Chapter 7: Getting In Deeper: Hardware; Cabling 101 - Alesis iO14 Reference Manual

Getting In Deeper: Hardware
7

Cabling 101

Cables are a crucial (and often overlooked) part of a studio. Many
beginners run into problems because they use inappropriate or
poor quality cabling to connect their gear and their recordings
suffer as a result. Don't let this happen to you! Use the following
guidelines to maximize your sound quality:
1. Use balanced cabling wherever possible – The IO|14 and
IO|26 are fully balanced recording devices that will give you
the best sound quality when using "balanced" cabling
wherever possible. Technically speaking, balanced cables
carry your signal over three conductors (known as "hot"
"cold" and "ground) as opposed to "unbalanced" cables
which only have two conductors (known as "hot" and
"ground"). Because of this design difference, balanced
cables pick up much less radio frequency (RF) and
electromagnetic (EM) noise. Musically speaking, this means
you'll have much less unwanted humming, hissing, and
buzzing noises in your recordings.
2. Minimize Cable Length – As your cable length increases, so
does your signal's susceptibility to unwanted noise. Try to
minimize your cable runs as much as possible to preserve
sound quality. Don't sweat over minor differences in length
(i.e., using 20' of cable when you only need 15'), but definitely
don't use a 100 ft. cable if all you need is 10 ft.!
3. Use High Quality Cables – Not all cables are the same!
Try to use well constructed, high-quality cables whenever
possible. Two cables may look the same on the outside, but a
high quality cable will have better shielding and soldering on
its connectors. This means a good cable will perform better
and last much longer than a cheap one.
4. Keep 'em separated! – Try to keep your audio cables and
power cables separate from each other. Power cables tend to
emit lots of electromagnetic noise and if you bunch all of
your cables together to make them look tidy, you're increasing
the noise that is picked up by your audio cables. Group your
cables in two bunches if possible (i.e., an "audio" group and
an "other" group) and keep these groups separate. Even a
few inches between the two groups will substantially cut
down on noise. If your power and audio cables need to cross
paths, have them do so at 90 degree angles to minimize
contact.
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