Can i use mic cables for instruments and vice versa?

headhunter

New member
Im going to get Canare cables for my setup. They have the Star Quad mic cables and the GS6 instrument cables.
My question is can i use the Star Quad cables (4 cond) for connecting synthesizers to my mixer/soundcard or do i have to use the GS6 cables which are only 1 cond but designed especially for line signals?

What's the difference?
 
I'm of the impression that XLR cables can be used as 1/4" balanced cables, as long as the XLR-1/4" TRS adaptors are there.

The only problem is when electric guitars are used. The impedance of the cable (ie, Hi-Z or Lo-Z) will play a part. In that way, you probably cannot connect a mic cable to an electric guitar. Or neither should you connect a Hi-Z unbalanced cable to a mic.
 
blueprintstudios said:
sorry catch no ball. what's "cond"?

:lol: Sorry man, im just quoting from the canare website description. I also dunno what 'cond' means but when i look at the cables the 4 cond has 4 seperate wires and the 2 cond has 2 seperate wires. I think it just means that the 4 cond has better EMI/RF resistance properties.
 
kithsa said:
The only problem is when electric guitars are used. The impedance of the cable (ie, Hi-Z or Lo-Z) will play a part. In that way, you probably cannot connect a mic cable to an electric guitar. Or neither should you connect a Hi-Z unbalanced cable to a mic.

Kithsa, thanks for shedding some light on the subject. I been playing in bands for quite some time and i cant believe i dun know about this stuff. :oops:
Anyway, after reading a bit more, it seems the guitar cables have a different capacitance to mic cables which enables them to produce higher frequencies better than mic cables. Pls correct me if im wrong.

To make things simple, this question is for eveyone :

Q. What cables do you use for connecting your keyboards/synthesizers (NOT guitars/vocals) to the mixer/soundcard?
 
Just use standard 1/4" TRS. You can use TS if the cable run is short, though. If you're out of TRS, then XLR is fine. Just convert the XLR jack into a TRS jack.

Another way to look at things is by inputs. As in, what kind of inputs accept what source. So to draw up a quick list:

Mics: Connect to an XLR input with some sort of preamp. "Mic In"

Guitar: Same idea, you'll need a preamp too. Except that the input is not XLR, but 1/4" TS Hi-Z. This type of input may be called "Instrument In"

Keyboard: Usually line level inputs, usually 1/4" TRS or maybe RCA (esp for the tape in tape out jacks on the mixer, or DJ mixers). Of course, you can connect to an XLR input, and don't raise the gain as high. "Line In"

Turntable: Phono input. Looks like RCA. "Phono"

Hope that helps.
 
I am thinking cond stands for conductor. Just like how u wire pickups and they have 4 conductor wires? Just a guess, dunno any of this P.A. Stuff.
 
Instrument cables are TS 1/4". Mic XLR cables are TRS , meaning 3 wires instead of 2 wire (TS cables). The reason why XLR cables are good becos of low self-noise when passed along farther distances due to earthing (the 3rd wire).
Your source (synth) has only 2 stereo (TS) outputs, which you can use a 1/4" TS to XLR unbalanced converting cable to jack to speakers. What happens in those cables is that it solders together one of the wires on 2 of the XLR points, in so doing bypassing the earth point. Now, it can be done, but what good is it???
Number 1, there is still no earth, so self-noise is not reduced at all...
Number 2, due to conversion, the cables is unbalanced, making the cable added with more self-noise!!!
Number 3, TS cables having no conversions are quiet as they are line inputs.
So, just use TS 1/4" cables, it will have less noise and more convenient.
 
Back
Top