How hard can it be to find short MIDI cables?

english_bob

Do people who use MIDI coil enormous lengths of cable between units just for a laugh or something? I want a short MIDI cable- 30cm or so should do it- and I can't find anything on eBay or Amazon that's less than a metre long unless it costs a small fortune. I refuse to pay £20 for a foot of any sort of cable.

Am I looking in the wrong places? Would I have more luck if I went to one of those old fashioned actual music shops? Am I going to have to make my own. Because ugh <rolls eyes>.

fftc

I've used studiospares before for leads.
https://www.studiospares.com/Cables-Leads/Leads-MIDI.htm#&&/wEXAgUCbmUFFEFRQUFBQXNBQUFBRUF6QXVOUT09BQJwaQUBMfqiYcc5Nv6Zmr2cKVkp5n3yBhRq+Ittnhdwbxb1xSGV

paganskins

How's this? http://www.thegigrig.co.uk/05m-r-a-midi-cable-c2x17645428 .5m for £4

Sporky

Not awfully hard?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/EAGLETONE-DC20-Midi-Cable-50-cm-Black-x/dp/B00F33N0U6/ref=sr_1_4?s=musical-instruments&rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1483524868&sr=1-4&keywords=midi+cable

professorben

Yeah I went to Amazon. 
Got one on its way, .5m £2.42 posted. 
It's only going inside a Rack and won't get trodden on. 

Sassafras

http://www.custompedalboards.co.uk/product/midi-patch-cables/

handsomerik

I bought the 1ft hosa midi cables. Cost £5. Work great. 

Titch

JG Windows in Newcastle do Roland Cables both Midi and instrument in various lengths from about 0.5 mtrs upwards.
 

garfy

Might be worth giving Chris a call a Custom Pedal Boards...he makes custom length midi cables, top quality and a good price too

ecc83

Learn to solder. DINs are tricky and will cause you to swear but good for the soul.

Dave.

english_bob

ecc83 said:

Learn to solder. 

I can. I've never done a DIN plug, but there are two in the post  I reckon even 30cm might be longer than I need to connect two pedals that will sit next to each other on my pedalboard so I'm going to make my own.

I discovered that standard MIDI cable is actually only two cores and a shield (which is odd- why 5 pin DIN plugs when you only need three pins?) so I already have a couple of feet of suitable cable.

normula1

I find these to be really good for making MIDI cables: 
https://shop.klotz-ais.com/shop/5485-bulk-cables/5476-analog-audio-cable/5682-p0122.html

http://www.rean-connectors.com/en/products/din-cable-connectors/nys322

ecc83

english_bob said:

ecc83 said:

Learn to solder. 

I can. I've never done a DIN plug, but there are two in the post  I reckon even 30cm might be longer than I need to connect two pedals that will sit next to each other on my pedalboard so I'm going to make my own.

I discovered that standard MIDI cable is actually only two cores and a shield (which is odd- why 5 pin DIN plugs when you only need three pins?) so I already have a couple of feet of suitable cable.

DO NOT use 3 pin DINs for MIDI! They will not work. The original (mono) DIN was 1, 2, 3 two being common. Stereo needed the addition of pins 4 and 5 and THOSE are used for MIDI. Pin 2 is shield, not common and you might like to leave it off one end.

Slobbering: Have a DIN socket in a table vice to plug into and get some 3mm Slicone sleeving to run over each pin as you solder it. This stops whiskers from causing shorts. Have a swear box handy and it will probably at least pay for the plugs!

Dave.

english_bob

ecc83 said:

english_bob said:

ecc83 said:

Learn to solder. 

I can. I've never done a DIN plug, but there are two in the post  I reckon even 30cm might be longer than I need to connect two pedals that will sit next to each other on my pedalboard so I'm going to make my own.

I discovered that standard MIDI cable is actually only two cores and a shield (which is odd- why 5 pin DIN plugs when you only need three pins?) so I already have a couple of feet of suitable cable.

DO NOT use 3 pin DINs for MIDI! They will not work. The original (mono) DIN was 1, 2, 3 two being common. Stereo needed the addition of pins 4 and 5 and THOSE are used for MIDI. Pin 2 is shield, not common and you might like to leave it off one end.

Slobbering: Have a DIN socket in a table vice to plug into and get some 3mm Slicone sleeving to run over each pin as you solder it. This stops whiskers from causing shorts. Have a swear box handy and it will probably at least pay for the plugs!

Dave.

I got confused there for a minute, but I hadn't twigged that the pins on a 5 pin DIN plug are numbered all ass-backwards (the original three mono pins are 1-3 and 4-5 go in the gaps between them). I'd just glanced at diagrams online, seen that you needed to use the three central pins and assumed they'd be 2,3 and 4, when they're actually 2, 4 and 5.

Never simple, is it?

jamiexsilver

I've got a couple of short ones surplus to requirements, can't remember how short off my head I'll have a measure when I get home.
If you want one cover my postage and it's yours.

**ah just seen you've already ordered two, no worries. As you were.**

ecc83

"Never simple, is it?" Yes. For a DIN tape input on a mono amp, pin 1 is on the left and is "in" . Pin 3 is on the right and is tape out. Pin 2 as always, is common. It was the coming of stereo that caused the confusion.

But don't feel bad my young friend! Even in its time people were confused about the DIN standard and ignorant peeps slagged it off for being electrically of poor design when in fact it was brilliant! They just did not understand that it was a constant current system as against the constant voltage we now all use.

Dave

english_bob

Boy, you weren't wrong about those plugs being a pain to solder @ecc83. Having both my kids and my parents around while I was working helped keep the effing and jeffing to a minimum. Not the prettiest bit of soldering I've done but it's working- DD-500 and M5 are talking to each other, changing patches together and synchronising tempos. Now for some manual reading to see what else I can get them to do. 

ecc83

english_bob said:

Boy, you weren't wrong about those plugs being a pain to solder @ecc83. Having both my kids and my parents around while I was working helped keep the effing and jeffing to a minimum. Not the prettiest bit of soldering I've done but it's working- DD-500 and M5 are talking to each other, changing patches together and synchronising tempos. Now for some manual reading to see what else I can get them to do. 

Heh! NOW! Whilst you have the bit twixt teeth try some 25 pin D subs and then graduate to the full wiring of a VGA plug. (tip, you don't actually NEED all the wires connected in a VGA)

Well done.

Dave.

Gassage

eBay and search for ProAudioCables

(search on Van Damme Midi and you'll find....)

Sporky

ecc83 said:

Heh! NOW! Whilst you have the bit twixt teeth try some 25 pin D subs and then graduate to the full wiring of a VGA plug. (tip, you don't actually NEED all the wires connected in a VGA)

You do generally need 13 of them though...

My vote for hardest connector to solder is the VISCA - 8-pin MINI din with no solder cups or tags, just flat pin ends, not enough space to get heatshrink onto them and the carrier is a thermoplastic so too much heat and the pins sink into it a bit just enough to prevent proper contact. Every pin has to be connected, and in most implementations two sets of pairs need to be cross-linked.

Tricky on a workbench with a few vices and a Weller soldering station; much, much worse up a stepladder at 3am with a gas soldering iron.

english_bob

I am among the solder ninjas. If I had a cap I'd doff it to you.

Fortunately I'm never likely to have to do anything more complicated than another 5-pin DIN or a TRS cable (both of which I've had to do this year because of my DD-500).