The influence of the cable on the sound quality

Almost every musician attaches great importance to the quality of the sound of the instruments. In fact, how a given instrument sounds is the decisive factor that makes us choose this and not another instrument. This applies to every group of instruments, regardless of whether we choose a keyboard, percussion or guitar. We always try to choose the instrument whose sound suits us best. It is a natural and very correct reaction, because it is primarily the instrument that determines what sound we can get.

However, you have to be aware that some of the instruments are electric, powered by electricity and to make them sound they need a cable connecting the instrument with the amplifier. Such instruments, of course, include all digital keyboards, electric and electro-acoustic guitars, electronic drums. Jack-jack cables are used to connect the instrument to our amplifier or mixer. When choosing a cable, guitarists should pay particular attention. Here, its length and thickness are important for the proper preservation of quality. A guitarist, especially on stage, must be able to move freely. Unfortunately, you shouldn’t make too much of a headlamp in meters, as the length of the cable has an effect on the sound. The longer the cable, the more it will be exposed on the way to the possibility of collecting unnecessary noise, causing deterioration of the sound quality. So when working with the cable, we have to find a compromise that will allow us to move freely while playing while maintaining good sound quality. The most preferred length of a guitar cable is 3 to 6 meters. Rather, cables shorter than 3 meters are not used, because they can restrict movements quite significantly, and you have to remember that the guitarist should not be restrained in any way, because it will affect the musical interpretation. In turn, longer than 6 meters can be a source of unnecessary distortions that worsen the quality of the transmitted sound. In addition, you also have to bear in mind that the longer the cable, the more we will have under our feet, which is also not very comfortable for us. The diameter of the cable in the case of guitarists is also of great importance. Try not to choose a cable for your guitar, the diameter of which is less than 6,5 mm. It is also good if the outer sheath of such a cable will have the appropriate thickness, which will protect the cable against external damage. Of course, parameters such as the thickness or length of the cable are primarily of great importance when playing on stage. Because for playing and practicing at home, when we are sitting in one place on a chair, a 3-meter cable is enough. So when choosing a guitar cable, we are looking for an instrument cable terminated with mono jack plugs with a diameter of 6,3 mm (1/4 ″). It is also worth paying attention to the plugs, which can be straight or angled. The former are definitely more popular and we will always stick to any type of amplifier. The latter can sometimes be a problem, so when we sometimes play on various amplification equipment, it is better to have a cable with straight plugs that will stick everywhere.

With keyboards, the problem is only about choosing the right cable length and quality. We do not wander around the house or the stage with the key. The instrument stands in one place. As a rule, keyboardists choose short cables because the vast majority of the mixer to which the instrument is connected is within the musician’s reach. In this case, there is no need to purchase a longer cable. Of course, the conditions on the stage may be different, or if we are not responsible for operating the mixing console, the cable must also be of the appropriate length. It is similar with connecting, for example, an electric drum kit to a mixer or other amplification device.

Buying a suitable, good-quality cable simply pays off. Not only will we have better quality, but it will also serve us longer. A solid cable and connectors make such a cable reliable, functional and ready to work in all conditions. The main features of such a cable are: low noise level and clean and full sound in each band. Apparently those with gold-plated plugs are better, but this kind of difference is not enough that the human ear can really detect. All those who need to use longer cables should buy cables that are double-shielded.