Which wire of an instrument cable is positive?

[bmoney]

Is it the one unshielded attached to the large part of the plug, or the one in the shielding that attaches to the small part?

And is positive black or red?

Brendan

[JimmyM]

Unshielded is positive. Shielding is just a ground, so it's negative. And black = positive, red = negative.

[bmoney]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Unshielded is positive. Shielding is just a ground, so it's negative. And black = positive, red = negative.

Thanks a bunch man!

[Jazz Ad]

Talking about positive is unproper.
We're dealing with AC currents which are alternatively positive and negative.
Ground and Signal are the proper denominations.

[Munjibunga]

Originally Posted by Jazz Ad

Talking about positive is unproper.
We're dealing with AC currents which are alternatively positive and negative.
Ground and Signal are the proper denominations.

Indeed. So the core is signal, and the shield is ground.

[JimmyM]

Fair enough, but what about XLR cables? You have a signal and a ground, but what's the third? You'd think that as long as I've been playing I'd know that, but I honestly don't.

[bongomania]

There you have positive, negative, and ground.

[Rattman]

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

Indeed. So the core is signal, and the shield is ground.

This is more accurate. Actually I would not even call the signal "A/C" pre se, but rather "pulse A/C" as the wave form is inconsistant, unlike true A/C from a wall outlet which has a very predictable 'sine wave' form of true alternating current consisting of 60HZ in the USA.

You can even say "tip and ring" with the tip being the signal, and ring being signal return or ground, via the braided shield.