Cabling for a DAW

[robn]

I'm needing to buy my cables for my project studio...I am going with the Monster Cable 500 Studiolink Series. Here's the setup:
1) Two 1/4" cables, 1 left and 1 right from my Delta66 soundcard to my Mackie 1202 on channel 5/6 left and right

2) I've got the mic in the XLR input on channel 1, so I need one 1/4" cable from the Mackie channel 1 insert into the Delta66-In (pulled out slightly from the channel 1 insert so I can monitor what I'm singing (or playing).)

3) Two XLR-to-XLR cables going from the Mackie Main Outs (XLR) into the XLR inputs on my PS5 reference monitors.

4) A stereo-splitter (Y-split) with a 1/8" stereo plug into my SB Live output that will have two 1/4" outputs that go into the Mackie channel 7/8 left and right.

For #1, I think these should be mono since I'm using a separate cable for the left and right? What is the difference between a 1/4" instrument cable versus a TRS cable versus a TT Patch Cable?
For #2, do I use a TRS or TT or instrument cable?
For #3, I suppose this would just be mic cable...
For #4, would the 1/4" ends need to be TRS or TT?

Hope someone can make sense of this rambling...also, I'm having trouble finding anything that matches #4 except from Radio Shack...anybody know where I can locate this?

Thanks in advance for your reply.

 

[Tim Brown]

A "tt" type is a "telephone type", which is something you'll find in PRO studios, but very RARELY used in home recording, the TT ends cost so much that it's essentially cost prohibitive to use them for home use.
I've seen TT ends sell for $12-18 EACH depending upon where you go for them. I had to make some 1/4" tyo TT patch cables one time-and it was very expensive. I was doing some re-wiring for a local Studio, and they needed to be able to patch 1/4" equpiment into a tt Patch panel.
I'm not even sure if the pro's are even using TT's anymore-it's been so long since I've seen them in use.

I don't use the card you have, so I have no idea whether or not it's a balanced input-so you'll either need just a regular 1/4" end, or a TRS for a balanced line.

Tim