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Spider IV 150hd Cab Cables and Cat6?


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I just switched to the line 6 amps. Love them so far. I have a line 6 iv 120 and a line 6 iv 150hd with line 6 cab (412).

 

I bought the 150hd used, and the dude lost ALL the cables.

 

I have 2 questions I couldn't find answers to:

 

It says to NOT use "guitar cables" to hook up the spider iv 150hd to the cabinet. I have a set of 16awg 1/4 cables, that have a 1/4" tip that I think is mono and is identacle to a guitar cord end. But it's speaker cable 16 gauge. Is it necessary to use the TRS cables? Why? What is different? Will I damage something? And I can't find replacement cables for the line 6 cabinet anywhere. Or can I use the 16awg 1/4 speaker cables?

 

Also, I'm picking up a shortboard mkii, so I can update and what not, and I need a cat5 cable.

....Its 2016, I can't get a non cat 6/5e/7, just plain cat5 cable easily cat5 is history. Can I use cat 6??? I've read you can't use cat6, and I've read you can?

 

HELP!!!

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From what I saw regular speaker cables are fine for the amp to cab connection. The 150 HD just has left and right outputs from what I remember - which both need an 8 ohm load so be sure not to run only one out. Not sure where the TRS mention came from.

 

Cat 5 is still out there my man - Amazon is a source. That said I've not looked up the diff in Cat 6 other than it is higher speed, so I say just get Cat5 somewhere.

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The back of the head on the IV HD150 says to ONLY USE TRS CABLES. And it being lots of watts, smaller guitar cables that are 22 awg won't cut it. That's not safe for the amp head. I'm surprised i cannot find more information in the manuals on this,or for sale from Line 6... This could be catastrophic to the head if the wrong cables are used.

 

I just picked up a set of 3ft 16awg trs gold cables for $18. I guess we will find out if it makes a difference. In all theory, it shouldn't hurt it, and should only be an improvement. Maybe, there is some additional stereo effects that im missing out on if i were to not use these cables. Id prefer 14awg, or even 12awg, but finding them have proven to be difficult.

 

I will try a cat6 cable, its a $7 gamble if im wrong. Anyone else use a cat6 on their FBV Shortboard MkII?

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Speaker cables for the speaker outs. There have been a couple users who used

guitar/instrument cables for everything and messed it all up for themselves. 18 to 14 gauge stranded cable for speakers. 

 

CAT5 or CAT6 for the FBV connect,.... use CAT5.

 

CAT6 is a different impedance and will create performance problems, as confirm by a recent customer

who brought in a Shortboard recently and was using CAT6. And further confirmed by a colleague from Beldin Cable

a week ago at the AES convention in LA. And he writes books on the subject.

 

Check the Line 6 Knowledge Base on this further,...  

 

http://line6.com/support/page/kb/_/effects-controllers/fbv-mki-mkii-controllers/fbvshortboardexpressfbv2-mk-i-and-ii-fbv-3-r506 

 

http://line6.com/support/page/kb/_/general-faq/audio-cables-101-r226

 

http://www.amazon.co...35303440&sr=1-2  

 

http://www.amazon.co...94&sr=1-2-fkmr1

 

... Steve is the guy I go to when I want to know more than I already know about cables.

Don't use CAT6 for connecting FBV products.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I'm gonna have to disagree with the Cat5, 5e, 6 item. I know that technically, there is a huge difference between the ethernet cables themselves. BUT as far as the FBV Shortboard MKii, and the Express (mki) there is NO difference. For me anyway. 

 

I used at Cat5, 5e, and 6. There is NO difference in sound, quality, feedback, buzz, or anything. For me.

There are thousands of choices for Cat5e and Cat6 cables to purchase. But regular old Cat5 is not that easy to find, you search for cat5, and everyone ends up selling you a Cat5e, or Cat6. I wanted to use the Flat Cat5 cables, and there all 5e or 6. i have tested all of the different styles (cat5, 5e, 6) and the Cat6 works fine. So, for anyone else looking for a new cable, the Cat6 works fine. I even updated the firmware on my amps and pedal with the Cat6, worked perfect. (FBV SHortboard MKii and FBV Express MKi)

 

I read that people state there are different impedance between Cat5 and Cat6, i understand that. But how that affects the FBV pedals, i don't know. I did not see ANY difference in any function of the pedals with a Cat6 vs Cat5e or Cat5. I don't mean to start a war, just informational if anyone ends up like me and needs/want a new/different cable for their pedal.

 

 

And the TRS cables... I purchased these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HXB3TLQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

I could not tell the difference between the TRS cables above and the 16awg speaker (mono) cables. It's not like its a DTS 5.1 system or anything, so comparing the stereo effects output, the differences were not distinguishable. I will agree with TRS cables being balanced, and that it does sound "cleaner" with TRS cables. And the manual does say to use TRS cables. I wish the manual would state what gauge cables to use. And i can find a million parts for the Line 6 IV amps, but not replacement TRS cables.  

I definitely agree with NOT using regular guitar chords for hooking the head up to the cabinet. They sound Terrible, extremely terrible. 

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"I used at Cat5, 5e, and 6. There is NO difference in sound, quality, feedback, buzz, or anything"---

 

Right, it wouldn't make a different in sound quality, since it's not for sound, and is for controlling the FBV.

Having the correct cable will make a difference in how the FBV performs. As CAT6 is a different impedance.

Check the links I cited. I had this chat with Steve Lampen at the AES Convention earlier in October. He's the

King of Cables at Belden. Known him for some time now. He's the one I go to for info updates on this stuff.

 

What BillBee said,... yes, always use speaker cables for speaker out connections to the cabinet. Using

guitar cable creates a host of volume problems, because that is an even bigger impedance problem.

 

Speaker cables are low-Ohms and come in several varieties, depending on power needs and applications.

Guitar cable is around 1-kOhm, smaller signal power instrument cabling, not to be used for speakers.

 

Best bet for the least problems,... use the correct cable for the correct thing,

save yourselves some troubles down the road.

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CAT6,... more twists than CAT5, tighter twists than CAT5, and so it uses more material

over the same length. As a result, the impedance is different than CAT5. With a different

impedance, comes a difference in data stream bandwidth range and capabilities.

 

Got that straight from Mr Lampen of Belden Cables, when I saw him recently.

 

And impedance is a function of frequency, which is a determining aspect of bandwidth ---- electronics theory 101.

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Gold plating looks like it's for the shielding rather than a conductor.

But in the end,... what's the impedance?

 

600Mhz bandwidth is useful for video and CATV, but it still wouldn't be the correct impedance for

that application which is why RG6 quad shield is still used for that app.

 

It's all about impedance. There is also an aspect called velocity factor or velocity propagation that has

to be considered as well.

 

Since impedance is a function of frequency, there will be a sweet spot bandwidth range that would work best.

It's optimal to use CAT5. Going hot rod in a parking structure is not a good idea,... unless you're in a Clint

Eastwood/ Charlie Sheen action movie.

 

I'll ask Steve about it today. I don't have much need for CAT7, even back in my audio/video install days.

It's more for high speed networks far beyond what Line 6 products would use (way beyond our bandwidth).

CAT5 is the way to go for FBV ports in a Line 6 product.

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  • 2 years later...

CAT7 is the incorrect cable to use for the data rate frequency of the FBV Shortboard MkII, 

for the same reason I stated earlier. 

 

For Line 6 products, use CAT5 or CAT5e,... everything else is expensively needless overkill

that doesn't work, since it is outside the data frequency operational bandwidth of our product. 

 

  • Upvote 1
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All too often, product comes across my repair bench, and the only thing wrong with it turns out to be

a control cable that isn't the CAT5 or CAT5e. Save yourself the money and aggravation of the so called

exotic stuff and stick with the tried-and-true utility stuff,... the right cable for the right application.

 

Everything else is as Bill Whitlock puts it, "B** and fairy dust", or pet rocks and pyramids to sharpen your shaving blades.

 

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