If it's used to connect PA gear, the blue cable is a mono balanced cable. If it's used to connect domestic gear, the blue cable is a stereo unbalanced cable. If the cable is long, there may be some resistance measured but it should be low. How low depends on the length of the cable and the thickness (gauge) of the conductor within the cable. Less than 1 ohm is generally reasonable over 10-20 metres. On any multi-meter, the value should hold steady to within the last digit which may alternate between round off values. The value rolling like that may be one of several things. A loose connection, dry solder connection, not getting good contact with the test probes (dirty or oxidised contacts), Finger shorting the contacts, low battery in the meter or electrical components within the cable makeup (capacitors, diodes etc). Sometimes a cable made to connect balanced to unbalanced gear may contain electronics to phase invert correctly. Electronics in a cable is rare but possible, so if your prob is making good contact and your finger isn't getting where it shouldn't be, and the battery is good, then rolling values indicate there is a problem with the cable. If your getting into PA at all, you need to understand the difference between balances and unbalanced signals and cables. You can't just go connecting these different types without knowing what your doing. Things may just not work or maybe there will be damage or electric shock for phantom power connecting incorrectly etc. You can use a cable tester which is quicker, but doesn't alert you to high resistance developing as a multi-meter will.
This is a good cable This is e good cable Yep this is a good cable too Why didn't you show a bad cable ? Oh look here " we have a bad cable " Do want to talk about that ?
It shows the O.L which means the two probes of the meter are not connected (i.e., the wire (tip-to-tip or sleeve-to-sleeve) connecting the two ends of the cable is broken).
With some of the cables that I am testing, when I test from the tip to ground it will go to OL for a split second and then go to 0. Does this mean that the wires are touching internally?
Any tips of solving which side is open or shouted? Assuming it is a molded cable/plug. Murphy's law say's when you cut the suspect tip it will be the other side that is open.
If my ohms are fluctuating from 0-14 ish on the tip, is this a bad cable? Everything is is as it should be. What setting for ohms? I tried 200, 2000 and 200k ohm and they all were just as sensitive to rapid changes and unclear indication
Hello! Thank you, this was very helpful. I’ve been soldering my own SP500’s for about a year now, and these two videos have been great. I definitely think I can improve…. I have a couple of questions for you. 1. Do you have a solder iron that you recommend? 2. Same with a type of solder…. 3. Do you ever use flux when you tin? I’m going to look up that meter as well. Thank you!!!
Hi YellowHouse, I actually list both of the solder iron and the exact solder I use in the description of my other video. HOW TO SOLDER PATCH CABLES. As far as using flux. I don't use it to tin when soldering patch cables. But I've used it when solder PCB boards on computers or other electronics that have circuit boards.
Many thanks! Testing from tip to sleeve like you showed here helped me to isolate two cables that worked but sometimes made slight noises or hummed. Before I was using the noise ohm setting and it wasn’t enough to beep.. but with a standard ohm setting on my meter it showed up. Many thanks. Do you have a standalone cable tester ( not a multi meter ) that you like to use for already made up cables to save on time that will work in the same way effectively?
Hey question, so I just made my first patch cables with SquarePlugs SP500s and wired the tip and sleeve backwards. The cable still works and sounds good but just wondering if there is a downside to having it like this?
The reason why it's working is cause you at least soldered the ground(shielding wire) to the tip on both sides. This means your audio signal is running on the part of the cable that is supposed to catch and block outside interference. I'd suspect the audio quality won't be as good and you may run into more noise/static/cell phone interference. Plus the outer shield won't have the same impedance/quality retention like the center core wire would.
Very helpful! @Joshua, is there any way to detect the 'gray' areas? Say you have a bad solder joint, or if in the case of a solderless cable, a bad or poor connection. Are there any reliable ways to test the quality of a cable in the case that there is still continuity? Almost like measuring signal loss if you will. Thanks!
@berrychapman Hi Barry! I get what you asking about being able to reliably test any cable to determine its quality and the amount of signal clarity vs signal loss. Honestly it isn't that easy because different cables have different size cores and different types of conductors. There's so many factors that could contribute to your signal being strong or very weak. IMO (correctly)soldered cables sound better and hold up better than the solder less options I've used(george L's and lava cable). Obviously if you buy the cheapest soldered patch cables, they will probably still sound worse compared to the high quality solder less stuff. The best case scenario for making sure you're not experiencing a lot of signal loss is to purchase and use high quality components. Factors I look for, are what metals are used, what's the cables capacitance, what gauge wire is being used, then the plugs used, and finally the solder job. All those are things you can research if you're looking into making your own. Otherwise if question the quality of your patch cables or you're trying to test solder less patch cables. I'd use your ear and compare them to something of high quality. With solder less I'd also move the cable around while signal is passing through it. A good cable shouldn't have any shorts, dips, or crackles in the sound while the cable is being moved. That was one of the biggest problems I'd experience with solderless kits. I'd have it set up and my guitar would still put out signal, but then when I'd move or bump the cables, they dip in volume or short out. If that happens then you're definitely experiencing signal loss, IMO. Wow, I just wrote a book. Sorry the long reply. Hope it helps!
I just started shortening my patch cables to length and was wondering about the same thing. I tested each cable and some of the ones I shortened sounded darker than the ”stock” cables.
DUDE! Thank you. This was exceptionally helpful. Cheers.
If it's used to connect PA gear, the blue cable is a mono balanced cable.
If it's used to connect domestic gear, the blue cable is a stereo unbalanced cable.
If the cable is long, there may be some resistance measured but it should be low. How low depends on the length of the cable and the thickness (gauge) of the conductor within the cable. Less than 1 ohm is generally reasonable over 10-20 metres. On any multi-meter, the value should hold steady to within the last digit which may alternate between round off values. The value rolling like that may be one of several things. A loose connection, dry solder connection, not getting good contact with the test probes (dirty or oxidised contacts), Finger shorting the contacts, low battery in the meter or electrical components within the cable makeup (capacitors, diodes etc). Sometimes a cable made to connect balanced to unbalanced gear may contain electronics to phase invert correctly. Electronics in a cable is rare but possible, so if your prob is making good contact and your finger isn't getting where it shouldn't be, and the battery is good, then rolling values indicate there is a problem with the cable.
If your getting into PA at all, you need to understand the difference between balances and unbalanced signals and cables. You can't just go connecting these different types without knowing what your doing. Things may just not work or maybe there will be damage or electric shock for phantom power connecting incorrectly etc.
You can use a cable tester which is quicker, but doesn't alert you to high resistance developing as a multi-meter will.
Very helpful! Just what I needed to know. Thank you!
You're welcome! 👍🏻
This is a good cable
This is e good cable
Yep this is a good cable too
Why didn't you show a bad cable ?
Oh look here " we have a bad cable "
Do want to talk about that ?
you should show the bad cable, and noisy cable compare to the good one. for example are both good cables produce the same noise?
should definitely do a video showing what bad cables will show on the meter...
It shows the O.L which means the two probes of the meter are not connected (i.e., the wire (tip-to-tip or sleeve-to-sleeve) connecting the two ends of the cable is broken).
Open Line, not overload.
With some of the cables that I am testing, when I test from the tip to ground it will go to OL for a split second and then go to 0. Does this mean that the wires are touching internally?
Thanks dude! great video
Thanks for sharing.
Any tips of solving which side is open or shouted? Assuming it is a molded cable/plug. Murphy's law say's when you cut the suspect tip it will be the other side that is open.
Man I want make some of those SP 500's did you do a vid on those....
Wouldn't be better to use a milliohm meter?
If my ohms are fluctuating from 0-14 ish on the tip, is this a bad cable? Everything is is as it should be. What setting for ohms? I tried 200, 2000 and 200k ohm and they all were just as sensitive to rapid changes and unclear indication
So you mentioned the spinning ground sleeve issue. Is there a way to repair that other than replacing the entire plug?
Hello! Thank you, this was very helpful. I’ve been soldering my own SP500’s for about a year now, and these two videos have been great. I definitely think I can improve…. I have a couple of questions for you. 1. Do you have a solder iron that you recommend? 2. Same with a type of solder…. 3. Do you ever use flux when you tin? I’m going to look up that meter as well. Thank you!!!
Hi YellowHouse, I actually list both of the solder iron and the exact solder I use in the description of my other video. HOW TO SOLDER PATCH CABLES.
As far as using flux. I don't use it to tin when soldering patch cables. But I've used it when solder PCB boards on computers or other electronics that have circuit boards.
@@joshuaaldy thank you! I’ll look at that description. I really appreciate it!
Nice ! but how do you test trs xlr cable ? Thanks !
Also curious!
Thank you man :)
Many thanks! Testing from tip to sleeve like you showed here helped me to isolate two cables that worked but sometimes made slight noises or hummed. Before I was using the noise ohm setting and it wasn’t enough to beep.. but with a standard ohm setting on my meter it showed up. Many thanks. Do you have a standalone cable tester ( not a multi meter ) that you like to use for already made up cables to save on time that will work in the same way effectively?
Hey question, so I just made my first patch cables with SquarePlugs SP500s and wired the tip and sleeve backwards. The cable still works and sounds good but just wondering if there is a downside to having it like this?
The reason why it's working is cause you at least soldered the ground(shielding wire) to the tip on both sides. This means your audio signal is running on the part of the cable that is supposed to catch and block outside interference. I'd suspect the audio quality won't be as good and you may run into more noise/static/cell phone interference. Plus the outer shield won't have the same impedance/quality retention like the center core wire would.
Very helpful! @Joshua, is there any way to detect the 'gray' areas? Say you have a bad solder joint, or if in the case of a solderless cable, a bad or poor connection. Are there any reliable ways to test the quality of a cable in the case that there is still continuity? Almost like measuring signal loss if you will. Thanks!
@berrychapman Hi Barry! I get what you asking about being able to reliably test any cable to determine its quality and the amount of signal clarity vs signal loss.
Honestly it isn't that easy because different cables have different size cores and different types of conductors. There's so many factors that could contribute to your signal being strong or very weak. IMO (correctly)soldered cables sound better and hold up better than the solder less options I've used(george L's and lava cable). Obviously if you buy the cheapest soldered patch cables, they will probably still sound worse compared to the high quality solder less stuff.
The best case scenario for making sure you're not experiencing a lot of signal loss is to purchase and use high quality components. Factors I look for, are what metals are used, what's the cables capacitance, what gauge wire is being used, then the plugs used, and finally the solder job. All those are things you can research if you're looking into making your own.
Otherwise if question the quality of your patch cables or you're trying to test solder less patch cables. I'd use your ear and compare them to something of high quality. With solder less I'd also move the cable around while signal is passing through it. A good cable shouldn't have any shorts, dips, or crackles in the sound while the cable is being moved. That was one of the biggest problems I'd experience with solderless kits. I'd have it set up and my guitar would still put out signal, but then when I'd move or bump the cables, they dip in volume or short out. If that happens then you're definitely experiencing signal loss, IMO.
Wow, I just wrote a book. Sorry the long reply. Hope it helps!
I just started shortening my patch cables to length and was wondering about the same thing. I tested each cable and some of the ones I shortened sounded darker than the ”stock” cables.
Hm bili mo sir tester