I first started noticing speakons being widely adopted over 20 years ago. Seems like sufficient notice.
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Rant.. Neutrik Connectors Without 1/4” Connectivity
- Thread starter 57pbass
- Start date
Speakon is superior in every way. My favorite Improvement is the lock mechanism. Clinging to old tech like that is just silly. Tubes I get. The tone is different. But everything else can go in the burn pile.
I don't think the combo plugs area even being installed on US market amps anymore. I recently bought a small Crown and the manual had a note that said tge combo Neutriks would be found only on some non-USA market amps.
There might be a UL rule in place by now requiring them for their approval.
I love how there's a jack labelled "Switch", which has a switch below it. Does that do "jack" all?
- Feb 12, 2006
- 61,074
- 5
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- Disclosures
- Development Engineer-Mesa Boogie, Development Engineer-Genzler (pedals), Product Support-Genz Benz
On the load side (i.e. speakers), backwards compatibility is provided but on the amp side (which must conform to the safety standards and because many use internally bridged topology) the connector is SpeakOn only and is touch-proof, latching, and meets the voltage/current requirements for higher powered amps (specifically the 25 amp current density)
Smaller amps (including tube amps) often don't have the same requirements and limitations so you may find 1/4" connections.
It's not a US rule specifically, but some markets served by domestic distribution may have this requirement. This is an area with inconsistencies between regions and even different countries, so often it's just easier to design/build to the "higher standard".
It may also be that one model in a series requires it, therefore it makes more sense to build all models in the series that way for that market.
Thank you Sir, that option really came in handy with the use of my Walkabout and Mpulse 600 into the Subways!
I am not arguing against the perfectly reasonable rationales that have been given in this thread for using Speakons over 1/4" plugs, especially with bridged amps. I do wonder, however, whether and how often the amp-destroying worst-case scenarios described actually happen. Clearly it CAN, and I'm sure it has somewhere at some point, but how does real-world likelihood compare to, say, having your amp fried by a lightning strike, or by a random component failure? I suspect that the resistance to adopting Speakons more widely is due at least in part to the perception that the danger they protect against is so unlikely that the added cost and aggravation is not justified. Everything can always be made safer, but there's always a cost/benefit analysis. Do you wear a crash helmet when you drive on public streets? Probably not, but the risk of a car accident is probably higher than lots of other potential perils people face (and make efforts to protect against).
Although almost every amp I've used for the last 15 years or so (until very recently) has had Speakon outputs, they all had either 1/4" outputs too or combo jacks. So I had no incentive to switch since I already had 1/4" speaker cables. Also, I was using Bag End cabinets a lot, and when they have Speakons at all, they are famously wired differently than everybody else, so I couldn't just get a Speakon cable and plug into my amps. Sure, I could have made a custom cable, but I figured why go to the trouble when the 1/4" jacks are there and work fine?
That changed recently when I bought my first "new technology" cabinet in decades (an EA Wizzy), and it has only Speakon connectors. The irony is, I'm using it with one of the rare modern amps that doesn't have a Speakon out: a Quilter Interbass. But I did finally get a 1/4"-to-Speakon cable. Now that I've entered the Speakon world, and after reading this thread, I'm going to bite the bullet and make the adaptor cables to use Speakons with my Bag End cabinet, too.
Although almost every amp I've used for the last 15 years or so (until very recently) has had Speakon outputs, they all had either 1/4" outputs too or combo jacks. So I had no incentive to switch since I already had 1/4" speaker cables. Also, I was using Bag End cabinets a lot, and when they have Speakons at all, they are famously wired differently than everybody else, so I couldn't just get a Speakon cable and plug into my amps. Sure, I could have made a custom cable, but I figured why go to the trouble when the 1/4" jacks are there and work fine?
That changed recently when I bought my first "new technology" cabinet in decades (an EA Wizzy), and it has only Speakon connectors. The irony is, I'm using it with one of the rare modern amps that doesn't have a Speakon out: a Quilter Interbass. But I did finally get a 1/4"-to-Speakon cable. Now that I've entered the Speakon world, and after reading this thread, I'm going to bite the bullet and make the adaptor cables to use Speakons with my Bag End cabinet, too.
Same here. I just bought a used 2x10 cab a couple weeks ago. It's the first cab I've owned with Speakon. It also has 1/4" phono input. I don't own a Speakon cable. Most of my gear is over 10 years old. I'll transition when I have to, but I'm not getting rid of everything and starting over. If I were young, maybe....
This thread reminds me of a bizarre thing (to me) in a powered mixer we had in a band I was in years ago. (Mackie somethin er other).
There was a situation where they had you plug a 1/4" (6.35mm
) Mono plug PARTIALLY into the (send?)jack, like the 1st click or something to avowing breaking the signal. Seemed really ODD to me. I mean, just make another jack if you need another feature.
As I read this thread I just remembered buying a 1/8" phone adapter for somethin, and its actually called a 3.5MM according to the packaging. Maybe we'll all be using metric eventually..as long as er'ythin is bein made "offshore" (off my shore anyway).
T$
There was a situation where they had you plug a 1/4" (6.35mm
) Mono plug PARTIALLY into the (send?)jack, like the 1st click or something to avowing breaking the signal. Seemed really ODD to me. I mean, just make another jack if you need another feature.As I read this thread I just remembered buying a 1/8" phone adapter for somethin, and its actually called a 3.5MM according to the packaging. Maybe we'll all be using metric eventually..as long as er'ythin is bein made "offshore" (off my shore anyway).
T$
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Electronics formulae all use metric; I often marvel at how they all interlock together in a unified manner.
I was in grade school when metric was introduced, so I also previously learned the imperial measurement system and can use both systems.
However, I can mentally envision what a 30 or 50 foot mic cable length is, or a 100 foot multipair when laying out a stage, much better than in meters, because simply that's what I'm used to.
I build violins as a hobby, and it so happens a typical violin weighs about 1 pound, which is my point of reference. A Kilogram? 2.2 violins??
One positive side to using imperial measurement is it teaches you how to use fractions, something that I see many of the younger generations struggling with.
Personally, I function well with some imperial scale measurements, and metric for others. This isn't saying one is superior to the other, only what makes the most sense in one's own mind. Languages are similar; Most people that can speak multiple languages still tend to think in their native language.
This thread reminds me of a bizarre thing (to me) in a powered mixer we had in a band I was in years ago. (Mackie somethin er other).
There was a situation where they had you plug a 1/4" (6.35mm
T$
That was a way to use the insert jack for something that it wasn't really intended for but did work in the end, until it didn't of course. Adding another jack to that on every channel would change the whole circuit board/price point/etc. That particular mixer was sort of revolutionary at the time for its features and price point. I personally never understood why the musicians always insisted on plugging things like electric guitars and keyboards directly in like that. Why not just use a direct box?
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Mackie was big on this sort of practice; they were trying to market a bargain basement product with as many selling features as possible.This thread reminds me of a bizarre thing (to me) in a powered mixer we had in a band I was in years ago. (Mackie somethin er other).
There was a situation where they had you plug a 1/4" (6.35mm
T$
IMHO someone would have to be pretty motivated to damage an NL4 panel mount with 1/4" plug. The hole is not even close to being big enough.
.
Especially the "LOT" of people as mentioned...
No offense, just some good clean ribbin'.
T$
My new neo cab only weighs three stone.
Yes - I got shocked by those (dual banana plugs) a couple of times (developing a stereo amp with those as output connectors). I also had them on my bass rig at one time, and with two cabinets.....yeah, on the biggest gig I ever did with that band, on a huge stage *( I was probably 20 feet from my amp most of the time), I played most of the gig with my cabinets out of polarity (phase) with each other. Didn't hear a note I played, until near the end, when I had a brainstorm (I wonder if that's why I can't hear myself?), unplugged one speaker, and suddenly....I was there. As I couldn't hear myself, I had the amp cranked, so the recording (the PA was fed by a mic off one of my cabinets, so the audience could hear me) I was distorted much of the time.
Yeah, I remember those. Not fondly, though.
The only speakon I wasn't impressed with were the original ones with a locking ring instead of the now current thumb latch.
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