How long'd it take?

bugbrand

I had to make up a bunch of modular cables today - took me about an hour to make about 45 cables - stackable 4mm banana type. (no race either - couple of smoke breaks etc..!..). It made me wonder why bananas are not the clear choice for everyone - I'm sure I've heard some arguments before (the only I can think of is switched jack options) but the +s of bananas just stack and stack (huh huh)..

1) Damn quick to make - seriously, you'd go nuts doing a load of 1/8 or 1/4" cables - I did some balanced cables a few nights ago and felt like giving up after 6 cables..

2) Cheap - bananas are damn cheap - quality jacks = £££

3) Reliable - I think Howard has spoken about their reliability (both in the cables and the sockets)

4) No soldering required & half the connections

5) Colours

6) Stackable

The decision is a no-brainer for me... so what's the reasons?

(oh, cross-talk? nah, not going to be much of a problem with these signals surely?)

Yorky · Joined: Feb 14, 2005 Posts: 244 Location: Boston, UK

you can always reduce crosstalk by using screened cable

no I'm not mad, you only use the inner core of course, the screen is left 'floating' but it does provide a barrier between the next cable (two barriers if that one's screened as well)

v-un-v

andrewF · Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 5:09 am Post subject:

If i was starting again, i'd probably go banana(...s), definitely simpler to build with and colour co-ordinated to boot.

but i started with 3.5mm and i'll stick with it.

anyway i got 250 readymade patchcords for 10c each and 1000 sockets for 5c each, can't get much cheaper.
(if you live in Australia keep an eye on Rockby's monthly specials)

synthmonger · Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 8:04 am Post subject:

My reason:

100 1/4" jacks = about 30.00
100 Banana jacks = about 8.00

If 1/4" jacks came in colors other than silver and black I'd probably use them in everything.

Anyone know where I can score some smokey or grey colored banana jacks?

toppobrillo · Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 12:20 pm Post subject:

Scott Stites · Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 12:36 pm Post subject:

To each their own.....

I use 3.5mm. If I was starting over again, I'd use 3.5 mm Very Happy

But, that's just me.

I get the cables from All Electronics, cheap. I've got around 100 cables, and I usually stop patching when they're all gone. I need to order more. I've had none break, but if one did, it wouldn't break my heart. At less than a buck, who cares? Dump it and move on with my life.

I tend to build very compact, terse panels; panels that I'm certain would drive others bonkers. But I get one hell of a lot of functionality out of a small space, and it pleases me. The 3.5mm connector enables this to a great degree.

The second main reason is switching jacks. God, I love'em. I've eaten less space in mults than I would have with switches for all of those switching jacks. Of course, my mother of all mults module has 45 connectors - nine 5 point commons with switching jacks linking three columns of 15. I've not even gotten close to filling it up yet.

As an example, my Dual MS-20 filter has a row of three jacks for V/Oct (KBD) control. If I plug the control into the center jack, the voltage on that jack controls both filters. If I plug a cable into either of the side jacks, that CV will control either of the filters only (depending on where I've plugged in). If I plug audio into filter A only, the signal is routed in series through the filter. If I plug audio into filter B only, the signal is routed in parallel through both filters. If I plug audio into Filter A and Filter B, then both filters route the A&B signals independently. Filter A CV1 is routed to Filter B CV2, Filter B CV1 is inverted and routed to Filter A CV2. These levels are controlled by the CV2 controls for each filter. This allows me control of both filters with one CV, and it can double as a bandwidth control if I'm in series bandpass mode (filter 1 HP, filter 2 LP). If I want a different CV input to either or both, then I plug cables in. This allows the configuration and control of the filters to be determined solely by how its patched - series, parallel or independent. I won't even get started on my mixer module...

Color coding - just color the ends, that helps. Not that I've done that, but I suppose it would help.......

Reliability? Depends on what you use for jacks. There's a lotta ARP 2600s out there, but I don't hear people griping too terribly much about the jacks.

If Blacet and Wiard dig'em, they can't be all bad......

Cheers,
Scott

bugbrand · Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 2:58 am Post subject:

That's the sort of answers I was looking for - cheers Scott.!.
Yeah, panel space - guess though the difference is small, 3.5mm sockets will just win over 4mm (plus the plugs on bananas are bigger)
Fascinating on the switching possibilities.!.

So, for quick'n'cheapy simpletons like me bananas are the way, but if you've got more discipline then 3.5mm adds bunches extra. Nice!

Scott Stites · Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 7:28 am Post subject:

Hey Tom,

You know, after I posted that, I thought of something that would put me more in the banana camp - if I was a live performer, I think I would prefer them. Same goes for the terse, cramped panel style - it would have to go.

At home, I can take all the time I want setting up a patch, but if I were on stage, changing patches on the fly would be nightmarish with the arrangement I use.

Now, I suppose if things were not so condensed, 3.5mm would work fine, but still the tactile feel of the bananas would be a welcome thing.

Color coding would be a lifesaver there, for sure.

Cheers,
Scott

Funky40 · Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 10:57 am Post subject:

HEy,bugbrand and Scott,you both have very good arguments.
Bevore reading the post fromScott i just came into thinking,maybe to use bananas for the future............

But then i reads Scotts one.................. Very Happy

Main Reason why i would have changed: the Quality of the miniJack sockets which i get here.

@Scott
wich Sockets do you use ?

I'm thinking about to get the ones Dotcom uses in their Mini-Jack Interface ----> Switchcraft (mouser Part 502-41
http://www.mouser.com/search/refine.aspx?Ntt=502-41

this are the best ones i know at that moment

.......................................................................

OU,i also soldered Cables some Days ago.
10 Cables ..........................., it tooked me Hours i think.............

synthmonger · Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 11:08 am Post subject:

Does anyone have advice on where to get decently priced wire for 4mm banana jacks? ;D

Yorky · Joined: Feb 14, 2005 Posts: 244 Location: Boston, UK

Scott Stites · Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 4:06 pm Post subject:

Yes, I've seen pics of Norman's stage setup - amazing.

Funky40 - Long time ago I bought some really nice 3.5mm's from All Electronics, but they don't seem to have them anymore. Switchcraft are very, very reliable. Blacet uses Mouser Part Number 16PJ012, which seem to be really nice ones, too.

Careful buying cheap ones - sometimes they can really blow (voice of experience) and sometimes they're actually not too bad. Hosfelt sells a cheap 3.5mm and you do get what you pay for (not recommended IMHO). I've got some I bought from (trying to recall here) MPJA? - boxy looking things - they look like they'll work just fine, but I have yet to put them into anything.

Cheers,
Scott

Funky40 · Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 3:20 pm Post subject:

thanks for the Infos Scott