5 String Jazz with 7 channels out

[BigOldHarry]

Originally Posted by pilotjones

Are you able to find cat5 cable that would be suitable for use in live performance? Durability, and especially flexibility without internal damage would be primary concerns.

get some milspec cat5e... even thn, it seems like insufficient mass to transmit the signal correctly, but what do I know!

[pilotjones]

My main concern is not sufficient copper for signal transmission, it is the cable mechanical design. Cable designed for fixed installations can fail quickly in dynamic usage. I know this from experience in cable that has failed in robotics use. And we have probably all had guitar cables that failed due to internal breakage, usually near the jack. I've repaired studio headphones too many times, for the same reason.

Some audio cable I used to used as a studio tech was fantastic for its audio-related characteristics (low resistance, low capacitance, full-foil shielding), but was fairly fragile and only to be used where it wouldn't be messed with. We did use it for some TT patch bay leads, but we expected to monitor them for problems.

I'm not familiar with the cat5e spec, to be able to draw any conclusions. Just trying to bring up a possible issue early on, in case it might present problems later.

[fatboy250]

Originally Posted by pilotjones

My main concern is not sufficient copper for signal transmission, it is the cable mechanical design. Cable designed for fixed installations can fail quickly in dynamic usage. I know this from experience in cable that has failed in robotics use. And we have probably all had guitar cables that failed due to internal breakage, usually near the jack. I've repaired studio headphones too many times, for the same reason.

Some audio cable I used to used as a studio tech was fantastic for its audio-related characteristics (low resistance, low capacitance, full-foil shielding), but was fairly fragile and only to be used where it wouldn't be messed with. We did use it for some TT patch bay leads, but we expected to monitor them for problems.

I'm not familiar with the cat5e spec, to be able to draw any conclusions. Just trying to bring up a possible issue early on, in case it might present problems later.

Yeah this is not my area of expertise...not that I have many anyway. But the guy I'm working with at the cable and connections store is also a musician so he understands what I plan to do. I'm hoping there are no problems here. Thanks for looking out though.

Jason

[ljzimmer]

I'm a recording engineer and I would caution you that cat 5 probably isn't the best choice from an impedance stand point. You could probably find some multi pin that would serve you better (scrap that a studio or production company has laying around) or have some individual lines shrunk together and have a much better cable that sounds better. I know that there is a truckload of debate about the sound of cable, but with the extreme differences between cat5 and standard guitar cable, I'm almost positive that you would hear the difference.


I don't intend for this to be a rant...just trying to give you the 411 to help your project be all it can be...that's all.

[fatboy250]

Originally Posted by ljzimmer

I don't intend for this to be a rant...just trying to give you the 411 to help your project be all it can be...that's all.

Hey Thanks! I'll mention it to the guy I'm working with to see what he says. I appreciate the warning and suggestion. Again I'm new to alot here so I'm trusting others to help me get it right the first time.

Thanks,
Jason

[Basschair]

Although this thread probably would have been more appropriate for the electronics/pickups forum, I'm going to leave it here rather than moving it. You've gotten some good feedback so far from the users here, and it sounds like it could end up being complicated enough to required some structural considerations (something about which these guys would have a lot to say, I'd imagine ).

Cheers,
Paul

[vbasscustom]

maybe you could move it there, and leave it here. that way, twice the info, and maybe some stuff that the LC guys might not think of

[john turner]

Originally Posted by BigOldHarry

Hmmmm -

Again, not to be critical... but while this sounds like an interesting intellectual/technical exercise, I'll bet if you spend the same amount of time wood-shedding that you might developing this multi-channel pickup gizmo, you'll hear more of a difference in the notes coming out of your bass. BUT, if you gotta git your gizmo on, then do it and let everyone know how it works out!

if the best you can contribute to a gear related discussion is to tell someone to go practice, please do not participate in gear-related/hardware-type discussions.

that's borderline trolling, and while i understand that's not your intent, there's a place for those kinds of discussions (the "go practice" variety) and that's not gear threads.

[john turner]

in answer to the op's question, my first fretted conklin 7 string, which i got in '94, came wired with a seperate output for each of the string's piezos, that i then connected to a rack unit that i could control each string's individual volume and pan - the cable used was a 7 pin cable that looked like a powered midi cable (but was not - midi cables don't have every pin wired). was pretty cool, tbh, and one of the few basses that bill conklin wired up that way. i ended up having my first conk (a 7 fretless that i got the previous year) rewired that way too.

in the end, though, the rmc piezo system proved to be much more effective, for me, with the added benefit of having a synth interface option.

[Son of Magni]

Originally Posted by BigOldHarry

Hmmmm -

Again, not to be critical... but while this sounds like an interesting intellectual/technical exercise, I'll bet if you spend the same amount of time wood-shedding that you might developing this multi-channel pickup gizmo, you'll hear more of a difference in the notes coming out of your bass. BUT, if you gotta git your gizmo on, then do it and let everyone know how it works out!

lawl...

[ljzimmer]

Oh I almost forgot to mention. Neutrik makes some mic style connectors with lots of pins in them that would be easy to incorporate into a bass body without it looking ridiculous. The biggest pin count that I can find initially is 7 but I'm sure that something good can come of this. You might be able to split all the conductors between two connectors...maybe an option.