Leads and signals

Question 1

What are the three pins for on an XLR cable for?

Answer 1

1. Positive signal
2. Negative signal
3. Phantom power

Question 2

Name 4

What are the advantages of XLR cables?

Answer 2

• Balanced
• Widely used
• Locking mechanism
• Good for long cable runs as they don’t lose quality and can be daisy chained

Question 3

Name four disadvantages of XLR cables?

Answer 3

• They can only send information one way
• More expensive
• Not compatible with all devices
• Only send sound

Question 4

Name two important things about S/PDIF cables

Answer 4

1. They send digital signals
2. They can send multiple different audio signals

Question 5

Name 3 pros of S/PDIF cables:

Answer 5

1. They’re digital and have bit-perfect transmission so they’re less susceptible to interference and can go longer distances.
2. Multichannel audio
3. Colour coded

Question 6

Name 3 cons of S/PDIF cables

Answer 6

1. It can only transmit audio in one direction
2. It can’t do high resolution audio formats
3. They can’t carry power

Question 7

What are Fire Wires known for?

Answer 7

Known for high-speed data transfer - ideal for profesional audio and video applications.

Question 8

Name 3 pros of Fire Wires

Answer 8

1. Good for high speed data transfer
2. Good for daisy-chaining
3. Can carry power

Question 9

Name 3 cons of Fire Wires

Answer 9

1. Uncommon
2. Expensive
3. Lack power managment - this means they could hurt a battery by sending in too much power

Question 10

Name 3 pros of USB cables

Answer 10

1. They are standardised
2. They deliver power quickly
3. They transfer data quickly

Question 11

Name a con of USB cables

Answer 11

Limited cable length of about 5 metres

Question 12

Name a con of ADAT cables

Answer 12

They are not as common anymore

Question 13

Name 3 pros of ADAT cables

Answer 13

1. Digital data transfer, so no degradatoin over long distances
2. They can take up to eight channels of audio at a time
3. Lightweight and flexible

Question 14

Name 4 pros of speakon cables

Answer 14

1. Secure locking mechanism
2. Often colour coded
3. They can transmit high power signals without signal degradation
4. Durable

Question 15

Where are speakon cables commonly used?

Answer 15

Speakon cables are commonly used in live scenarios

Question 16

Name 4 disadvantages of speakon cables

Answer 16

1. Only send audio
2. Big
3. Expensive
4. Not standardised

Question 17

What are MIDI cables used for?

Answer 17

MIDI cables are used for connecting mucial devices to computers.

Question 18

Name 3 pros of MIDI cables?

Answer 18

1. Universal language
2. Can be daisy-chained
3. Real time control and automation

Question 19

Name 4 cons of MIDI cables?

Answer 19

1. Can’t send a lot of imformation at any one time
2. They can send data but not audio
3. Timing issue can be possible in comples situations
4. Limited range

Question 20

Name 2 cons of RCA cables

Answer 20

1. Susceptible to degradation
2. Not good with high quality
   .
3. Fragile connector

Question 21

Name 4 pros of RCA cables

Answer 21

1. Colour coded
2. Widespread compatibility
3. Affordable
4. They can transmit audio and vifdeo signals

Question 22

Name this wire

Answer 22

Fire wire

Question 23

Name this wire

Answer 23

S/PDIF

Question 24

Name this cable

Answer 24

ADAT cable