Connectors: 1/4" vs 1/8" vs banana vs other

sonic · Joined: Dec 02, 2010 Posts: 106 Location: Victoria BC

I'm designing some DIY analogue synth modules. I'm sorely tempted to use 1/4" connectors. Is this foolish? I have just never been fond of 1/8". Any suggestions about the pros and cons? Are there any other alternatives I have missed? Apologies if this is old ground - maybe I just didn't find the right search terms.

mark_olson · Joined: Oct 26, 2006 Posts: 177 Location: Lawrence, Kansas

It's true, the pros-and-cons of 1/4", 1/8", and banana connectors have been discussed endlessly here. I think it can be boiled down to panel space in the case of 1/4" or 1/8". Bananas are, to use a theological analogy, representative of a whole different belief system in which the absence of a ground and stackability are revered.

I use 1/4" but some of my best friends are 1/8" or even banana users Smile

Mark

kkissinger · Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 9:41 am Post subject:

I use 1/8" simply because the Aries synthesizer utilizes 1/8" and I want my new modules to be compatable with the old.

Some people report reliability problems with the 1/8" components but I've never had such problems. I've had no problems even with the oldest and most heavily used jacks.

emdot_ambient · Joined: Nov 22, 2009 Posts: 667 Location: Frederick, MD

I've had more reliability issues with both 1/8" (3.5mm) jacks and plugs/cords than with 1/4". Some older miniature jacks are also not really completely compatible with what's normally available today. The tip size and diameter may be different enough to cause improper connection...but that's really only a problem on some vintage gear. As long as you stick to modern (typically 3.5mm even if they're called 1/8") jacks you shouldn't have that problem.

1/4" jacks have been used since the 1800s, as they were first used in telephone switching applications. They're very vintage, and therefore better....right? Wink

cbm · Joined: Oct 25, 2005 Posts: 381 Location: San Francisco

There is so much confusion about "Mini" 1/8" and 3.5mm jacks. The older jacks mentioned above were probably Switchcraft's .141" Tini-Jax line. These were used by Arp, Buchla and most other 1970's era manufacturers who used smaller jacks. Buchla still uses them. The open-frame version of these jacks are quite robust. Arp used the enclosed version on many 2600s, but eventually went to the open frame Switchcraft 42a jack, which has really stood the test of time.

Currently the 3.5mm jack is used almost everywhere. They is just enough smaller to not make reliable contact when a 3.5mm plug is used in a .141" Tini-Jax. The .141" plugs are just enough bigger to make insertion in some 3.5mm jacks problematic, and they might stretch the jack's contact.

Some Eurorack manufacturers had problems with Cliff 3.5mm jacks, and Cliff ended up doing some sort of redesign, I think. I don't know about the general reliability of 3.5mm jacks.

The Switchcraft .141" jacks and plugs that Buchla uses are reliable, and very nice, although they are expensive and require hand wiring. My Eardrill modules for the Buchla system also use the .141" Tini-Jax.