dkleiner Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 I want to buy a gig-worthy cable for the Variax. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psarkissian Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 Get the VDI cable. The cable that came with the guitar is for connecting to the computer for Firmware updates and Workbench/Workbench-HD, and not ment for playing through. The VDI cable is. And should be available on the web-store or Full Compass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverhead Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 A standard RJ-45 cable is not gig worthy, or even regular-use worthy. You need to get a cable that has the protective housing at each end. A regular RJ-45 cable does not fit securely enough in the jack; it wiggles and will damage the pins inside the jack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rewolf48 Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 If you want an alternative to the Line6 VDI the more generic name is ethercon, but you still need to find a soft flexible one for it to feel like a guitar cable 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iurcuyo Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 Does anybody have a specific recommendation for a source of a nice flexible cable? I have one already but it is just to darn stiff, it annoys me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisinon2 Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 I want to buy a gig-worthy cable for the Variax. Thank you. Thar she blows... https://btpa.com/98-030-004-XXX.html 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dankleiner Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 I was looking for something more rugged than the Line 6 VDI. When I owned an AXE FX II, I had an an ethercon cable custom made to go to the foot controller. Thanks for the clarification. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisinon2 Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 I was looking for something more rugged than the Line 6 VDI. When I owned an AXE FX II, I had an an ethercon cable custom made to go to the foot controller. Thanks for the clarification. The link above is not the L6-made cable...you can beat the daylights out of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sleezye1 Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 The line 6 cables are 29.99 on eBay all day long I picked up an extra... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specracer986 Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 I have an older Line 6 VDI cable that came with my guitar, (not the dongle one), and a newer one I bought online. The newer one is a little thicker. I've been using that one for close to a year, dragging it around gigs, rehearsals and generally stomping all over it. I've never had a problem with it and it coils as well as any other guitar or mic cable I own. I keep the older one as a spare, but I've never needed to use it. I think if you buy a current Line 6 cable, you'll be pleased with it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viper_bong Posted January 26, 2018 Share Posted January 26, 2018 Mine is a RJ45 which I made myself and put a snagless strain relief flush boot. It's a bit fiddly to remove it from the JTV but I use a plastic spudger which really saves me a few quid and I can replace my cable with any length of cable at anytime. https://www.netshop.co.uk/products/rj45-snagless-strain-relief-flush-boot-grey-65mm?gclid=Cj0KCQiAwKvTBRC2ARIsAL0Dgk1uRgge-SQFj9p9NDuE3N7XdSGHWgYtFe4vKKF8ZtGPahqmwUw6U7saAl_PEALw_wcB https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/271828235499?chn=ps&adgroupid=52137191441&rlsatarget=pla-380309513011&abcId=1129946&adtype=pla&merchantid=101769850&poi=&googleloc=9045724&device=c&campaignid=974961043&crdt=0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josephyballew Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 When I got my New Variax, I hated the short Cable that came with the guitar since I play guitar and keyboard and need a longer one. So I said I will use a RJ-45 Cable that is longer. This is not a good idea because not all Rj-45 cables are shielded. My Helix squibble strips did not like it and I had to send my unit back for a new power supply. Not knowing what caused this, I plugged my Rj-45 back in and all worked fine until I booted my helix up the next day and the same thing. I called Line 6 back up which has customer support that no one beats, together we figured out what the problem was. I did complain about the short cable that comes with the guitar and now I just use a guitar cable until I can get a long shielded correct cable. So beware new Variax users. An unshielded RJ-45 will mess your squibble strips up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverhead Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 ..... I did complain about the short cable that comes with the guitar ..... The cable that comes with the guitar is not intended to be used as a VDI cable. It is intended to be used only for Variax firmware updates or for Workbench HD, along with the Variax hardware interface device that also comes with the guitar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josephyballew Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 The cable that comes with the guitar is not intended to be used as a VDI cable. It is intended to be used only for Variax firmware updates or for Workbench HD, along with the Variax hardware interface device that also comes with the guitar. That is good to know, but most think it is for both. My thought is add 10 dollars to the guitar and give a 20 ft cable. It is just common sense. Line 6 goes out of their way with customer service so hopefully they will pick up on this. To everyone out there, do not use an RJ-45 Network cable. You can buy a long VDI cable at Sweetwater for $30.00 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisinon2 Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 That is good to know, but most think it is for both. My thought is add 10 dollars to the guitar and give a 20 ft cable. It is just common sense. I would have liked a cable to come with mine too, but you gotta think like a company...what "makes sense" for them is to spend as little as possible, while getting you to buy something else for 30 bucks. They can't assume that the majority of Variax owners also own another compatible L6 device to plug it into...some do, some don't...and as such, this is not likely to make it past the bean counters. From their perspective, they'd be wasting a bunch of money on cables that would never get used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dankleiner Posted February 24, 2018 Share Posted February 24, 2018 The point is moot for me, the OP-I returned the Variax. It wasn’t for me. Consequently, I have a new Line 6 VDI cable for sale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kensmith010 Posted June 7, 2020 Share Posted June 7, 2020 What if I want a shorter cable than the 20 ft cable can I buy the 20 ft cut it in half and replace the ends and now have 2 10ft cables if so what ends to buy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil_m Posted June 7, 2020 Share Posted June 7, 2020 19 minutes ago, kensmith010 said: What if I want a shorter cable than the 20 ft cable can I buy the 20 ft cut it in half and replace the ends and now have 2 10ft cables if so what ends to buy. Well, you need ethercon ends. There are probably kits you can buy for them. Have you crimped Cat 5 cables before? It’s a huge PITA. Probably not worth it, imo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lone_Poor_Boy Posted June 7, 2020 Share Posted June 7, 2020 Here's a 15' one I got to have one a bit shorter then the other Line 6 VDI I have, which is 25'. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0719F5P5G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ledzepperez Posted October 21, 2020 Share Posted October 21, 2020 From what I'm reading, we can use a CAT 5 cable to go on workbench but not play though right? I'm trying to decide if I need to buy a VDI or if I Can use CAT 5. I dont have any pedals or anything, just trying to mess with workbench. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psarkissian Posted October 21, 2020 Share Posted October 21, 2020 VDI gives a more snug fit when playing, cuts down on any loosie-goosie that can lead to intermittence and the host of problems that can result from that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfhmonkey Posted October 22, 2020 Share Posted October 22, 2020 Been gigging with these for years. Dependable, durable, flexible, feels like a regular guitar cable... https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GVXIXFI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psarkissian Posted October 22, 2020 Share Posted October 22, 2020 Yes. Best bet,... https://shop.line6.com/accessories/cables/variax-digital-cable.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Punkyboy Posted November 6, 2020 Share Posted November 6, 2020 On 10/22/2020 at 8:07 PM, psarkissian said: Yes. Best bet,... https://shop.line6.com/accessories/cables/variax-digital-cable.html Hello psarkissian Are the VDI cable cat 5e good for the JTV 59? I saw people tell that a cat6 is needed for the JTV 59? Where can I find that if needed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil_m Posted November 6, 2020 Share Posted November 6, 2020 5 minutes ago, Punkyboy said: Hello psarkissian Are the VDI cable cat 5e good for the JTV 59? I saw people tell that a cat6 is needed for the JTV 59? Where can I find that if needed? The JTV doesn’t need Cat6. Cat5e is fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psarkissian Posted November 6, 2020 Share Posted November 6, 2020 Do not use CAT6 or Cat7, it's the wrong frequency bandwidth/data rate for our products. Do not use generic CAT5/5e for playing through,... that is for use with Monkey and Workbench HD. Use the real VDI cable with the Canon/Neutrik shells on both ends for a good lock when playing. Jiggling when using regular CAT5 can induce transients on a signal line or supply rail, and that can damage something internally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Punkyboy Posted November 7, 2020 Share Posted November 7, 2020 14 hours ago, psarkissian said: Do not use CAT6 or Cat7, it's the wrong frequency bandwidth/data rate for our products. Do not use generic CAT5/5e for playing through,... that is for use with Monkey and Workbench HD. Use the real VDI cable with the Canon/Neutrik shells on both ends for a good lock when playing. Jiggling when using regular CAT5 can induce transients on a signal line or supply rail, and that can damage something internally. Thank you very much dude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psarkissian Posted November 9, 2020 Share Posted November 9, 2020 Sure thing dude. Rock on!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamDetillieux Posted July 12, 2021 Share Posted July 12, 2021 I live in Canada, and wanted a 10 foot VARIAX cable. The links above do not ship to Canada from Amazon, but I was able to find this one https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07T99WP6R/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Hopefully this helps someone someone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.