What is a "3 conductor cable"?

[bbernardini]

I purchased a pedal controller for my synthesizer, but I'm starting to get the impression that in order to use it the way I want, I need to connect it to the synth with a "3 conductor cable." What is this, and where do I get one?

[XNASA]

1. A mic cable has three conductors.

A twisted-pair and a shield.

:shrug:

[bbernardini]

2. Hmm...this one needs to be a 1/4" connector.

The pedal acts as both a stereo volume pedal and a controller pedal. It seems as though the stereo outs double as the connector to the synth so it can act as a controller (which is what I'm trying to do).

[XNASA]

3. Ah. Well then.....

You just need what is essentially a headphone cable, but with a male connector on each end. It would seem.

I've got a guitar amp that has an external switcher that uses a cable like that.

http://www.guitarcenter.com/shop/product/buy_mogami_pure_patch_14_14_trs_cable?full_sku=339035%2e105

[bbernardini]

4. Do you suppose...

...I could emulate that with two miniplug to 1/4" adapters with a wire with miniplug ends in between until I can get a cable like that? (Does that even make sense?)

[XNASA]

5. If the adapters are stereo (3 conductor) to stereo.....

...in addition to being mini (1/8th inch) to 1/4 inch, it would probably work.

BTW, the common term for 3 conductor 1/4" plugs is "TRS 1/4". TRS stands for Tip, Ring, Sleeve, which if you look at the plug itself is self-explanatory.

[jmowreader]

6. It's a balanced cable with 1/4" TRS plugs at both ends.

Any music store will have these. The plug is the same as the one on a set of headphones with the big plug on them.

And now you're wondering what a balanced cable is. It's a device to cut down hum in the system. Something like a guitar cable has one hot line and one ground braid in it. The ground braid is supposed to keep the hot line from picking up hum, but that shit don't work--as anyone who's ever dealt with electric guitars can attest.

To "balance" the line, they feed the output of the thing they're trying to balance into a transformer with a center-tapped secondary. What comes out is one ground line, a signal line that's positive to the ground, and a second signal line that's negative to the ground. Both signal lines pick up hum, and the "hum signal" is identical on both lines. When the cable gets to the input of the next device, the first thing that happens is the signal on the negative line is inverted and mixed with the signal on the positive line. The desired signal goes positive and, when mixed with the signal on the positive line, doubles the amplitude of the desired signal. But the hum on the positive line flips too. Mix positive hum with equal-amplitude negative hum, and you suddenly have no hum--it's cancelled itself out.

TRS balanced cables (there are two kinds of balanced cables--XLR and TRS--and the connectors are COMPLETELY different) are a little more expensive than guitar cables, but they're absolutely necessary to get the benefits of the balanced system. And, if you fuck up and plug a TRS balanced cable into your guitar, no harm done--the second signal wire will become a second ground. It won't do anything for you, but the guitar will still work.

Incidentally, do you have balanced outs on your synth? If you don't you need a "balun" (balanced-to-unbalanced) adapter. It looks like a really fat 1/4" adapter, and it's got the balancing transformer in it.