Drilling Hardened Steel

[stratamania]

Thanks Cagey, I noticed you hadn't mentioned the hexpander, so assumed you weren't using one. I have been toying with various ideas for a next build and was looking at the graphtech stuff.

 

[stubhead]

I am of the opinion that the whole 13-pin, synthesizer, piezo, stereo, mike-plug issue is far from decided, or at least far from decided well. The 1/4" phone plug is a rather archaic, low-rent way of plugging anything in, but it currently still wins by overwhelming numbers. I wish I knew the answer (there be bucks here, mateys) but I'm not gonna be the one showing up at a jam session with a dual Speak-On cord (and a pocket full of 13-pin adapters) and asking them why their amps are so retarded.

 

[Cagey]

Thanks Cagey, I noticed you hadn't mentioned the hexpander, so assumed you weren't using one. I have been toying with various ideas for a next build and was looking at the graphtech stuff.

If this works out, I may do a guitar with a Hexpander in it, but it'll be a hardtail. Since this one has a wang bar, I would think that would drive the tracking hardware in a MIDI converter nuts.

 

[Cagey]

I am of the opinion that the whole 13-pin, synthesizer, piezo, stereo, mike-plug issue is far from decided, or at least far from decided well. The 1/4" phone plug is a rather archaic, low-rent way of plugging anything in, but it currently still wins by overwhelming numbers. I wish I knew the answer (there be bucks here, mateys) but I'm not gonna be the one showing up at a jam session with a dual Speak-On cord (and a pocket full of 13-pin adapters) and asking them why their amps are so retarded.

I doubt it'll ever become ubiquitous - there just isn't enough need/demand for it. One of those "solution looking for a problem" deals, like servo-driven tuners.

 

[swarfrat]

I've considered RJ45 before. It locks, is ubiquitous, has 4 pairs that can be used for Power, Balanced out, and Data. But even in my own gear, I don't want to have to fiddle with oh crap, I forgot to bring the adapter. Sad, really.

 

[Cagey]

RJ45 cable/connectors are really too fragile for that kind of duty, but Neutrik has started making a more industrialized version that could probably last more than one session...

It mates up to a connector like this...

They lock and will take a helluva lot more abuse than a standard CAT5 cable.

I'm not sure they're any good for audio, though. The cables aren't shielded, they're 4 sets of twisted pair.

 

[stratamania]

The ethercon connectors cat 5 type cables shown are basically what Line 6 uses as a Variax cable, at least from what I can see.

 

[Cagey]

It wouldn't surprise me. I know they started off with standard CAT5 cables between their rack-mount Pod Pro and their floor controller. So did Fractal with the Axe Fx. In looking around, it seems Line 6 still hasn't learned their lesson and continues to use an RJ45 connector on the Pod Pro XT, but Fractal went to the Ethercon connectors due to excessive failures on the CAT5 and now they've even passed on that and are using XLR connectors, so any old mic cord will do in a pinch.

 

[stratamania]

I think the Variax cable is an Ethercon type, but you could use a Cat 5 on its own and get away with it as you could between an Axe FX and the MFC101.

I heard that the newer Fractals were moving to XLR.