Connections And Applications Flashcards
Balanced cables
XLR
Jack
How do balanced cables work?
2 identical cables
1 positive
1 negative
1 ground cable
Invert the signal and cancels out the noise, so less unwanted noise
Impact on sounds for unbalanced cables
More unwanted noise as there’s not another identical cable to invert the signal
Linking to DI box
Purpose of DI box-Plugging in cables
Converts the unbalanced signal into a balanced signal
Converts line/instrument to mic level-Changing the impedance
What’s impedance and how does this affect sound?
Impedance=Resistance
High impedance-Less signal can go through
Low impedance-More signal can go through
We want low impedance since it helps reducing the noise and interference
Unbalanced cables
TS (Tip Sleeve)
TRS (Tip Ring Sleeve)
Unbalanced and balanced cables
Only apply to analogue cables, NOT digital
Digital connectors
Toslink
Coaxial
Digital
Represents information using binary code (1s and 0s)
Samples the original sound wave at specific intervals and converts these samples into digital data
Analogue
Represents information in a smooth, continuous waveforms that mimic the original sound wave
Impact of digital signal
Signal remains stable over long distances and through multiple transfers, as it doesn’t degrade easily
Less susceptible to noise and distortion, resulting in cleaner reproduction
Impact of analogue signal
Signal can degrade over distance or due to interference, leading to potential noise or distortion
Often has a ‘warm’ sound due to subtle distortions or artefacts in the signal
When to use digital connectors?
Noise-free sound with minimal interference
Studio recordings or home theatre systems
Prevents quality degradation which suits for high quality audio
When to use analogue connectors?
Line-level instruments like acoustic guitars, drums, acoustic instruments, or even vocals as these instruments produce analogue signals
Instruments with analog outputs like electric guitars, basses, and synths as they also output analogue signals
Connectors for transferring data
USB-A
USB-C
Difference between USB-A and USB-C
USB-A: Much slower
USB-C: Much faster
Impact of using USB-A
Generally sufficient and performs reliably, provides the necessary speed for higher data demands like recording and processing multiple audio channels simultaneously
Might have latency issues when handling large sessions with high-resolution audio or multiple tracks
Impact of using USB-C
Lower latency, making it ideal for handling multiple audio channels, high sample rates and complex sessions without lag
May not be fully utilised if paired with devices that only support older USB standards
