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The Ultimate Guide to Audio Cables for Home Recording
With so much attention these days focused on the latest and
greatest gear…
It’s easy to neglect some of the less-glamorous aspects of the
studio…
Like cables, for instance.
Because once it’s all connected, and working as it should…
You forget they even exist. And that’s how it should be.
However…
Getting to that point requires A LOT more knowledge than
some might imagine.
Which is why, in today’s post entitled: The Ultimate Guide to
Recording Studio Cables…
I’ve compiled an in-depth look at all the must-know facts of
this important subject.
If you don’t know your cables yet, by the end of this post you
will.
Let’s begin…
Analog vs Digital Signals
The first question every beginner asks is:
What’s the difference between analog and digital cables?
In short…
Analog cables work by transmitting information through
stream of electricity, and…
Digital cables work by transmitting information through a
long string of 1’s and 0’s (aka binary code).
For a detailed explanation on digital audio, check out this post.
For now though, let’s focus on analog.
Up next…
The Basics of Analog Cables
In the recording studio, there are 2 types of analog cables:
Balanced
Unbalanced
…that we use to transfer 3 levels of audio signal :
Mic Level – (balanced)
Instrument Level – (UNbalanced)
Line Level – (balanced)
Line level is the standard signal strength used with all pro audio equipment. Which is why mic/instrument level
signals are first boosted to line level before entering the signal chain.
Instrument level signals, which come from electric guitar/bass, are sent through a standard guitar cable, which
is then boosted to line level using a direct box.
Mic level signals, which come from your mics, are sent though a standard microphone cable, which is then
boosted to line level using a mic preamp.
For more info on microphone cables in general, check out this post:
The Ultimate Guide to XLR Mic Cables for Stage and Studio
Up next…
Balanced vs. Unbalanced Cables
The next most common question beginners ask is:
What’s the difference between balanced and unbalanced cables?
In terms of performance:
Balanced cables are relatively immune to noise from interference such as radio frequencies, electronic
equipment, etc. Which is why they’re the standard for pro audio.
In terms of design:
BALANCED cables have 3 wires:
1. Signal (+)
2. Signal (-)
3. Ground
While UNBALANCED cables have only 2:
1. Signal
2. Ground
The addition of the 3rd wire in a balanced cable is exactly what makes noise-cancellation possible. Later in this
post, I’ll explain how it works. For now though, let’s continue with the basics.
Up next…
Analog Connectors Explained
One either end of a balanced analog cable, you will
find 1 of 3 connectors:
XLR Male – which connects to various hardware
inputs.
XLR Female – which connects to the
microphone, and various hardware outputs.
TRS – which connects to
both inputs AND outputs.
Each of these connectors has 3 contact
points which carry signals from the positive,
negative, and ground wires previously mentioned.
XLR male has 3 pins
XLR female has 3 holes
TRS has 3 surfaces known as Tip, Ring, and Sleeve
Unbalanced analog cables typically only use one connector, which is the TS connectors commonly seen on
instrument/guitar cables.
Up next…
TRS vs TS Connectors
The third common question folks ask is:
What’s the difference between TRS and
TS connectors?
As you can see in the picture, TRS connectors have
3 contact points, while TS connectors have only 2.
The extra 3rd contact point on a TRS connector is
what allows it to carry a balanced signal.
The balanced wiring for TRS goes:
Tip = Positive
Ring = Negative
Sleeve = Ground
While the unbalanced wiring for TS goes:
Tip = Positive
Sleeve = Ground
Up next…
How Balanced Cables Cancel Noise
Earlier I promised show you exactly how this works.
So here’s the explanation:
When audio enters a balanced cable…
Both the (+) and (-) wires receive identical versions of the
signal…
The only difference is, polarity of the (-) wire is
INVERTED.
As the two signals travel along the cable, BOTH wires
gather noise, the same way unbalanced cables do,
however…
Before re-combining them at the opposite end of the cable, the polarity of the negative wire is flipped BACK, to
once again match the positive signal.
With the noise patterns now on OPPOSITE polarities, they cancel each other out, leaving the original signal
noise-free.
Simply brilliant.
Up next…
Converting Signals from Unbalanced to Balanced
By now, you’re probably wondering:
If unbalanced cables are noisier, why use them at all?
Well the answer is…
Due to the design of electric guitars and other instruments, it’s not always
possible to start off with a balanced signal.
But what you CAN do is convert them, as necessary. For example,
because guitar cables get too noisy beyond 20-25 ft…
A direct box (aka DI, aka direct injection) is commonly used to change the
unbalanced guitar signal into a balanced mic signal…
Which can then be extended for several-hundred-feet, through a standard XLR mic cable.
Up next…
Balanced MONO vs Unbalanced STEREO
People often get confused, the first time they notice…
That are TRS connectors used on balanced cables…
Are the same connectors as those found on headphone cables.
And they wonder:
How can that be, when one is mono, and the other is
stereo?
The answer is: STEREO headphone cables are UNblanced.
So unlike balanced MONO wiring, which has a (+), (-), and
ground…
Stereo headphone wiring looks like this:
Tip = Left Channel
Ring = Right Channel
Sleeve = Ground
Got it? Awesome.
Now that we’ve got analog cables covered, let’s move on to the second half of this post…
Where we talk about…
DIGITAL Cables
The good news about digital cables is, unlike analog cables, you don’t really need to understand much about
how they work, in order to use them.
The bad news is, there’s A LOT more of them, and the current ones are constantly being replaced as newer
technologies develop.
As of 2014 though, here are the ones you should know:
1. The Three Interface Cables
The one digital cable that every studio MUST have is…
The one that connects your audio interface to your
computer.
And undoubtedly, it’s one of these 3:
1. USB – the standard for budget interfaces, it has the
slowest data transfer of the 3, but still works well enough
for home studios.
2. Firewire – typically seen on pricier interfaces, it offers
significantly faster speeds than USB.
3. Thunderbolt – only seen on newer high-end interfaces,
it offers unprecedented data transfer rates, previously
only seen on dedicated PCIe processing cards.
Soon we may also see interfaces with USB 3.0, which rivals
the performance of current thunderbolts.
Up next…
2. MIDI Cables
Commmly used by electronic musicians…
MIDI cables transfer data between various electronic
instruments and related digital devices…
Using a language known as MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital
Interface)…
Which communicates various types of musical information,
including notes and velocity.
In home studios, these cables usually run from keyboard/MIDI
controller to a MIDI interface, which connects to your computer,
and lets you to control the virtual instruments within your DAW.
These days, MIDI cables aren’t nearly as common, as USB cables have now made it possible to transfer MIDI
data directly to the computer.
Up next…
3. Optical Cables
By transferring information using a series of light flashes…
Optical cables (aka lightpipe cables), can carry multiple
channels of digital audio through a single cable.
The 2 signals it accepts are:
ADAT – which carries 8 channels at 48kHz, or 4 channels
at 96kHz
S/PDIF (aka TOSLINK) – which carries 2 channels of audio
In the studio, ADAT is commonly used to send all 8 channels of
a multi-channel mic preamp to the audio interface.
S/PDIF is commonly used to output your stereo mix from the
audio interface to an external source.
Up next…
4. BNC Cables
Identical to the coaxial cables used to connect your cable TV…
But with a different name and purpose…
BNC cables are used in the studio to sync the internal clocks of
multiple digital devices, whenever two or more are connected.
Without them, the digital devices cannot sync properly, resulting
in mis-aligned samples, and annoying clicks and pops in the
audio.
While simple studios rarely use BNC cables, larger studios with
advanced signal routing often require them.
Up next…
5. AES/EBU Cables
Easily the strangest of all studio cables…
AES/EBU cables use the XLR connectors of an analog mic
cable…
To transmit the S/PDIF signal of a digital optical cable.
While not common with budget gear, they’re often used on
higher-end interfaces and other hardware.
One face that few people know is…
The term “AES/EBU” is actually an audio signal (NOT cable),
that can work with several different connectors including:
Optical
BNC
RCA
XLR
It’s only because the XLR versions are most popular, that we associate them with the name.
As you might imagine, they can be easily mistaken for mic cables…so if you use them, be sure to label them.
Up next…
6. Cat5e Cables
The same cables as those used with home telephones…
Cat5e cables work great in the studio as well…
Because of their ability to send BOTH a power source, and
multiple channels of digital audio, through a single line….
As well as…their ability to stretch LONG DISTANCES with
extremely LOW LATENCY TIMES.
This combination of features makes them perfectly suited to
meet the needs of many high-end headphone distribution
systems.
And some of the most advanced systems can send up to 40 channels of audio to a personal mixer, with just a
single cat5e cable!
Up next…
Power Cables
Now that we’ve covered both analog, and digital cables…
All that remains is: power cables.
The great thing about pro audio is, you use the same one for
almost everything.
Known as the IEC C13 (or IEC for short), this one cable is
used on virtually everything from computers, to studio
monitors, to rack gear.
Over time, studio collect tons of them, so if you ever lose
one, chances are good you’ll have a few back-ups.
Up next…
Cable Organization
Now that we’re nearing the end, the final topic I’d like to cover is organization.
It’s not hard to imagine that for most studios, cable organization is a constant struggle.
So to conclude this post, here are 3 tips which help make it easier:
1. Use Snake Cables
If too many cables is your main problem…
A snake cable can offer the perfect solution…
By essentially combining many individual cables into ONE.
For home studios, this has 2 benefits:
First, it allows you to dramatically reduce the clutter behind
your rack, so you can actually make changes without
untangling a spider-web of cables.
Second, it allows you to relocate the inputs of your mic
preamp to literally anywhere in the room…which gives you
one less reason to dig behind your rack.
To learn more about snake cables, check out this article:
The Beginner’s Guide to Snake Cables for Home Recording
Up next…
2. Use Cable Winders
While pro studios might laugh at the idea of using cable
winders…
In a typical bedroom studio, where each day you roll up your
ONE guitar cable, and ONE mic cable…
Cable winders can make this tedious job a lot less painful.
To extend it, simply pull it out to the exact length needed and
it locks itself in place.
To retract it, just firmly tug at the base, and it rolls itself up,
automatically.
While some folks call them gimmicky…there are many others
(myself included) who absolutely love them.
For home studios, these are the 3 I recommend:
Stage Ninja 26ft Instrument Cable
Stage Ninja 26ft XLR Cable
Stage Ninja 60 ft XLR Cable
And for the final tip…
3. Solder Your Own Cables
In pro studios, you rarely see exposed cables anywhere. The reason is…
By cutting and soldering their own cables , they can tailor each one to the exact perfect length for the job.
In home studios on the other hand, it’s not uncommon to see a 25 ft cable used on a 3 ft connection.
Think soldering is too hard?
Well I can tell you from experience, it’s not nearly as challenging as many people assume. With a few basic tools
and some practice, virtually anyone can do it.
So if you’re interested…
Here’s a good video I found which explains how it’s done:
And here’s a checklist of the essential items covered:
Tools:
a pair of pliers with a wire cutter
a soldering iron
a roll of solder
Parts:
a roll of balanced cable
XLR male and female connectors
TRS connectors
It’s not a job I recommend for everyone, but handyman-types can easily learn this technique with just a few hours
practice.
And as an awesome side benefit…
All those old cables and connectors you no longer use can be scrapped for parts and re-purposed over-and over
again, to follow the ever-changing needs of your studio.