Are Guitar Cables Balanced or Unbalanced?
Juan Stansbury
Choosing the best guitar cables may not seem like a daunting task if you know where to start. However, if you don’t have helpful tips to guide you in your shopping spree, I recommend you don’t rush in your undertakings.
Take your time and conduct thorough research on the best guitar cables to buy. Cable manufacturers often come up with intricate promotional messages that may sway your perception about guitar cables.
Learning more about the available and widely used cables will help you make the right decision. More so, I will not just pick any cable I come across in my local store or online.
It would be best if you used the right guitar cables all the time. “Are guitar cables balanced or unbalanced?”
This is a common question that has helped many guitar enthusiasts pick the best cables for their guitars.
The difference between these cables and how they are used offers robust knowledge to guide you in your endeavors.
Table of Contents
Everything to Know About Guitar Cables Balanced or Unbalanced
Video: “Balanced vs Unbalanced Cables”
A guitar cable is a wire that connects a guitar’s output to its amplifiers, a pedal, tuner, or pre-amplifier input. These connecting cables are used to hook basses to bass amplifiers and keyboards to mixers.
To successfully send audio signals via your cables, you have to decide whether to choose balanced or unbalanced cables. I will clear your doubts about the best cables to invest in today.
Guitar cables are unbalanced and feature one connecting wire and the shield that protects the entire wiring.
On the other hand, balanced cables feature three wires and the shield.
Unbalanced Cable
If you are wondering what these exclusive features mean to guitar cable users, there is a lot to know. Have a look:
- The unbalanced cable is simply a guitar cable that comes with one connector to the unit’s tip. The plug’s sleeve section is connected to the shield, which is why the entire cable is referred to as TS cable.
- The signal in the unbalanced cable is mono.
- The signal from unbalanced cable will travel to other devices connected to the guitar. On the other hand, the shield acts as the ground to reduce external interferences.
- These cables are not that refined and are more vulnerable to signal disruption and other related problems. This is especially if the cables lose their effectiveness or are worn out.
- Unbalanced cables are much shorter to curb noise issues. These cables are around 25-free long as compared to other cables that are much longer. Hence, they are the standard guitars and line-level instruments cables.
Balanced Cable
When it comes to balanced cables, there are a few features that differentiate them from unbalanced cables. They include:
- Balanced cables or stereo cables come with an extra wire.
- The balanced cable features the tip unit, sleeve, and ring. Hence, they are widely known as the TRS cables. The cables come with two wires that connect to the cable’s tip and the other on the ring. The shield section is connected to the sleeve and quite effective for use in reducing signal disturbances.
- XLR cable is one of the common types of TRS cables. Thus the cables come with the right and left channels.
- Noise picked up by balanced cables will travel on both wires, the positive and the negative wires. However, the final destination for the signal should be stable.
- The two wires used in balanced cables to carry signals end up repelling each other to eliminate the outside interference. Hence, the cables are great for long cables used for studio and stage performances or recording.
- The XLR cables and TRS cables are the common types of balanced cables. They are exceptional for sending a balanced signal to the stipulated destination.
- Balanced cables are exceptional for items such as microphones and headphones. You can as well connect them, to an audio mixer.
- Balanced cables are longer than unbalanced cables and will cause external signal disturbances from your amplifier.
Why Avoid Instruments Depended on Balanced Signals
If you are still wondering, are guitar cables balanced or unbalanced?
I will take this opportunity to tell you why not to use balanced signals for the instruments you have.
Most instruments don’t come with a stable unit even if they are not vulnerable to external interferences.
Many audio transmitting devices don’t use these cables because it’s a complex and expensive project.
Manufacturers will require more design components to create guitars and instruments that use these cables. Hence, the consumer will have to spend more to invest in such an instrument.
Cases such as individuals plugging these cables in mixers or keyboards that don’t receive balanced signals have been reported. Hence, the demand for these instruments has slowed over the years.
Most professional studios these days are using consoles and other devices with unstable outputs. The demand for unbalanced cables has increased greatly, and more devices that use this signal are being manufactured.
In many instances, you can get quality sound without using balanced signals. Balanced cables are mostly used in microphones and headphones.
The signal is usually lower in these devices, and they are vulnerable to noise.
If you are using pre-amplifier and it is transmitting a signal, the noise reaching the outside environment will also increase.
Hence, microphone cables have to be balanced to reduce noise and related problems.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right guitar cable is not an easy undertaking and can be quite daunting. One question I have demystified for you to make your shopping spree existing is: are guitar cables balanced or unbalanced?
Guitar cables should at all times be unbalanced to serve their purposes perfectly. These cables are less complicated and should be shorter to reduce noise transmitted to the connected equipment. It’s advisable to make sure the cable is under 25-feet long and prevent signal loss.
Guitar cables are unbalanced, while most microphones cables are balanced, and you should use them as required by the manufacturer.
While looking for the unbalanced cables for your electric guitar, pick types with two connectors and the shield. The shield in the cables helps prevent outside noise interferences.
The common type of unbalanced cable to purchase is TS cables. You can effectively use the cables to connect your guitar to pedalboard and amplifier.
Feel free also to compare the cost of available guitar cables and pick budget-friendly designs.
