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So I'm sure this has been done to death, but I'm not finding any recent threads: where should I be getting connectors and cable to make my own patch cables? The cheap pre-made ones from GC and Musician's Friend, while they sound fine to me, have proven unreliable and don't quite fit right in some of my pedals' jacks, so I'm looking to move up in quality. The solderless kits all seem ridiculously expensive, and I know how to solder, so I figure I can make my own and save money. I don't need anything that's super-audiophile magic fairy dust quality, just something durable. What brands & retailers do y'all use?

inquiring minds want to know ^

Any thin guitar cable will work. You could also use Mic cable-- but if you combine the conductors it doubles the capacitance (which is what makes cables sound muddy), so one big conductor is better unless you want to make stereo cables.

For patch cables, I'd go with something thin. Canare GS-4, Mogami W2319, etc. The Canare is thinner. You can also use any stranded coax cable-- which opens you up to cheaper options. The Mogami W2330 is really thin and would work fine-- but it's not made like guitar cable, so if you used it for your guitar lead you might get some handling noise. For patch cables, it'd be fine and it's like half the price. Bonus, it's actually lower capacitance than the guitar cables because it doesn't need the extra shielding guitar cables have.

For ends, here are some some part numbers.

Standard right angle plug: Switchcraft SW226
Flat (pancake) right angle plug: Switchcraft SW228
Awesome but bulky: Neutrik NP2RX

Within the links there are similar products with more cables and plugs (like if you want straight ends).

Hope that helps!

-edit-

I want to add a bit more info before you build them.

You'll want some heat shrink with the Switchcraft jacks. Get some to put around the the shield after you twist it up, then some to put around the whole cable. Get the specs for the cable you choose, and get some heat shrink just a bit bigger. Then some thin stuff (something like 1/16" or a bit bigger) for the shield. With the Neutriks, the wires are clamped down so they won't move and any heat shrink is redundant.

Soldering: For the Neutrik jacks, or thicker wires, you'll want a reasonably powerful iron. If all you have is a 20 watt cheap-assed iron, it's going to be frustrating. Get something at least 30 watts or so. The more the better, in this case. I'd almost say you want more like 50 watts, 30 will work. (so will 20-- eventually.)

Awesome, thanks! Is there any reason not to get the pancake ends? Like are they more difficult to work with? Bulk pricing (I'm going to be getting maybe 30 connectors) makes the price difference pretty negligible, so I may as well save space, right?

the plugs listed above are all fabulous but i would also mention these if anyone is looking for cheaper/clones.

i have tried a lot of cheap plugs and a large percentage of them of them are pretty bad. these ones though seem quite solid so far and they are available in a few colors which is sometimes nice for signal routing. (and stereo or mono).

http://www.ebay.com/itm/8pcs-1-4-RIGHT- ... _921wt_952

if you go to the sellers store there are red, blue and black, available in various sized lots. they appear to be clones of the older style nuetrik right angle plug.

the_carl wrote:Awesome, thanks! Is there any reason not to get the pancake ends? Like are they more difficult to work with? Bulk pricing (I'm going to be getting maybe 30 connectors) makes the price difference pretty negligible, so I may as well save space, right?

The non pancake ones stay together better, but if you are leaving stuff in place (or not, really) you shouldn't have trouble. I wouldn't use one for my guitar, but they are the most room efficient for pedals.

If you want pancakes, GLS have a good reputation and this is one of the better deals spotted: http://www.speakerrepair.com/mm5/mercha ... =32-232x20

For straight jacks on the cheap, Neutrik's "Rean" economy brand is solid.

I don't mess with Mogami or Canare -- they're pretty high capacitance per foot. Gepco Xband, Belden 8218, and Wilde (Bill Lawrence) by-the-foot are pretty reasonable for low capacitance cable.

I highly prefer the aesthetics of those first standard right angle Switchcrafts, actually. If there are budget ones along that style that didn't suck, I could go for that. Yeah, I am that vain.

Oh, and my cable lengths will likely be a few around 6", a few around 18", and a couple pretty long, like 24" plus, if that makes a difference. I thought capacitance didn't matter much with the length of cable you're usually dealing with for effects, but if I have that much, maybe better cable would be worth it? My effects chain order and where I like to have pedals accessible do not always work well together, so I'll have a few lengthy cables.

It will depend on whats on either side of the long cables. Seems that, the longer the cable, the better you'd want it to be (less capacitance).

the_carl wrote:I highly prefer the aesthetics of those first standard right angle Switchcrafts, actually. If there are budget ones along that style that didn't suck, I could go for that. Yeah, I am that vain.

Oh, and my cable lengths will likely be a few around 6", a few around 18", and a couple pretty long, like 24" plus, if that makes a difference. I thought capacitance didn't matter much with the length of cable you're usually dealing with for effects, but if I have that much, maybe better cable would be worth it? My effects chain order and where I like to have pedals accessible do not always work well together, so I'll have a few lengthy cables.

It adds up, but if it's just a few feet you probably won't notice anything. If you have anything that's buffered, the cables after the buffer won't matter at all.

There are cheaper alternatives to the jacks. I just posted Switchcraft because I know they're good and I haven't used the cheaper ones. Neutrik tends to make things like Switchcraft's parts that are cheaper and just as good, so maybe their Rean brand are a better option. Thisis the only right-angle jack they make, though, it seems.

Gone Fission wrote:If you want pancakes, GLS have a good reputation and this is one of the better deals spotted: http://www.speakerrepair.com/mm5/mercha ... =32-232x20

For straight jacks on the cheap, Neutrik's "Rean" economy brand is solid.

I don't mess with Mogami or Canare -- they're pretty high capacitance per foot. Gepco Xband, Belden 8218, and Wilde (Bill Lawrence) by-the-foot are pretty reasonable for low capacitance cable.

Where are you getting that Belden by the foot? The conductor's a bit thin for my liking (thin = more likely to break unless you use an end that clamps it down), but 20pF a foot is hard to argue with... I've looked at it before, but I haven't been able to find it in small quantities.

McSpunckle wrote:
Where are you getting that Belden by the foot? The conductor's a bit thin for my liking (thin = more likely to break unless you use an end that clamps it down), but 20pF a foot is hard to argue with... I've looked at it before, but I haven't been able to find it in small quantities.

I haven't spotted the Belden at less than a spool's quantity, and I've tried. I think half spools was the closest I saw. If anyone wants to break up a spool, talk to me -- I don't expect to use all 500' in a lifetime.

When it was what George L's sold as their own, you could get it per foot. Whatever George L's is using now goes for a bit too much these days. For low cap by the foot, the Wilde pricing (.76) isn't bad. The Gepco Xband is very similar, 21 pF a foot, seems to run .72 by the foot.

haha speakerrepair 6 for $30. you beat me to it. it was recommended to me on a synth forum