Why Do we Still Need Cables?????

Gearjoneser

Gearjoneser

Gear Ho
I was just thinking about the many new products there are in the world that make our life easier, and am forced to wonder why musicians still need cables?

We've got cellphones that practically do our laundry, yet there's not one company that can come up with a transmitting patchbay with about 24 tiny 1/4" jack remotes for a studio? I've seen the small Sampson guitar remotes with a portable transmitter, but when is a company going to come out with two tiny 1/4" Jack remotes that have the same quality audio signal between them as a Monster Cable?

The first one that does is going to to revolutionize the music industry.
Motorola? Samsung? Audio Technica? Anyone?
 
Re: Why Do we Still Need Cables?????

I have SO wondered this myself. I F*ing HATE cables. I'm a big clumsy oaf and I'm always stepping on them, tripping over them etc...
 
Re: Why Do we Still Need Cables?????

Hey now...lets not loose sight of what is important. Whatever happened to "By the year 2000 well all be traveling in tubes and with jetpacks..." and that was in the 50s and 60s! I WANT THE JETPACKS WE WERE PROMISED! And a wireless guitar cable system...so I can play and zoom around over the audience...
 
Re: Why Do we Still Need Cables?????

Gearjoneser said:
We've got cellphones that practically do our laundry...
Click to expand...
This may be, but the whites aren't the whitest, and the brights aren't the brightest, ya know?

I definitely agree that it's odd, though.
 
Re: Why Do we Still Need Cables?????

Maybe if they weren't so pre-occipied making gear that looks and sounds EXACTLY like an instrument made five decades ago they could fine the time to come up with something.
 
Re: Why Do we Still Need Cables?????

For some reason I've felt that Bluetooth technology could be adapted to guitars and possibly create a better wireless system with less signal loss + taking up less space.

Call me crazy
 
Re: Why Do we Still Need Cables?????

Why do we still have tube amps? ;)

Though I agree with you. *Above* was just for the sake of argument. Really, for something as simple as transmitting a low-power audio signal, it really should not cost as much as it does to get a good-quality wireless transmitter. It really should not be that hard. And it really would solve the problems of cables. I really do despise cables. It's not even a big signal. For something like speaker cables, having a wireless transmitter would be kind of tough. It'd have to deal with an extremely large signal and be able to transfer it all without losing quality. But for a small signal requiring no heavy-duty components, it really shouldn't be taking this long.
 
Re: Why Do we Still Need Cables?????

Skarekrough said:
Maybe if they weren't so pre-occipied making gear that looks and sounds EXACTLY like an instrument made five decades ago they could fine the time to come up with something.
Click to expand...


BINGO...the man nailed the problem!!!


-Mike
 
Last edited:
Re: Why Do we Still Need Cables?????

Cellphones = Digital.

Bluetooth = Digital.

Wireless analog = $$$$

That's my opinion.
 
Re: Why Do we Still Need Cables?????

They practically give you a free cellphone when you sign up for a calling plan.
Their cost is about $40. Two small 1/4" plugs with something the size of a watch face on each one, containing a battery, should not be that difficult. If they're worried about signal loss, just include a buffer of some sort.

Imagine if the two cables you used for your guitar/pedalboard, pedalboard/amp, could be replaced with these small modules? As long as the batteries are good, you'd never have any cables lying across the floor or getting twisted near your feet!!
 
Re: Why Do we Still Need Cables?????

They have yet to make a 13 pin wireless system for my guitar synth :(
 
Re: Why Do we Still Need Cables?????

Gearjoneser said:
They practically give you a free cellphone when you sign up for a calling plan.
Their cost is about $40. Two small 1/4" plugs with something the size of a watch face on each one, containing a battery, should not be that difficult. If they're worried about signal loss, just include a buffer of some sort.
Click to expand...

Think about it; does the person on the other end of your cellphone really sound like they're standing in the room beside you?

Considering how much you spent on your guitars and amps, do you really want your guitar tone to sound anything like the voice you hear over that phone?

That's why good analog transmitters cost a few hundred or more, and cheap digital phones cost $40 or less......it's all about bandwidth....and analog insturment cables carry huge amounts of bandwidth when compared to a digital cellular signal.
 
Re: Why Do we Still Need Cables?????

....i would highly suggest choosing your "poisons" wisely..... the more we rely upon "technology" to do the simplest jobs, you must accept the increased failure rate that will accompany it!....

Whether or not it is common knowledge, guided missles use tubes.....anyone want to take a wild guess why?....

Jeff Seal
 
Re: Why Do we Still Need Cables?????

JB put it simply
JB_From_Hell said:
This may be, but the whites aren't the whitest, and the brights aren't the brightest, ya know?
Click to expand...
Screamingdaisy put it eloquently.
screamingdaisy said:
Think about it; does the person on the other end of your cellphone really sound like they're standing in the room beside you?

Considering how much you spent on your guitars and amps, do you really want your guitar tone to sound anything like the voice you hear over that phone?

That's why good analog transmitters cost a few hundred or more, and cheap digital phones cost $40 or less......it's all about bandwidth....and analog insturment cables carry huge amounts of bandwidth when compared to a digital cellular signal.
Click to expand...
 
Re: Why Do we Still Need Cables?????

Its because I don't think you could do it at a competive price for such a novelty.

Compare 20 foot piece of wire with two plugs, some sheilding and rubber enclosure, to batter, two jacks, PCB, all the parts on it, antennae, etc...

Plus musicians pretty much don't trust technology unless it offers huge benefits and is proven to be reliable.
 
Re: Why Do we Still Need Cables?????

I agree with all of your comments, and I'm quite sure THATs the reason why something so simple hasn't become commonplace.

My only point is that expensive wireless guitar systems sound good enough for most players playing in arenas. I'm just suggesting that they're sized down in the same way cell phones and calculators have been sized down. Who knows, the companies have probably exhausted their effort to replace cables and came to the same conclusion Screaming Daisy did. That MUST be the case, otherwise one of those companies would have been rolling in dough.
 
Re: Why Do we Still Need Cables?????

Skarekrough said:
Maybe if they weren't so pre-occipied making gear that looks and sounds EXACTLY like an instrument made five decades ago they could fine the time to come up with something.
Click to expand...

DINGDINGDINGDINGDINGDING Tell us what he's won!!! :burnout:
 
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