Thoughts on cables $/value. Where do you draw the line?
- Thread starter xgarmothx
- Start date
mrface2112
Well-known member
mogami is NOT expensive. if you think it is, check out zoalla or van den hul.
i tend to go for the mogami/neutrik cables myself. i got tired of cheap cables failing at the worst possible moment. decent cables like mogami last a whole lot longer, especially when repeatedly unplugged and such. you can either buy decent cables and get 10-15 years out of em, or you can buy hosa or jade or something and replace it every couple years, all the time worrying about when it's going to fail (b/c it will).
i hate buying cables, so i'd much rather have something that lasts. plus, it's a whole lot easier to work on a mogami/neutrik (or switchcraft) than something that's got molded ends like hosa.
soundwise, there's a whole lot more factors in my studio that i have to worry about than the patch cable between the mic pre and compressor. i buy decent cables b/c they're not cheaply made and i can work on em if needed.
guitar-wise, i did notice a difference (an improvement) when i switched from planet waves type cables to monster, but i largely attribute that to the thicker cable and the extra shielding rather than the pseudo-science they peddle on their website. the buzz/hum was gone and that was #1 for me.
but really, it's like everything else.....buy cheap, buy twice (or more).
cheers,
wade
i tend to go for the mogami/neutrik cables myself. i got tired of cheap cables failing at the worst possible moment. decent cables like mogami last a whole lot longer, especially when repeatedly unplugged and such. you can either buy decent cables and get 10-15 years out of em, or you can buy hosa or jade or something and replace it every couple years, all the time worrying about when it's going to fail (b/c it will).
i hate buying cables, so i'd much rather have something that lasts. plus, it's a whole lot easier to work on a mogami/neutrik (or switchcraft) than something that's got molded ends like hosa.
soundwise, there's a whole lot more factors in my studio that i have to worry about than the patch cable between the mic pre and compressor. i buy decent cables b/c they're not cheaply made and i can work on em if needed.
guitar-wise, i did notice a difference (an improvement) when i switched from planet waves type cables to monster, but i largely attribute that to the thicker cable and the extra shielding rather than the pseudo-science they peddle on their website. the buzz/hum was gone and that was #1 for me.
but really, it's like everything else.....buy cheap, buy twice (or more).
cheers,
wade
xgarmothx
Shredmaster Alpha
I didn't know much about Zoalla or Van Den Hul past having heard the names, and holy hell - that's a lot of money.
Thanks for the feedback - I agree that I'd much rather buy something once haha. I need to pick up a few more cables in the near future and will probably be using something along the lines of the Mogamis - they're readily available close by and have never given me any problems.
Thanks for the feedback - I agree that I'd much rather buy something once haha. I need to pick up a few more cables in the near future and will probably be using something along the lines of the Mogamis - they're readily available close by and have never given me any problems.
mrface2112
Well-known member
yeah, it's amazing what a "reality check" will do to ones' impression of what defines "expensive". 
my local guitar shop sells peavey branded mic cables. they've got black neutrik connectors, and i'll be damned if they don't sound great. not sure what the actual cable is (it's not labelled/branded), but the few of em i've got (i bought em for use at gigs) have lasted remarkably well and they sound just as good as the BLUE blueberries and mogami cables i've got--or at least if they sound different, it's negligible.
they run about $25 for a 30ft cable, so they're not cost-prohibitive either. they coil well and i've had em for almost 10 years of regular use and a couple "extreme" circumstances (as outdoor gigs can be at times) .
cheers,
wade
my local guitar shop sells peavey branded mic cables. they've got black neutrik connectors, and i'll be damned if they don't sound great. not sure what the actual cable is (it's not labelled/branded), but the few of em i've got (i bought em for use at gigs) have lasted remarkably well and they sound just as good as the BLUE blueberries and mogami cables i've got--or at least if they sound different, it's negligible.
they run about $25 for a 30ft cable, so they're not cost-prohibitive either. they coil well and i've had em for almost 10 years of regular use and a couple "extreme" circumstances (as outdoor gigs can be at times) .
cheers,
wade
cusebassman
Freakin' sweet
150 bucks for a 15 foot guitar cable? That's nothin!
I pay Mexican children to carry each jolt of electricity from my guitar to the amp!
But really - honestly, I 'upgraded' to a monster guitar cable, and the thing picks up more interference than my cheaper stuff. Returned it for another, same thing. Not sure what's up with that, but my cheap-as-shit springy radioshack cable does just fine between my Fender Blues DeVille and Heritge 575... as for other parts of the studio, I use some custom-ordered redco stuff - inexpensive, good connections.
I pay Mexican children to carry each jolt of electricity from my guitar to the amp!
But really - honestly, I 'upgraded' to a monster guitar cable, and the thing picks up more interference than my cheaper stuff. Returned it for another, same thing. Not sure what's up with that, but my cheap-as-shit springy radioshack cable does just fine between my Fender Blues DeVille and Heritge 575... as for other parts of the studio, I use some custom-ordered redco stuff - inexpensive, good connections.
If you know how to solder, a way to cut costs is to buy a couple hundred feet of cable and the connectors and make your own. Of course if you don't have a use for that many cables it's overkill, but if you're running studio and need lots of mic cables, that's a great way to do it.
...
there was a post about monster cables recently, you might find some more opinions in there as well.
as for the sound quality, i see little to no difference when using monster cable, home-made cables, cheap or medium quality cables.. the key is that the cables are in good condition.
a cable with kinks, cuts, and other damage can have much more noise and also carry your frequencies less reliably, no matter where it came from.
and there again we have the magic of monster and other higher end cables.. they are guaranteed for life.
lifetime warranty is a beautiful phrase. you don't see it much anymore.. monster cables, craftsman tools, snap-on tools, zippo lighters, and only a few other products off the top of my head will be replaced for free pretty much forever.
so in the sense that you can always have a damage free cable even under heavy usage conditions then i would say overall you will have a better more consistent sound.
or at least that's what the voices in my head have led me to believe...
there was a post about monster cables recently, you might find some more opinions in there as well.
as for the sound quality, i see little to no difference when using monster cable, home-made cables, cheap or medium quality cables.. the key is that the cables are in good condition.
a cable with kinks, cuts, and other damage can have much more noise and also carry your frequencies less reliably, no matter where it came from.
and there again we have the magic of monster and other higher end cables.. they are guaranteed for life.
lifetime warranty is a beautiful phrase. you don't see it much anymore.. monster cables, craftsman tools, snap-on tools, zippo lighters, and only a few other products off the top of my head will be replaced for free pretty much forever.
so in the sense that you can always have a damage free cable even under heavy usage conditions then i would say overall you will have a better more consistent sound.
or at least that's what the voices in my head have led me to believe...
StackableMusic
New member
I wish I could afford some nice cables, but who can afford it? I just had to buy some new xlrs to hook up my new sub, the pro cos were $30, the monsters would have been $80.
bigwillz24
New member
I build my cables.
The only time i've really bought them is when I didn't know how and when I was just too damn lazy to pull out a soldering iron.
The only time i've really bought them is when I didn't know how and when I was just too damn lazy to pull out a soldering iron.
I made eight 25-foot cables with Canare cable (just two conductor,not star-quad) and Neutrik ends for about $80. Good cable, good ends, easily repairable if a connection goes bad. You can't beat making your own, really.
StackableMusic
New member
I don't know how to do that.
I'm planning on taking some audio engineering classes at my community college, maybe they'll talk about that.
groovyisland
hay wasa
i get fender guitar cables and cut them to size and solder g&h 90 degree plugs on them
i got a free mogami mic cable once and its just fine
i can see buying heavier gauge wire but i cant see spending a ton of money on cables. if i cant make a decent recording with a mogami or blueberry cable im sure a monster cable wouldnt help
i got a free mogami mic cable once and its just fine
i can see buying heavier gauge wire but i cant see spending a ton of money on cables. if i cant make a decent recording with a mogami or blueberry cable im sure a monster cable wouldnt help
89gtsleeper
New member
Screw monster... they have a good product, but they are assholes.
Similar quality, but a little less expensive (barely) is Mogami Gold.
I us these cables for everything I do in my studio and nothing else. I went from a bunch of live wires to mogami gold and my guitar hum and buzz was nearly eliminated... so much of a difference that I actually returned some other products I bought to try to reduce noise because just using better cables worked better than the products made to reduce the noise... I noticed a slight increase in volume also with the new cables... those live wires about the worst of the bunch. And as previously stated, monster and mogami are really not that expensive. It's about what I would expect to pay for a decent cable.
Similar quality, but a little less expensive (barely) is Mogami Gold.
I us these cables for everything I do in my studio and nothing else. I went from a bunch of live wires to mogami gold and my guitar hum and buzz was nearly eliminated... so much of a difference that I actually returned some other products I bought to try to reduce noise because just using better cables worked better than the products made to reduce the noise... I noticed a slight increase in volume also with the new cables... those live wires about the worst of the bunch. And as previously stated, monster and mogami are really not that expensive. It's about what I would expect to pay for a decent cable.
TexRoadkill
Audio Bum
I don't know how to do that.
I'm planning on taking some audio engineering classes at my community college, maybe they'll talk about that.
Doesn't your internet work?
http://www.aaroncake.net/electronics/solder.htm
StackableMusic
New member
I know how to solder, I don't know how to solder cables, especially where to get the parts and materials... and how to attach the ends.
Anfontan
Banned by eurt
I agree-I've built my own for 20 years or more and rarely do I have any breakdowns with any of them. Just be sure to avoid the Radio Shack crappy plugs and be careful and clean with you're solder connections!
superspit
idiots unite!
G'day guys....not meaning to hijack,
but I have recently got right into the fabric covered cable, of old style, and have found my studio floor to be much neater (less tangles) and quiter in all respects...(quiter more from the lack of 'mechanica'l noise from moving cables that may be ontop of eachother, for example).)...I don't subscribe to the 'pseudo science' or resistance of signal flow thru our standard guitar and mic cables (I've used RadioShack too!!), but from a 'mechanical' angle, I'm sold!
Do any of you guys know what I mean or use these cable types with much success??
Anyways,
kindest Regards,
Superspit.
but I have recently got right into the fabric covered cable, of old style, and have found my studio floor to be much neater (less tangles) and quiter in all respects...(quiter more from the lack of 'mechanica'l noise from moving cables that may be ontop of eachother, for example).)...I don't subscribe to the 'pseudo science' or resistance of signal flow thru our standard guitar and mic cables (I've used RadioShack too!!), but from a 'mechanical' angle, I'm sold!
Do any of you guys know what I mean or use these cable types with much success??
Anyways,
kindest Regards,
Superspit.
www.markertek.com
Neutrik ends: NC3FX and NC3MX for the female and male ends, respectively. Choose the cable of your choice...they have Belden, Mogami, and Canare. The connectors have solder cups so they're very easy to solder to. Shield wire on Pin 1.
Just make sure you put the sheath on the cable before you solder the end on!
HangDawg
bUnGhOlIo
http://diy-central.com/HowToCreateYourOwnDIYCablesXLRTRSStudioCables.aspx
I this day and age, there's no excuse for saying, "I don't know how". Fucking Internet has it all baby.