Connecting with midi....

Musicman20

Just a quick one....starting to enter the world of midi with the ES-8 and some of my pedals.

I know we all try to buy decent guitar/patch/speaker cables, but is there a similar approach to midi cables or doesn't it really matter? There are some for like £3-4 with great reviews.....then some Roland cables, then the over priced versions.

Any opinions?

Cheers!

vasselmeyer

Generally midi cables don't have to be pricey, as long as they don't fall apart. However, I found the main thing with a switcher like the ES-8 is to keep the cabling to exactly the right length otherwise it just ends up as total spaghetti. I had some cables made for me by Chris at @CustomPedalBoards and I went for straight plugs out of the back of the ES-8 but used right angle cables for the pedals.

CustomPedalBoards

vasselmeyer said:

Generally midi cables don't have to be pricey, as long as they don't fall apart. However, I found the main thing with a switcher like the ES-8 is to keep the cabling to exactly the right length otherwise it just ends up as total spaghetti. I had some cables made for me by Chris at @CustomPedalBoards and I went for straight plugs out of the back of the ES-8 but used right angle cables for the pedals.

yup thats right, theres no audio/tone/signal being carried down these cables, just info signal so any old cable will do. but... if you want it neat.... those switchcraft RA plugs are dam expensive!
if you have an ES8 on a flat board with no slots like a pedal train then you will need Straight out of the ES8 to RA at pedal end, which will be cheaper from us at any rate, as the S plugs cost a lot less.
http://www.custompedalboards.co.uk/product/midi-patch-cables/

sgosden

All my midi leads are either far too long, or slightly too short.

english_bob

sgosden said:

All my midi leads are either far too long, or slightly too short.

Whatever you do, don't make your own. What a bloody ballache that turned out to be.

professorben

As with any non audio cable on my board it's the middle ground between
Rugged as possible vs Cheap as possible. 
 

sgosden

english_bob said:

sgosden said:

All my midi leads are either far too long, or slightly too short.

Whatever you do, don't make your own. What a bloody ballache that turned out to be.

I have to make up multiple pin plugs at work sometimes. Not something I'd choose to do in my own leisure hours.

mynamesnotbob

I made my own, it annoyed me otherwise. Nutrik midi connectors and van damme cables. Seems to be lasting well

Ball ache to solder, but much better for the OCD in me

english_bob

sgosden said:

english_bob said:

sgosden said:

All my midi leads are either far too long, or slightly too short.

Whatever you do, don't make your own. What a bloody ballache that turned out to be.

I have to make up multiple pin plugs at work sometimes. Not something I'd choose to do in my own leisure hours.

In that case you might make shorter work of it than I did. MIDI only actually uses three of the five pins on the plug. I do most of my soldering on PCB or stripboard which is much easier. 

ecc83

I am one of those weird people that actually finds making up cables very relaxing! Never so happy as when I had a big drum of m'core and a bag full of 15pin D conns' ! (DINs? Piece of piss!)

No, MIDI cables are nothing special but beware, you need pins 4 and 5 for the data so you CANNOT use 3 pin DINs. Sometimes you can get a hum loop so it is worth making at least one with pin 2 disse'd one end. MARK IT UP!

If you want to have a go...Use a DIN socket in a vice to hold the plug and use some ~3mm OD silicone sleeving to slip over each pin as you solder it.

Dave.

ecc83

Forgot. There is/was a 'crossover' DIN cable that was needed for tape to tape copy. In theory these should still work for MIDI but be aware. You might find some very cheap old PC keyboard DIN cables on The Bay. They work.

Dave.