Sorry for the ignorance

[Hounddog409]

Wow... In over 40 years of working in the music industry I've never seen a cable labeled speaker or instrument until the last couple of years.

Is must be me... I feel like the entire population of this planet is becoming more dumbed down by their "smart" devices every day. If something is not labeled, are you not smart enough to figure it out for yourself ???

I've never seen one not labeled. And I am on the wrong side of 50.

 

[Al Kraft]

Most learning begins with a asking question, and the smarter you get, the more questions you'll ask. Questions are never a reflection of an ignorant person in my mind, just somebody who is interested in becoming smarter than they already are.

 

[Nephilymbass]

Speaker cable ( Amp to Cab) v INstrument cable.
How can i tell them apart. Aren't they both 1/4" cables?

Since around 2002 or so all my speaker cables have looked like this

And all my instrument cables look something like this

started using speakon cables after having the 1/4 cable fall out of the back of the cab mid show because the cab was pushing some serious air and the jack was worn out.

 

[jamro217]

If yours look too similar and are both black get a silver sharpie pen and label them. Or find some other way to clearly mark/identify them so you don't ever get them confused.

I mark all of my cables with a stripe of colored duct tape at each end. Different colors for speakers and instrument. This not only serves to keep them from getting mixed up, but from inadvertently being taken by another band member.

 

[Goingdownslow]

 

[Kmonk]

This article explains the differences between cables. Here is a quote from the article regarding using an instrument cable to connect to your speaker cab.

Cables 101: Instrument vs. Speaker Cables

"Using an instrument cable in place of a speaker cable, however, is much more serious. Since the amp is attempting to put out far more power than what the cable is made to handle, the amp (and speakers, for that matter) get a little confused. If you remember from my article “Speaker Impedance: How to Properly Match Your Amp Head with Cabinets“, amps are pretty “smart” in that they know at what impedance to run. Unfortunately, this instrument cable problem just throws a huge curve-ball to the amp, and it strains itself to push through the cable. The result can be damage to your speakers, your amp, or both."

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

Ignorance can be overcome... Stupid is forever...

Or if you have access to a multi meter you can measure the resistance (in Ohms) from tip to tip and then from shield to shield of each cable. A speaker cable should have roughly the same reading on both. An instrument cable will have a much higher value when measured tip to tip (Very tiny wire. Maybe 20 or 22 gauge = More resistance.) vs shield to shield (Very large wire, Equivalent to 10 or 12 gauge = Less resistance.). See why it is a bad idea to use an instrument cable for a speaker connection?

A 10 ga cable has a resistance of 0.999 Ohms per 1000 ft.
A 22 ga cable resistance is 16.14 Ohms/1000.

Electrical Wire Gauges

That means a 10 ft speaker cable will be 0.00999 Ohms.
The instrument cable of the same length will be 0.1614 Ohms.
The shield on an instrument cable will fall somewhere between the two.
Your run of the mill multi-meter will not be able to distinguish between any of these.

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

just a note on your ignorance: Nobody starts out knowing anything. It is far better to ask than blow up an amp. While you may have shown ignorance by asking your question, you also showed intelligence.

One might also substitute the word curious in place of ignorance.

 

[BooDoggie]

That means a 10 ft speaker cable will be 0.00999 Ohms.
The instrument cable of the same length will be 0.1614 Ohms.
The shield on an instrument cable will fall somewhere between the two.
Your run of the mill multi-meter will not be able to distinguish between any of these.

I stand corrected sir... and I bow to your superior understanding of this subject.
I guess I don't have a run of the mill meter...

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

If something is not labeled, are you not smart enough to figure it out for yourself ???

It's too bad not everyone here meets your expectations for technical competency.
If they did then at least a couple of the sub forums on TB could be eliminated entirely.

New people come here almost on a daily basis it seems. It appears many of them don't sign up until they have a question, or a problem they cannot solve by themselves.

Some folks here go bananas every time the cabs/ohms/watts questions come up.
So what! Newbies to the board may not yet be aware of the stickies that might answer their questions.

Knowledge is not so much about how much information you carry around in your head, as it is in being able to figure out how to find the information you need. It starts with a simple question. The answer may lead to more questions. It becomes a process of education.

You may be further along in that process than everyone else. So maybe cut the rest of us a bit of slack now and then.

 

[chris_b]

My cables have usually followed this formula. . . . the instrument cables have been long (12' - 30') and the speakers cables have been short (2' - 3').

 

[dbase]

Speaker cables are usually thicker.

Anyway, I wouldn't worry about it. I used an instrument cable instead of a "speaker" cable for 20 years until I joined here and nothing happened. I didn't even have any clue there was such a thing.

Same for me .. back in the 60/70's I dont remember having just speaker cables. we used any cable if it fit.

 

[dbase]

Speaker cable ( Amp to Cab) v INstrument cable.
How can i tell them apart. Aren't they both 1/4" cables?

Rule of thumb .. if the cable is 2 or 3 ft long... it usually is a speaker cable. Longer instrument cables are 6ft or longer. unless you want to use a speaker cable and sit on your amp.

 

[Dave W]

Wow... In over 40 years of working in the music industry I've never seen a cable labeled speaker or instrument until the last couple of years.

I've got cable well over 20 years old that's correctly labeled.

Pretty much all cable is labeled for brand, type, footage, standards, etc. every two feet. That's how electricians know what kind of cable it is and how much of it they need.

 

[TheSlug]

Speaker cable has to carry more correct so the WIRE is heavier than instrument csble. Instrument cables have to have the signal shielded so that have a braided or foil wrap.

Laughed so hard when i saw that your signature said "Spelling, grammar, and punctuation matter!".
I am not trying to diss you, just reminded me of an old Alanis Morissette song.

 

[BooDoggie]

I never bought off the shelf cables much. I always ordered bulk wire and made my own for whatever I needed. The bulk cables I remember would be labeled with the cable type (i.e. type 4, type AB, etc.), usually the gauge of the wire, and the manufacturer... I used different color shrink tubing on the ends as stress relief and to help in identifying the difference between what cable is for what purpose.
Come to think of it, it has been maybe more than 20 years since I was that deep into sound gear.

 

[BadExample]

Mine says "SJ00W," which is clearly Home Depot for "Speaker Cable"

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

If you cut the end off of Oxygen Free cable does it let the Oxygen out?
Or does that mean they don't charge extra for the Oxygen?

 

[rockinbilly]

I've never seen one not labeled. And I am on the wrong side of 50.

I have made my own speaker cables with SO, or SJ cable, so there would be no labeling, I would know, but if they ended up in another musicians hands they might not !
I agree with the "I like Speakon cables " statement.

 

[guy n. cognito]

Wow... In over 40 years of working in the music industry I've never seen a cable labeled speaker or instrument until the last couple of years.

Is must be me... I feel like the entire population of this planet is becoming more dumbed down by their "smart" devices every day. If something is not labeled, are you not smart enough to figure it out for yourself ???

If something is easily mistaken for something else, are you not smart enough to label it to make it easier?