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Balanced and Unbalanced cables?? Anyone explain to me please?


rcervera

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Unbalanced means that the cable only has one signal path and is not shielded. They're usually used over short distances and for lower level applications. Normal guitar cables are unbalanced.

 

Balanced means that the cable has at least one signal path and a shield. XLR cables (mic cables) are balanced; they have two signal paths and one shield. That's why they have a three prong connector-two for the signal and one for the shield.

 

You can use balanced cables for anything that you can use unbalanced cables for, but unless you're exceeding like 50 feet for a guitar cable there is not enough significant degredation and using balanced cables is really just a waste of money. Unbalanced is fine for guitar stuff.

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Originally posted by adamrobertt

Unbalanced means that the cable only has one signal path and is not shielded. They're usually used over short distances and for lower level applications. Normal guitar cables are unbalanced.


Balanced means that the cable has at least one signal path and a shield. XLR cables (mic cables) are balanced; they have two signal paths and one shield. That's why they have a three prong connector-two for the signal and one for the shield.


You can use balanced cables for anything that you can use unbalanced cables for, but unless you're exceeding like 50 feet for a guitar cable there is not enough significant degredation and using balanced cables is really just a waste of money. Unbalanced is fine for guitar stuff.

Unbalanced line level cables are shielded.

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Originally posted by rcervera

Some questions are: What is the diference?

Are there different uses for both?

Can I use balanced for my guitar setup?

And all that general stuff...

THanks a lot
:thu:

You can certainly use a balanced cable but your signal will not be balanced.

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Originally posted by ghastlyone

Using balanced cables is pointless with guitars. It will work but one of the conductors is simply not used so there is no advantage and you are left with an unbalanced connection again.

Yes,of course. That's what I was getting at.

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