GrooveTech guitar tool that includes a small ruler, both inches and mm. These Lava DC cables were straightforward to make, and although my pedalboard wiring isn’ t professionally or perfectly laid out, it turned out nicely.
Audio Cables: Again, after reviewing the printed instructions on the packaging, I turned to YouTube for further clarity. There are several that I found. Even Stu G has made a nice one using only a pocketknife. Good on you, Stu! Ultimately, this video explained it the best.
These cables are a little trickier in that you need to follow the exact measurements to make a perfect cable. It took me a little time to figure it out. I realized, unfortunately, I watched an instructional video that led me to make mistakes. You can never trust everything on the internet. I searched again, and the video above helped me nail the process. Eventually, after measuring, I was able to make both ends of a cable, averaging a total of five minutes each.
Each pedal required two cables, resulting in four 1 / 4” TS plugs per pedal. I needed approximately 40 solderless ¼-inch TS connectors. There were also a few stereo cables I had to solder for the Eventide stuff. The last four stereo loops in the PBC 10 are TRS cables in and out. It saves room on the switcher but means more work for whoever is wiring it.
MY TAKEAWAY: I’ m super impressed by how quiet these cables are. My board is almost silent, which is perfect for the picky recording engineers I work with. I’ ve often struggled with random hums and noises, which makes for a long day in the studio. I didn’ t expect the cables to sound this good. I noticed that the hi-end is very open. I can really hear it if I bypass everything in the switcher and go straight into the amp. This is due to the solid core of the cable. It causes a faster transfer rate partly because it’ s solid, and maybe because there is no solder to degrade the signal. These cables have very low capacitance, around 27.5 pF per foot. One of the lowest around. I’ m pleased with how this project turned out and will definitely use these cables again in the future. Honestly, the ¼ inch jacks took a minute to figure out, but once I used my measuring tool, I put them together very quickly.
I have nothing against soldering cables. If you go out and buy high-quality plugs and cable and solder your own, they wind up being about the same price. Lava Cables aren’ t the cheapest cables, but at the price point, they are an excellent value. Another plus is that you can remake these cables. There is a lot more hassle involved in remaking soldered plugs. With Lava Tightrope, all you really need is a pocketknife. Just ask Stu G. If you are wiring a new board or simply upgrading, consider giving Lava a try. You will be very happy. Lava Tightrope cable kits, both DC power and ¼ TS audio kits, run about $ 75 for 5 cables.
$ 75 for 5 cables www. ActEntertainment. com
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