My new monitors and a question

[GregEL]

Got a new pair of Yamaha HS50M monitors a couple of days ago. Only have had time to hook them up and make sure everything is working properly.

I'm recording solo steel string fingerstyle stuff with a Taylor GC3. Recording two channels simultaneously, one with a soundhole pickup and the other with an AKG C214 into an Apogee Duet II into a MacBook Pro running Logic Express. It works well.

My question - right now I'm using 1/4" cables from my Duet to the monitors. There is an option of using XLR cables instead. The only XLRs I have are at least 25' long. Is there a real advantage to using XLRs over the 1/4" cables? If so I guess I could buy some shorter ones but what I'm using right now sounds fine.

Thanks!

[Bob Womack]

The main advantages are that there is typically much less noise induction into a balance signal conduction and you are presenting a much more powerful signal at low impedance to the speakers as well. With a balanced connection, the 25' cables shouldn't be a problem.

Bob

[Ty Ford]

Originally Posted by GregEL

My question - right now I'm using 1/4" cables from my Duet to the monitors. There is an option of using XLR cables instead. The only XLRs I have are at least 25' long. Is there a real advantage to using XLRs over the 1/4" cables? If so I guess I could buy some shorter ones but what I'm using right now sounds fine.

Thanks!

Hello Greg,

It depends on whether or not the sending circuitry is balanced or unbalanced and what kind of 1/4" connectors and cables you're using.

If your mixer output has a balanced TRS (tip/ring/sleeve) jack, then using three conductor cables to your monitors is an advantage if your powered monitors are expecting a balanced TRS cable.

If every part is balanced, regardless of XLR or TRS hardware, using balanced connectors will improve the signal to noise ratio and reduce interference.

Regards,

Ty Ford