Balanced vs Unbalanced Cables: Everything You Need To Know!

Which cables do you recommend buying for someone who uses an audio interface for synthesizers?

I learn so much from these videos. Thank you so much Scott. You're a great teacher.

Would automatic voltage regulators on both sockets fix the ground loop issue ?

Thank you for very clear explanation and mentioning the DI box!

Great explanation! Thank you 🎉

Thank you Scott. Wonderfully informative video - I have been meaning to sort out my cables for some time, so this is exactly what I was looking for. I even heard a radio show coming through my headphones the other day, so something is definitely not right! 😀

you can just buy balanced to unbalanced but the rest was helpful

Hey Scott I’m a new Beginner but I invested less than $2,000 for my Home set up which includes a Roland JV-1080 with four expansion boards & I just got the new red Akai MPC One Plus Drum machine/Sampler. I have the Hosa CPP-202 Dual 1/4" TS to Dual 1/4 which are unbalanced & I wanted to know what outputs should I put the cables in my Roland JV-1080? Because it has left & right outputs & a Mix Out with a left Mono also the Cables are Red & Black & I wanted to know which output should I connect the cables to the 1080?

Is it okay to use TRS-cables for unbalanced mono signals? I have a synth with an unbalanced audio output and a TRS-cable for it.

Off topic: what kind of mixer do you have, and do you like it? Thanks!

Ok but what is the significance of all this relative to what we are trying to do in hooking up all our equipment.

Awesome info !!

Do you have a recommendation of a cable company you use or are you at the point of just making your own? I know you mentioned modifying cables you get so I'm assuming you buy from someone else and then do your own modifications. One thing I have noticed is that not all cable companies are the same and some are very cheaply made despite being balanced. I've been getting them from RedCo lately but I would like to rewire the entire studio and that would be an insane amount of money. Thought about buying spools and making my own but I'm not very skilled with a soldering iron.

Ok. Thanks Scott. Now I have to re-organize my studio. Haha. Oh no. I use balanced cables mainly. But now I know why. 🥳

Thanks, Scott, very informative and helpful! So many of us do not know all this but we should!
Naclark Philadelphia

Very much the best explaination of Balanced, Unbalanced, what cable to use when, and even some "leveling up" tips.

What about balanced cables being used with unbalanced synths and a balanced audio interface?

Thank you, for explaining this.
I had an issue that ended up being an internal amp problem.
I bought a set of monitors and one of them produced a 50 Hz noise when warmed up.

When you just bought your gear and connecting cables it can be quite confusing.
No signal cables attached is a way to check if it's something else then cables.

I use balanced cables on my Motif, but unfornately balanced with the MODX+ just has a signal that's too weak. So just using normal cables with it. By weak, I mean I have to turn the MODX+ and the speakers all the way up just to barely hear it, and of course that doesn't work when mixing with other things.

Kein so schlimmer Unterschied,nur für Studio.Ich bin nicht mehr so Horny auf Mu-Metall geschützte Symmetrie Trafos.55 Jahre Livemusik hinterlassen ihre Spuren im Hirn🎹😂😎😯😹💖

Very interesting thanks!

Is there any issue with using a balanced cable into an unbalanced input or output?

what about a balanced cable for guitar? even if the amp is just mono unbalanced....what to expect? my guitar cables run along other power cables...

thank u, Sir!!!!!

You're an amazing teacher Scott and I, like many others I see commenting here really do appreciate the time you take to explain things in a way that's really easy to remember! I'm glad to say I am currently ordering all balanced cables for my new synth home studio.... I have learned so much from your videos and in many cases you confirmed my personal research as I planned my studio (I like to call it my retirement Man Cave even though I'm not married anymore!! LOL!!) You always take the time to respond and help... and I will tell you... it sure is appreciated by many!!! Thank you again!

Ay, check it out, I understood that. Noice

nice - especially appreciate the wiring diagrams, showing what you were talking about

I used the very same trick with an unbalanced output rewired to balanced inputs on a Yamaha MX49 where the noise is introduced by the ground from the USB connection to the PC. Works like a charm.⚡In the early days I used to tape off the ground connection on the power plugs but that is somewhat illegal and may be dangerous to your health. 😵

Hi Scott, just interested in your opinion: why Nord still uses unbalanced outputs? Even their "top shelf" NordStage is unbalanced. I don't think they save money on it: there are cheaper synths which have balanced, e.g. MODX. Is there any disadvantage in balanced output? Thanks for your video :)

Thanks for this insight! Can you talk about about Power Conditioners on another vid?

Hi Scott, great video on balanced and unbalanced cables. What is your opinion about needing to use a snake when getting audio out to the mixer in live situations? How well shielded are they for eliminating noise? Thanks

Thanks for a great video! This did indeed remove some of the fuzziness in my understanding of the matter. However, some still remain, like:
- How does stereo / mono cables enter into this? I have never seen a 3.5mm to 2x 6.3mm be "balanced" in the 6.3mm end. Are there balanced / unbalanced stereo cables? Would that mean ground + four signal cables in one cable and would the mono ends have TRS configuration?
- I have som really noisy synths and other instruments (like the Roland MC-101 and the 1010 music Bluebox (which is a compact mixer). They are USB-cable driven and that seems to be a recipe for noise. If I run these off a usb battery instead of from the computer or extension cord with USB, they are completely silent. Where does this huge amount of noise come from? The MC-101 even amplifies the noise when more leds light up.

Another great video, Scott. You are an excellent teacher and I am happily learning things from you. Thank you so much for your generosity in sharing your knowledge.

Excellent Scott. Despite our comfort in our knowledge, it is always important to review as life in music trends to pull us away from remembering important fundamentals. It is why certain important professions make you re-certify your skills regularly. Joe

'Unbalanced Jack' used to be a wayward cartoon character in a UK music magazine

Excellent explanation.

The question I have is whether there is a difference in using balanced vs. unbalanced patchbay cables. Those 30/60cm long patch cables. Is it necessary to get balanced ones when the input/output cables are balanced as well?

And I thought I had a synth fetish.

As said, it is very easy to turn a synthesizers without balanced outputs into balanced outputs by using a direct box (DI).

Direct boxes sell as cheap as $35. They also often provide additional features such as offering a 2nd output to send a keyboard to both a PA system and to keyboard amp, and may offer a ground lift switch.

People often make the mistake of thinking having balanced outputs built into the keyboard is a selling point. It's really not a selling point as DI's are very inexpensive and you may need one for other reasons. The perfect example is a Yamaha Montage vs a MODX. Some people think it's worth spending twice as much money ($1500 - $2000 extra) to get a Montage over a MODX in part because of the balanced outputs. That is total non-sense. Correcting the signal is easy & very inexpensive.A DI is about the size of a deck of cards.