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Joined: Jun 2008
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Hey. I am interested in experimenting trying to build my own keyboard and MIDI cables at the custom sizes I need rather than get the standard 4-10' cable sizes found at the local music stores. I mainly use the higher end Monster keyboard cables and they have been very good and dependable, but can get expensive.
I wanted to get the right angle 1/4 inch plugs and male XLR types, plus there is a plug that is available that won't pop or crunch your PA or amp if you pull it out without remembering to cut the power first. Forget the brand name of that specific adapter. Does anyone know what that might be?
Anyway, where is the best place online to buy cable in bulk rolls and plug adapters? I have all the tools, 2 soldering irons, 60-40 core solder, wire strippers, etc.
Thanks for any help and advice and links.
katt
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Been soldering cables for a long time...
The connectors what you mean are Neutrik XLR i think. very strong. Havent found the actual thing yet.. maye its called slightly different. \i know its those blue-plastic connectors for XLR...
you know that xlr plugs are usually 'balanced'.. also means that you can have longer cables. unbalanced connections are not advisable to have them very long. Since they catch more interference.
What is also interesting..are some solderless plugs.. especially with on the road cables, its handy. when the cable is a bit 'broken'..you just slice off a piece of cable and then add the connector again. Never broken cables again :-)
Monster is good yes,.. but way overpriced
Last edited by WingNL; 04/21/11 01:13 PM.
Roland V-Piano, Many synths, Accordeon, Hurdy Gurdy & Mandolin.
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This is getting slightly off topic but about five years ago I bought a QSC amp that took Speakon plugs for the speaker outs. You don't need to solder and those plugs seem to be indestructible. I know they've been around for a long time, it was just my first experience with them.
Yamaha AvantGrand N1X | Roland RD 2000 | Sennheiser HD 598 headphones
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Hey. I am interested in experimenting trying to build my own keyboard and MIDI cables at the custom sizes I need rather than get the standard 4-10' cable sizes found at the local music stores. I mainly use the higher end Monster keyboard cables and they have been very good and dependable, but can get expensive.
I wanted to get the right angle 1/4 inch plugs and male XLR types, plus there is a plug that is available that won't pop or crunch your PA or amp if you pull it out without remembering to cut the power first. Forget the brand name of that specific adapter. Does anyone know what that might be?
Anyway, where is the best place online to buy cable in bulk rolls and plug adapters? I have all the tools, 2 soldering irons, 60-40 core solder, wire strippers, etc.
Thanks for any help and advice and links.
katt With these small parts shipping costs more than the part. So you have to batch you order and buy in bulk. Parts Express has what you'd need. But why bother Sweetwater has an on-line cable search feature on their web site and ships even one $5 cable for free. You can't buy the parts for a $5 cable for $5. I only build cables Ican't buy. For example, I have a 1/4" phone plug to BNC cables that goes between an amp and some test equipment like a 'scope or signal generator. I made thes buy cutting a BNC cable in half on butting a 1/4" plug on the cut end. It is always cheaper and faster to modify a stock cable The cheapest source of cables and conectors is the 50% off box at Guitar center. These are the ones that for whatever reason are not in the manufacturer's package. The store has a few boxes of these. Buy one and cut one end off and put your own connector on. It's half the work and cheaper. monoprice.com also sells cables so cheap that it is cost effective to buy them then cut one in half The same is true for power cords. I had a broken power cord on a saw. Go to Home depot and buy an orange extension cord and cut the female end off, it's cheaper then buying bulk wire and one end. In addition to solder equipment one the best tricks is to use the kind of heat shrink tube that has hot melt glue inside. This stuff makes a very strong strain relief. As the tube shrinks is forces the melted glue into all the air spaces. Along the same line is to fill the connector shell with hot glue. It will squeeze out as you screw the shell down. At the factory they use over-molding and form a sold strain relief but lacking that, heat shrink and hot melt glue does the same If you are buying cables I'd stay away from the Monster brand. They are over priced and not any better and many times they are poorly made. "ProCo" is a brand sold by many places but they make a range of qualities. The Proco cables I get from sweetwater have a unconditional lifetime warranty that even covers intensional abuse. Workmanship and quality is as good as I can do, cost is fair I only build the odd cable I can't buy.
Last edited by ChrisA; 04/21/11 01:32 PM.
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Thanks to everyone's reply about making your own custom size keyboard cables. I may try to make one and see how I do. I'll keep ya posted.
Regards
katt
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I only build the odd cable I can't buy. I agree with ChrisA. When I was young and poor I used to make cables, but they were never as good as the ones I bought. High quality plugs and wire are hard to come by, and the factory can usually put them together better. I've done the cut-a-cable-in-half and use both ends thing, and I recently cut the female end off of a short extension cord to wire up our new dishwasher. If you do make your own, go for gold plated connectors. Stay away from anything silver looking. And the strain relief is probably more important than anything else.
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If you rely on cables, you should at least be equipped to test and repair a cable.
Whether you go in for making up your own as a matter of course depends a lot on how good you are at it! Some people have the knack, some never seem to get it. And making an unreliable cable is pretty useless! Having the proper equipment helps a lot - a temperature-controlled soldering station makes a big difference.
Neutrik make good connectors. I wouldn't worry about gold plating - that's audiophile hokum. As is most of what Monster Cable tell you.
I have yet to find a reliable right-angled jack plug. If you do, let me know :-)
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Agree with that, vis a vis the gold plating. Gold is useful only if both mating surfaces are gold plated. If not, gold is a detriment. (A small detriment ... but why extra pay for one?)
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I only build the odd cable I can't buy. Stay away from anything silver looking. And the strain relief is probably more important than anything else. Can be debated. Bimetal raises the resistance. But gold plated stays much much cleaner. But to be honest... it doesn't matter much with instruments really =) effect is diminishable And.. The Speakon plugs..those are the ones :-) (they are..meant for speakers though) there are pressure release & pull release systems for XLR as well (non speakon branded).
Last edited by WingNL; 04/22/11 03:21 AM.
Roland V-Piano, Many synths, Accordeon, Hurdy Gurdy & Mandolin.
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Yes, Speakon connectors are ideal for speakers. If nothing else, they prevent vulnerable devices from being plugged in where they can be damaged - you might find this hard to believe but in the days of "everything on jack" I've had PA systems returned with ruined microphones due to uninformed random plugging into every possible hole! Beware of audiophile claptrap. A cable needs to be sturdy and electrically competent. That's it. Run a mile when it starts getting called an "interconnect". Gold plating, "oxygen-free", "time-aligned" ... Here's some more Monster waffle: "Time Correct® windings reduce distortion for more accurate signal transfer". "Multiple gauge high and low frequency wire networks for accurate, natural sound reproduction." This is only one step away from the wonderful idiocy of http://www.russandrews.com/ Marvel, enjoy, but don't fall for it!
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I wouldn't worry about gold plating - that's audiophile hokum. I'm not out in the audiophile weeds. I've just had better luck with gold plated stuff than silver when it comes to slight corrosion and surface films an whatnot causing connection problems.
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I wouldn't worry about gold plating - that's audiophile hokum. I'm not out in the audiophile weeds. I've just had better luck with gold plated stuff than silver when it comes to slight corrosion and surface films an whatnot causing connection problems. I've known this happen on phono connections, untouched for years round the back of hi-fi equipment. Insert jacks on mixers etc. also appreciate occasional maintenance (or at least occasional usage!)
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http://bayoucables.com/Mr. Ammons makes the cables himself and has a day job. It can take awhile to get them. But, I've used his cables for years and have been very satisfied with the price and the quality.
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