to you since I want multiple connectors (TSR and twin RCAs) the key will be getting the shielding correctly connected to reduce noise pickup.

Cheers...this is what I had surmised also. The rubber is really to keep form.

GrantB wrote:
Cheers...this is what I had surmised also. The rubber is really to keep form.

That's what I've observed. Likewise I've seen some pretty substantial plastic tube that separates the conductors from the shield in the cable.

i guess that's why you don't use these signal cables for speaker cables

My Hi-Fi Speaker cables, Four conductor for Bi-Amp, are very substantial but these signal ones are really quite delicate

sty wrote: That's what I've observed. Likewise I've seen some pretty substantial plastic tube that separates the conductors from the shield in the cable.

i guess that's why you don't use these signal cables for speaker cables

Just try it like wot they said!



Instrument cable is for use with high impedance sources like guitars... it's designed reduce the lowpass filter effect caused by the inherent capacitance introduced by the cable by keeping a larger gap between the conductors. You can lower your source impedance using buffers etc, your pedals may already have them.

It will probably be designed for line level signals. It will also probably work perfectly and sound exactly the same as any other cable of the same length.

It's all been said. Quality of your assembly will be the deciding factor. Skinny cable is a bonus on Boards; it's not going to be walked on or attacked by escaping cymbals and it's easier to bend where you want it.

If you paid lots for your cable, it will probably be 'directional'. If in doubt, look at the writing on the cable. Signal flows the same way as your eyes.
Don't know, don't care whether it's snake oil or not. Following the manufacturer's design specs consistently is unlikely to be a bad thing.

on a side note this is also true of garden hoses, I always make sure I hook them up with the writing beginning at the tap.

;)

Bg wrote:Just try it mate...

This approach won’t work. I need to ask everyone on the internets.

I remember about 1000 years ago when robroy was still doing the Freedom Cables thing, he did a demo of his compared to poor quality ones and the only cable that made any discernable difference was the amp to cab one.

When I went from cheap patch cables to lava ones I had to turn the treble down on my amp, high capacitance kills the top end