help with cables..

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giv me gear
Member Since: Jan 29, 2009

what kind of cables do i use for recording guitar with minimum noise?

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I tune down down...
Member
Since: Jun 11, 2007


Jan 31, 2009 10:19 am

Umm... Which cable to where? From your instrument to your amp? From your amp to your cab? From the amp to the direct out? Instrument into the pre?

Be more specific.

giv me gear
Member
Since: Jan 29, 2009


Jan 31, 2009 10:51 am

tell me about all!

Member
Since: Nov 24, 2008


Jan 31, 2009 12:19 pm

We use Planet Waves. Id go with planet waves, Monster, or mogami. they all come with lifetime warrenties so if they break you go get a new one. totally worth it in the long run of replacing 10 dollar high noise cables

Administrator
Since: Apr 03, 2002


Jan 31, 2009 06:09 pm

From amps to speakers use heavy gauge cable, unshielded is fine...for all signal level cables get well shielded, balanced cables if your gear has balanced outputs.

I have never found name brand to be be much better or worse than well built home made cables if you use good components.

John
Member
Since: May 06, 2007


Feb 01, 2009 10:42 am

"tell me about all!"

Dude for real? I'm not being a prick here or trying to be mean, but for real? I know that your new to recording and want to start asap and what not, but this forum is to help out a little, not give a complete crash course to everything recording related.

Trust me, I was there once as well when I first started. I wanted to know everything and learn everything within a month so I could start making great recordings. 2 years later, I am finally making decent mixes.

Trust me, all these guys are awesome help, but a lot of them are also time limited and can't teach you everything. Posting 30 questions in 10 different threads every half hour isn't going to get your questions awnsered any sooner.

When I first started posted here, I at least read a couple books and took my 10 years of playing in a band expirience with me for the basics. THis is where you could start to awnser a lot of the more simple questions, then come back here for more the technical stuff.

I would reccomend looking into the books "Home recording for dummies" and "Pc recording for dummies". Both have great startups on recording.

Again, not trying to be mean. I know the passion for recording and playing music. I live it everyday. But you'll have to have mega patience and do some self help research.

Good luck, and if you need any 1 on 1 help, I know a little about things now myself.

Administrator
Since: Apr 03, 2002


Feb 01, 2009 11:14 am

I restored the message for you rockwood...

The Czar of BS
Member
Since: Dec 31, 2007


Feb 01, 2009 01:59 pm

There is a difference between some cables out there. There is copper, and silver.

With copper, there are at least 100 brand names out there. All of them are close to the same thing. 3 conductor 22 gauge shielded cable. With around 5 major connector manufactures.

The only thing that you want to be aware of with copper, is the size and type of jacket that surrounds the 3 conductors.

I have found that you want the jacket around 1/4" or so. And you want to check to see that the cable is not install grade. Install grade has a silicon coating that is meant to be pulled through conduit. It's not the best cable to be wrapped and unwrapped in a studio.

Silver. Is the best signal to noise, and signal loss metal in existence. It's more then expensive. It's extremely expensive. And fragile. You do not want to wrap and unwrap silver. You don't even want to look at it funny. And you better have a good preamp on the other side. Or, all of the money spent on silver will be for not.

Unless your starting a TV/Major recording studio. You do not need to buy silver. Copper is the industry standard. And will be for many years to come.

The only thing that you really need to know, is the difference between balanced and unbalanced.

Unbalanced is RCA jacks, 1/4" guitar cables. These unbalanced cables only use a single 22 gauge wire, and a ground. Unbalanced cables are substitutable to outside influence. You can not run them long distances. And you should not have them anywhere near a power source. An unbalanced cable acts as an antenna. Looking to pick up any stray signal out there. The shorter the better with unbalanced.

Balanced cables are XLR, TRS cables. XLR is a mic cable. And TRS looks like a headphone 1/4" jack. Balanced cables use all 3 22 gauge wires in the cable. And they carry the full signal on both of the 2 insulated 22 gauge wires. Your preamp will read both of the signals on each wire, and take the average of the signal. So, if any of the wires pick up a stray signal on them, it gets averaged out. And you don't hear the noise. Making balanced a better cable to run a long distance. Plus the added benefit of lower noise going to your preamp.

This is why we try to use as many balanced cables as possible. When your are placing a unbalanced instrument, such as a bass, directly into a preamp. We use a DI. The DI will take the unbalanced signal, and make it a balanced signal. It will also take a hot signal, such as a CD player, and take it lower so that a mic pre can handle it.

Hope all of this info helps.

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