RCA or 1/4 inch?

Venesectrix

Venesectrix

New member
I'm connecting my mixer to my computer. Would it be better to connect it with RCA or 1/4 inch, or does it even matter?

Thanks
 
RCA and 1/4" TS (tip-sleeve) connectors are electrically equivalent. Use whatever is cheapest/easiest for you to get.
 
1/4" TS and RCA are just 2 wires going to a metal case.

It don't make no difference...

XLR and TRS add a metal shield, helpfull if you are making long runs or get interference.

Otherwise, it don't make no difference...

UWW: Use What Works.
 
If you are FREQUENTLY plug/unplugging the cables I would go with the 1/4" plugs.......stronger (less susseptable to fatigue), and easier to remove.
 
TimOBrien said:
XLR and TRS add a metal shield, helpfull if you are making long runs or get interference.
Click to expand...

Actually XLR and TRS add another conductor, not a shield. RCA, TS, TRS, XLR, they all are shielded. The second conductor on an XLR or TRS is what makes it "balanced". On a balanced output, the piece of equipment sends the signal out on 2 conductors. One conductor has it's polarity inverted. At the input of the next piece of gear, the conductor with the inverted polarity is inverted again so that both conductors are now in polarity with each other. The idea is that while the 2 signals are traveling down a length of wire, they will pick up noise. The noise should be roughly the same on both conductors. When the polarity is reversed on the input stage, the 2 audio signals are now in polarity with each other and combined, and the noise from those 2 conductors is now out of polarity and therfore cancelled out. That is why balanced connections are generally lower in noise than unbalanced.
 
thane1200 said:
If you are FREQUENTLY plug/unplugging the cables I would go with the 1/4" plugs.......stronger (less susseptable to fatigue), and easier to remove.
Click to expand...
I would actually say exactly the opposite. With 1/4" plugs, when you plug and unplug them, the connectors are temporarily shorted. Most equipment is supposedly designed to handle this, but shorts have a bad history of causing problems. Additionally, 1/4" inputs have the internal spring mechanism that can easily get dirty and/or fail. Not as much of a problem with XLR's, since there is only (and not always, at that) a latch mechanism, and the latch mechanism is not critical to the operation of the plug.
 
sile2001 said:
I would actually say exactly the opposite. With 1/4" plugs, when you plug and unplug them, the connectors are temporarily shorted. Most equipment is supposedly designed to handle this, but shorts have a bad history of causing problems. Additionally, 1/4" inputs have the internal spring mechanism that can easily get dirty and/or fail. Not as much of a problem with XLR's, since there is only (and not always, at that) a latch mechanism, and the latch mechanism is not critical to the operation of the plug.
Click to expand...

I was comparing 1/4" plugs to RCAs......you can't honestly tell me that your RCA plugs stand up to constant plug/unplugging? Even with thick sheilding, RCAs tend to fatigue at the end of the re-enforcement(coil of plastic integrated into the plug, designed to reduce breaking of the signal path due to severe bending)
 
sile2001 said:
I would actually say exactly the opposite. With 1/4" plugs, when you plug and unplug them, the connectors are temporarily shorted.
Click to expand...

......and in regards to this, I believe you are mistaken. As the tip enters the recieving socket it passes two terminals, (one at a time, as it is seperated from the ring by the insulating plastic), stopping in contact with the first terminal; then the ring makes contact with the second terminal. The Tip and the Sleeve are seperated by plastic, thus keeping a "short" from occurring.
 

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Thanks guys. I just didn't know if there was any sound differences or noise problems with either of the two. I'm getting a EM-U 0404 soon that I'll connect to my Berhringer UB802 mixer. I'll probably end up using 1/4 inch. Thanks for the advice! :D
 
thane1200 said:
......and in regards to this, I believe you are mistaken. As the tip enters the recieving socket it passes two terminals, (one at a time, as it is seperated from the ring by the insulating plastic), stopping in contact with the first terminal; then the ring makes contact with the second terminal. The Tip and the Sleeve are seperated by plastic, thus keeping a "short" from occurring.
Click to expand...
Not so...this is the same reason why phantom power over TRS is very dangerous for equipment (and therefore, isn't ever done). On the cable insert, there is a momentary short.
 
thane1200 said:
I was comparing 1/4" plugs to RCAs......you can't honestly tell me that your RCA plugs stand up to constant plug/unplugging? Even with thick sheilding, RCAs tend to fatigue at the end of the re-enforcement(coil of plastic integrated into the plug, designed to reduce breaking of the signal path due to severe bending)
Click to expand...
Oh yeah, I'll take 1/4" over RCA any day of the week... I have had so many RCA's fail on me it's not funny.
 
sile2001 said:
Not so...this is the same reason why phantom power over TRS is very dangerous for equipment (and therefore, isn't ever done). On the cable insert, there is a momentary short.
Click to expand...

well, you're not supposed to insert a connector into a channel that has phantom power on already as it is...or remove a connection on that channel.

1/4" is made of thicker and stronger metal than RCA is. but you guys are talking about 1/4" TRS and single conductor RCA. two different signals traveling down the cable and being plugged into two different kind of jacks.
 
bennychico11 said:
well, you're not supposed to insert a connector into a channel that has phantom power on already as it is...or remove a connection on that channel.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I know that....but mistakes happen. If you've spent any serious time working in a live sound or studio environment, you'll know that it happens. Mics and connectors and whatever get plugged and unplugged with phantom power on. The difference is that with XLR's you run the very small risk of damage from surge. With 1/4", not only do you run the risk of surge, but also of shorting out 48 volts on something that's not supposed to have 48 volts there. Not a good thing.
 
sile2001 said:
Yeah, I know that....but mistakes happen.
Click to expand...

Yup. A kid that was helping me set up sound in church plugged the powered mixer amp out into the cordless mic line out, both were 1/4". You could smell it. Carvin replaced the mic's box even though they knew how it happened.
 
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