Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Tim McCulloch]

While not having extra 1/4" cables is not quite the same as having no cable at all, it still shows a lack of preparation / professionalism.  Guitar but no 1/4" cable?  No tuner?  That's worse than a drummer not bringing a rug. 

Thinking about the absurdity of musicians forgetting to bring basic, but critical items to gigs and expecting pro sound folks to provide such items had me musing on an exaggerated analogy:  drummers forgetting their sticks and expecting the sound folks to supply them.  But then I speculated with some level of confidence that at least one person here has run into just such a situation.  Anyone?

I have new sticks for sale.  $20.  Same price for a set of guitar strings or a 1/4" 10' cable.

Others profit from the silliness of others, why not me?  I'll give discounts if the sob story is sufficiently original.

[Stephen Kirby]

Luckily a few years ago I stumbled upon some 18" transparent pink ones that were very well made. The color is perfect: I still have every one I bought.

Perfect!  Make it something that someone wouldn't want to run off with.  I also like the idea of gaff tapping it to the DI.  Someone would really want to have a pink cable.

[Brian Jojade]

Yes, I have 1/4" cables with my DIs. My 1/4" cables have the neutrik Silent plugs on them, so when the idiot player pulls the plug on a live channel, things don't blow up.  Additionally, I KNOW my cables work.  You never know with something that the musician has crumpled up, had his cat chewed on, slept with, peed on, and ran over with his car.

The only time I have had issues with my cables is if the musician was using Monster cables in their gear. Older monster cables used a slightly larger diameter plug than normal which created a tighter fit. The problem is when you put a normal sized plug in the jack, it's now stretched out and sloppy. (there's an inappropriate joke in there somewhere, but I'll leave that to your imagination)

By default, I use a DI on any instrument I connect to. I have less problems that way. The XLR outs on equipment aren't always balanced outputs and can result in buzz or whatever.  Plus, a DI will prevent accidental phantom power from frying gear.

[Steve M Smith]

If required, yes.  It's not a big deal and it's easier to just have them available than argue about it.  That's not what I'm there for.


Steve.

[Jordan Wolf]

I usually don't, at least I never used to. More and more people show up with their guitar, but no 1/4" cable. So I'll keep a few on hand just in case.

We had a few shame-inducing cables when I worked at my college - six inches long and blazing hot pink. Guitarists only forgot their cables once...never again.

However, we did have suitable-length/color cables on-hand for those rare times when someone wasn't lazy and was just having a bad day.

[Steve M Smith]

A few weeks ago, I did a four day festival with 51 bands.  A few required leads which we provided.

However, when it was all over, we had gained about half a dozen guitar leads (and a harmonica).


Steve.

[Scott Olewiler]

I usually do so I know the cable's good.  For acoustic guitars it almost a guarantee I'll supply because of allthe mangled cables I've seem come out of cases. Sometimes in depends on what kind of mood I'm in or if the band shows up and are a-holes before I get to DI out = no instrument cable.

 For bass and keys I always supply the extra one needed. Most of the time I supply the one to the intrument as well as a service and to make sure they know, especially bass players how it works.  I use to just lay the DI next to the amp and plug my the pass thru into their amp, then I would get a lot of questions or they'd unplug my cable and plug straight in. Find it easier just to set up the whole rig and leave them one end of a cable. Some players replace my instrument cable with their own, which is fine.

I find most of the quality players are shocked and impressed, and I get a lot of thank yous and other positive comments. No cables have walked on me as far as I know.

[Stephen Kirby]

I think there is also some difference in a backline gig vs. one where you're just providing SR and they're bringing their rigs on stage.  For a backline gig I'd be more inclined to have a the bass rig set up with a cable into the DI ready to go.  So the bass player can just walk up and plug his bass in.  This is also the common protocol at jam nights where things are run though the house.

In the pure SR gig you are interrupting their normal set up so you sometimes have to explain how to route though the DI.

The last time I provided for a band where I new the keys player used two boards, I had a Radial stereo DI set up on his side of the stage and just asked him which channel was going to be which keyboard.  He actually plugged both into his Roland amp and took a 1/4 from that to one channel of the DI.  Well, there's another 50' of cable I could have saved rolling up at the end of the night.     He knew what he was doing so there wasn't any need to "mix" the two boards.  Some people who just use stock patches and haven't balanced the levels need a little more help.

[Bob Leonard]

Years ago I used to "loan" cables, strings, anything I had to people in need. The problem with that is 90% of the time what you "lend" to a player never comes back. I'll loan cables if absolutely needed to make the show work, but now I keep a list. Strings and items of that nature I'll sell. There's no such animal as loaning strings, sticks or disposable items.

As for using pink cables? That wouldn't bother me at all. As a matter of fact a pink cable would be the perfect match for my "Hello Kitty" guitar.

[John L Nobile]

I'm surprised at how many bass players don't know how to use a DI. It looks like a maze to some of them. Even though they're mostly clearly labeled they have a look of confusion on their faces if you hand them a DI /cable. The bass player I work with regularly still asks "which end do I plug in?"

[ProSoundWeb Community]