Pedal Connections: Short Patch Cords vs. One-Piece Male to Male

**kenstee** · #1 11-13-2009, 12:39 PM

Which do you prefer....Using short patch cords to go pedal to pedal or using a one-piece male-to-male connector to go pedal to pedal. On some level, it seems that it would be better to avoid cables all together by just using the one-piece. Yeah, know it doesn't leave much room between pedals. And there might be some issues of height differences between input/output pedal to pedal.But, it also seems there would be less potential for interference and breakage. Not to mention saving room on the board.

Smurf-o-Deth · #2 11-13-2009, 02:04 PM

The problem you are overlooking with the couplers is they do not flex, so when you stomp on a pedal, you are putting pressure on the jacks of the other pedals connected to the one you are engaging. This can lead to damage of your pedals, especially if the jacks are surface mounted (very common in production line effects like Boss and EHX). Using cables avoids this completely.

RickenBoogie · #3 11-13-2009, 02:12 PM

+1 to that, plus, with a short cable, it allows you more creative routing.

BassBrass · #4 11-13-2009, 02:13 PM

My experience with solid connectors are that they are guaranteed to break! I had one pedal get the pin stick inside, but I knew a guy who had some dentist tools...he fished it out. So...never again.

**kenstee** · #5 11-13-2009, 02:24 PM

Well........so much for that concept.............

What length cable do you typically use between pedals?

Matt Dean · #6 11-13-2009, 02:25 PM

I recently tried solid connectors and promptly started having problems (intermittent signal loss). I replaced them with short cables and problems went away.

Vamposaur · #7 11-13-2009, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenstee

Well........so much for that concept.............

What length cable do you typically use between pedals?

It depends on how you are routing it and how many pedals you have. But I only have 3 pedals, so 6 inch cables do the trick.

Jumbotron · #8 11-13-2009, 02:29 PM

I'm actually a fan of couplers--as long as you use offsets. My experience with these is that if your pedals are well-affixed, there's no issue of flexing when you step on them, and if they aren't well-affixed, any pedal movement will be accommodated by the rotation of the couplers. Moreover, internally, unless you try to bend them in a weird way, couplers are basically foolproof--much more so than regular cabling, which I've had soldering problems with at times. So, though they're not for everybody, I'm a fan. Here's what I currently do with my couplers.

**kenstee** · #9 11-13-2009, 02:53 PM

Where did you get the offsets? Sounds like that might be a solution......

Jim C · #10 11-13-2009, 03:48 PM

I have found that many times the highest impedence is the connector itself and not a short piece of cable.

With that said, good plating or solid brass is more important IMO assuming the connections are kept clean.

Matt Dean · #11 11-13-2009, 04:02 PM

I was using offsets and they still were problematic.

Jumbotron · #12 11-13-2009, 05:11 PM

I guess experience varies, though the fact that others have had problems should make one wary. It is true, however, that I gigged with a previous incarnation of my board hundreds of times without any problems, in all manner of conditions, and that was all couplers.

The ones I'm using now are from Musician's Friend (they're the musician's gear ones--I think there are some planet waves offsets too, but they're too long in the middle for my purposes).

jetofuj · #13 11-13-2009, 05:17 PM

I wouldn't risk.

**kenstee** · #14 11-16-2009, 10:48 AM

Good input. As always around here nothing is ever clear cut. Any other opinions about this?

dannybuoy · #15 11-16-2009, 10:57 AM

I use offset EBS ones, which are smaller than the ones pictured above. But I mix'n'match with George L's depending on the layout. My current board has no couplers on it because I'm cramming so much onto a PT Mini, with one pedal at 90 degress to the others, a mixture of top and side mounted jacks and a blender pedal, that cables are the only option. Couplers work great if they fit and your pedals are securely mounted to avoid stress on the jacks. Unfortunately some of my pedals (442 filter, BB Preamp, SFT) have slightly sloped sides, making them unsuitable for coupler use unless I loosen the jacks (they are not board mounted so it's ok!).

These are the EBS ones, hard to track down but if you go to the dealer list on the EBS website and contact them directly you might be able to get some (like I did from Bernie Goodfellow in the UK):

Woodpecker · #16 11-16-2009, 11:04 AM

I have to use both patch cables and couplers (all offset ones) because of the input and output jacks on my pedals are either on the sides or on the top side...
Check it out here : http://koti.mbnet.fi/bassment/ToyBox.html

Never had problems with my offset couplers though...