15. Leads and connections

Question 1

balanced vs unbalanced cables

Answer 1

balanced = 1 signal
unbalanced = 2 signals (where another one is sent, identical to the first, but flipped [180* faze] and protected by shield [wrapped in plastic], then the device will flip all signals back to normal when it is received, resulting in a fuller and clearer signal with no interference

Question 2

different types of leads/cables =

Answer 2

jacks (TRS), XLR, MIDI (other cables = USB, Firewire etc.)

Question 3

why use balanced cables

Answer 3

to avoid hiss/hum, rumble, unwanted background noise, clearer signal