• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Cables

#42
jacochops said:
They're called EARS....
Ask Carey Nordstrand...we both did the "taste test" with those cables in my hi-fi rig...he's a tone purist, and even he was a bit taken aback at the difference!
I always bring a backup....another Tara Labs!
If your cable works for you, then great! However, if you haven't gone the high-end cable route, I'd suggest you actually LISTEN before you post a typical "broke-guy" lemming-like response, and have the intelligence to try a cable like the Tara on something other than your "bedroom rig".
Click to expand...
I find your attitude to be biased, condesending, and ignorant. We've already had this war, and we're not doing it again. My ears of 19 years experience, pro eden rig, full stack of trace elliot, modulus, and fender basses are hardly bedroom gear (gear I personally tested the lot of tara on) , and I don't appreciate being talked down to by some generic sucker on the internet.

Any more drama, this thread will be closed.
 
#43
Tim,
Whoh! Hold the phone! The post was not in response to you, it was to someone else. FWIW, I have 25 years of playing experience (18 professionally), a Master's degree in both bass and percussion performance from UMASS and Ohio University, 12 years of teaching experience, and a room full of super high-end gear, too boot. Whatever. It's not really that important. As far as being a "generic sucker on the internet", I can see your point; you don't know me, and vice-versa. FWIW, I actually taught at Ohio University for a couple of years, which if I remember correctly, is not too far geographically from you.
I apologize that the post was considered offensive. The reply wasn't meant for you, Tim. I am, however, tired of people posting "I would never buy a 200$ cable" when the VAST OVERWHELMING MAJORITY have never even tried one. It's that simple. If someone can't afford a 200$ cable, great. If they can, great. Once again, it's whatever works for them. It's like my little boy....he doesn't "like" green beans, however, he's never tried them! (Yet, a battle that I'm still fighting! :D )
I remember a review in BP a few years back about some cable that was available for something close to 2000$. Now, is the end result of your sound worth the price jump to that level? I don't know! I don't know, because I've never tried one! Now, am I skeptical? Sure, about as skeptical as someone who's never tried a Tara Labs cable. But I withhold judgement on the product until I DO have a chance to try it, that's all.
Once again, sorry if the post was viewed as offensive...it was written whilst in the middle of my 4th glass of red wine! ;)
"Friends don't let friends drink and type!"
 
#44
jacochops said:
I disagree that high end cables are "snake oil". I have a Tara Labs cable that set me back a couple of hundred dollars. Was it expensive? Not really, compared to the number of fret levelings and fingerboard resurfacings that I have done over the years to make my basses play their best, let alone SOUND their best. Do I think it was worth it? Definitely. The difference between that cable and Monster cables or Klotz cables with Neutrik plugs is substantial both in the studio and in live performance. IMHO, if you can't hear the difference, your amp setup isn't very good, or you're not listening. ;)
Click to expand...
Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk.
 
#46
ive ab'd a tara labs with an ernie ball cable at the old la bass exchange using my fretless f bass and i heard a pretty clear difference. fuller low end and more sparkling highs. i spent the entire car trip there trying to convince an upright playing buddy of mine that he wasnt going to be able to tell the difference between the cables and that he didnt need to spend that much money. at the end of the day i was proven wrong. did i buy the cable myself? no. i dont feel that the slight improvement in sound was worth the price and feel that the difference would be negligible in a live environment. my friend bought it and is happy with the purchase.

but, if you want to stick to physics, cool. it doesnt mean that everyone else is hearing things though. its just as easy to be sucked into marketing hype as it is to be pre convinced of an outcome and not want to hear a difference.
 
#47
jacochops said:
Tim,
Whoh! Hold the phone! The post was not in response to you, it was to someone else. FWIW, I have 25 years of playing experience (18 professionally), a Master's degree in both bass and percussion performance from UMASS and Ohio University, 12 years of teaching experience, and a room full of super high-end gear, too boot. Whatever. It's not really that important. As far as being a "generic sucker on the internet", I can see your point; you don't know me, and vice-versa. FWIW, I actually taught at Ohio University for a couple of years, which if I remember correctly, is not too far geographically from you.
I apologize that the post was considered offensive. The reply wasn't meant for you, Tim. I am, however, tired of people posting "I would never buy a 200$ cable" when the VAST OVERWHELMING MAJORITY have never even tried one. It's that simple. If someone can't afford a 200$ cable, great. If they can, great. Once again, it's whatever works for them. It's like my little boy....he doesn't "like" green beans, however, he's never tried them! (Yet, a battle that I'm still fighting! :D )
I remember a review in BP a few years back about some cable that was available for something close to 2000$. Now, is the end result of your sound worth the price jump to that level? I don't know! I don't know, because I've never tried one! Now, am I skeptical? Sure, about as skeptical as someone who's never tried a Tara Labs cable. But I withhold judgement on the product until I DO have a chance to try it, that's all.
Once again, sorry if the post was viewed as offensive...it was written whilst in the middle of my 4th glass of red wine! ;)
"Friends don't let friends drink and type!"
Click to expand...
Just thought Id add that not everyone considers your gear or your sound better.

A lot of people would call some high end amps "sterile" and a lot would never bring a high end bass to a gig because its just too much for their taste. A lot of guys just want an SVT and a P bass.

Narud mentioned "fuller low end and more sparkling highs." Some guys would say it makes their bass sound boomy and too bright.

Me, I like my Eden Preamp with the gain set for some very slight overdrive and the compressor set to a hard limit on my peaks and I like my 210XST cabs. I like my Jazz basses with EMGs and an Aguilar OPB-1 with the treble cranked. I like the way that rig gives me an agressive sound that you wont hear from most of these pro bassist who run the kind of rigs you are talking about. You might think I dont have a good enough rig to hear the difference, but I think I have a rig that is so good that a cable wont make a difference.

Peace
Nick
 
#48
I know that that statement wasn't directed towards me, that was my first post in this thread. It did, however come across as a blanket statement that those who disagree with you are either: deaf, poor, own junk, or stupid.

My ear isn't bionic, but I'd say it is far above average, I can afford it, I am an avid gear whore, and I'm not ignorant either. And YES, I have tried their cables, a whole assortment of them, in two different rooms, using multiple instruments, through various rigs.

I said I myself would buy one if I heard any audible difference. Guess what? Still haven't bought any. The whole test IMO was a waste of time, and shipping costs. It's funny how every time there is a cable thread, the tara guys come out of the woodwork plugging the company. I for one, am sick of it.

If you're happy with them, fine.....I hope you enjoy. I'm not buying it, no matter how much name dropping, or insulting to the naysayers you do.
 
#49
I've used Conquest cables with the Switchcraft ends for years. I do have a few Monster cables, which I got specifically because of the warranty policy. I've killed Rapco cables, I don't like the cloth wound Whirlwind cables- I haven't tried any other brand of cloth wound cable because they knot up so easily. A while ago I was going to replace the patch cables between my pedals on my guitar rig. I wish I would have because I somehow broke a Switchcraft end and had to cannibalize another cable for the end. Point is I haven't had to use the Monster warranty in the past 5 years or so, but I could have used a warranty on the Conquest (which may or may not have a warranty).

I also believe any musician that plays an electric instrument should learn to solder and have the materiel to do so. You should also know how to 'basically' set up your own guitar (and change your own strings :D ). But I don't believe in bringing a soldering iron to a show unless you KNOW you're going to have problems, a spare cable is much more practical for all intents and porpoises. That being said, one night our keyboard player was having problems with his 38 year old Hammond/Vox/Farfisa thing and did end up being glad he brought a soldering iron.

As far as audio quality... take AC line noise, 60 cycle hum, any flourescent lights in the place, the "shoddy" copper wire in your instrument, the ineffiecency of 1/4" plugs... get your rig to sound good to you, if that includes a $500 cable or something- all power to you. But I recall someone saying "long tenon, short tenon, when the drums come in, what the hell does it matter." Kind of applicable in an analagous sort of way.
 
#50
Tim Cole said:
I know that that statement wasn't directed towards me, that was my first post in this thread. It did, however come across as a blanket statement that those who disagree with you are either: deaf, poor, own junk, or stupid.

My ear isn't bionic, but I'd say it is far above average, I can afford it, I am an avid gear whore, and I'm not ignorant either. And YES, I have tried their cables, a whole assortment of them, in two different rooms, using multiple instruments, through various rigs.

I said I myself would buy one if I heard any audible difference. Guess what? Still haven't bought any. The whole test IMO was a waste of time, and shipping costs. It's funny how every time there is a cable thread, the tara guys come out of the woodwork plugging the company. I for one, am sick of it.

If you're happy with them, fine.....I hope you enjoy. I'm not buying it, no matter how much name dropping, or insulting to the naysayers you do.
Click to expand...


Tim,

Personally, I use Zip cable from Radio Shack for all of my basses. I enjoy the 60-cycle hum. It covers up the pops and crackles that I get from my Made-In-Indonesia J-bass ("J" standing for "Jakarta".) I think that anyone who spends more than $.39/foot for cable is an ignorant, pretentious, tone-deaf dolt. :)

Have we had enough of this thread yet? Let's move to something less controversial.......such as who makes the best
strings !!!! ;)

Randy
 
#51
Bass Atlanta said:
Tim,

Personally, I use Zip cable from Radio Shack for all of my basses. I enjoy the 60-cycle hum. It covers up the pops and crackles that I get from my Made-In-Indonesia J-bass ("J" standing for "Jakarta".) I think that anyone who spends more than $.39/foot for cable is an ignorant, pretentious, tone-deaf dolt. :)

Have we had enough of this thread yet? Let's move to something less controversial.......such as who makes the best
strings !!!! ;)

Randy
Click to expand...

"I think that anyone who spends more than $.39/foot for cable is an ignorant, pretentious, tone-deaf dolt. :)"

I really think that " ignorant, pretentious and tone-deaf " are not applicable to the discussion.


Harrell S.
 
#53
There was a great post in the power cable's thread about how by changing the circuit breakers in a house, the user got a more vintage sound :D - I think it would be apt in this thread too!

What I don't understand is how a cable can improve something unless the entire circuit is made of that cable. Think of it like having a 1inch diamter pipe flowing into a 2 inch diameter pipe then back into a 1 inch diameter pipe. The fact that you have the two inch pipe in the middle of the system will make no difference because you are bottlenecked at either end.

Same with a bass. If you have 50c cable connecting your preamp to the output jack in your bass going to a $200 cable connecting you bass to your amp and then back to 50c cable connecting the input jack of your amp to the preamp, what exactly is the $200 cable doing to improve this system?
 
#56
Mark Latimour said:
There was a great post in the power cable's thread about how by changing the circuit breakers in a house, the user got a more vintage sound :D - I think it would be apt in this thread too!

What I don't understand is how a cable can improve something unless the entire circuit is made of that cable. Think of it like having a 1inch diamter pipe flowing into a 2 inch diameter pipe then back into a 1 inch diameter pipe. The fact that you have the two inch pipe in the middle of the system will make no difference because you are bottlenecked at either end.

Same with a bass. If you have 50c cable connecting your preamp to the output jack in your bass going to a $200 cable connecting you bass to your amp and then back to 50c cable connecting the input jack of your amp to the preamp, what exactly is the $200 cable doing to improve this system?
Click to expand...
Heres the thing though, all cables will have capacitance and resistance, putting that $200 cable in the middle will give you less total capacitance and resistance than if you had a lower quality cable.

I dont think its nescessarily an audible difference or even better though.

Peace
Nick
 
#58
Nick man said:
Heres the thing though, all cables will have capacitance and resistance, putting that $200 cable in the middle will give you less total capacitance and resistance than if you had a lower quality cable.

I dont think its nescessarily an audible difference or even better though.

Peace
Nick
Click to expand...
How many of your audience could tell the difference in sound, even if you THINK you can?
 
#60
narud said:
the audience cant tell the difference between you playing a p bass or a mtd. we dont choose gear based on our audiences ability to appreciate tone or lack thereof. it is about what we as musicians think and what makes a particular person happy with their sound.
Click to expand...
Apples and oranges. There are many variables that determine the best bass for the job, not just some marketing hype.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back