firewire cable

[hipknot01]

ive got a hercules 16/12 firewire interface coming to my house soon and i cant find out what kind of firewire cable to get. 6 pin? 4 pin? i cant find that info anywhere.

 

[rnms]

ive got a hercules 16/12 firewire interface coming to my house soon and i cant find out what kind of firewire cable to get. 6 pin? 4 pin? i cant find that info anywhere.

It should have one with it.

 

[hipknot01]

i thought that but i never hear about a firewire cable being included in the reviews.

 

[rnms]

i thought that but i never hear about a firewire cable being included in the reviews.

I just got this from the spec sheet listed on a retail site, this is included,

FireWire connector cable (6-pin to 6-pin format with 4-pin to 6-pin adapter) ~4Metres

 

[hipknot01]

thank you!

 

[dgatwood]

And as a general rule (in case anyone else comes across this thread looking for more general information), most devices use 6-pin cables, with the exception of camcorders, which universally use 4. The reason for this is mainly one of space constraints on camcorders (and a bit of historical convention). Officially, non-bus-powered devices can use 4-pin, but most devices use 6-pin connectors anyway, as they usually have more than one port.

Most computers use 6-pin connectors, too, with the exception of some laptops (and some of Sony's desktops, IIRC). Computers with 4-pin connectors can't provide power to devices, which means that bus-powered devices won't work unless there is another way to provide them with power. Most audio interfaces are not bus-powered devices, however, and most of the ones that are come with a power pack to provide power if your computer doesn't.

Do not use both a 6-pin to 6-pin cable and an external power supply on any device that is capable of being powered by the bus. Ever.