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Library / Cables & connectors / Which cable

Which cable
do I need?

You need

A ¼″ TS instrument cable

Plug it into the input marked INST or Hi-Z: a passive pickup needs a very high input impedance.1 Keep it reasonably short; an unbalanced cable has no second wire to cancel the hum it picks up.1

Read: ¼″ TS → · Every rule →

Every rule

All connectors →
FromToCableWhy
Electric guitar or bassAudio interfaceA ¼″ TS instrument cablePlug it into the input marked INST or Hi-Z: a passive pickup needs a very high input impedance.1 Keep it reasonably short; an unbalanced cable has no second wire to cancel the hum it picks up.1
Electric guitar or bassGuitar ampA ¼″ TS instrument cableGuitars and basses use unbalanced quarter-inch jacks.1
MicrophoneAudio interfaceAn XLR microphone cableMicrophones almost always have XLR connectors. Outputs are male and inputs female, so the female end goes on the mic and the male end into the interface.1
MicrophoneMixer or deskAn XLR microphone cableFemale end at the mic, male end at the desk.1
Synth or keyboard (audio out)Audio interfaceTwo ¼″ jack cables, left and rightUse the line inputs, not INST. Balanced outputs take TRS cables; unbalanced ones take TS. The manual says which.12
Synth or keyboard (audio out)Mixer or deskTwo ¼″ jack cables, left and rightInto two line inputs, panned left and right. TRS for balanced outputs, TS for unbalanced.12
Synth or drum machine (MIDI out)Another synth or drum machineA 5-pin DIN MIDI cableFrom MIDI OUT on one to MIDI IN on the other.3
Synth or drum machine (MIDI out)ComputerA USB cable, or a USB–MIDI interfaceMIDI over USB is a standard USB device class.4 If the instrument only has 5-pin DIN sockets, a USB–MIDI interface sits between them.
USB controller keyboardComputerA USB cableA class-compliant controller sends MIDI over USB.4
Audio interface (main outputs)Active studio monitorsBalanced TRS-to-XLR cablesTRS jack at the interface, male XLR into the monitor's input. If the monitors take jacks, TRS at both ends keeps the line balanced.1
Phone or laptop (headphone out)Audio interface or mixerA 3.5 mm TRS to two ¼″ TS cable (a Y cable)A headphone jack carries one channel on the tip and the other on the ring, sharing the sleeve; the Y cable splits them into two line inputs.1
CD player or DJ mixer (RCA out)Audio interface or mixerTwo RCA-to-¼″ TS cablesRCA is unbalanced consumer line level; use the line inputs.2
Device with S/PDIF coax outAudio interface (S/PDIF in)A digital coax cable with RCA plugsS/PDIF on phono sockets carries stereo digital audio with its clock embedded.5
Preamp with ADAT outAudio interface (ADAT in)A TOSLINK optical cableOne cable carries eight channels of 24-bit audio at 48 kHz, in one direction.6 With several digital devices, one clock should lead, often sent on BNC word clock.5
Power amplifierPassive speakersA speakON speaker cablespeakON is the industry-standard amplifier-to-loudspeaker connector.7
DMX lighting controllerLighting fixturesA 5-pin XLR DMX cableThe DMX512 standard requires five-pin XLR on equipment with plug-in data connections.8
TR-808 (sync out)A DIN sync inputA 5-pin DIN sync cableThe TR-808's sync socket is a DIN connector carrying start/stop, ground and clock, switched between input and output.9

Sources

  1. System Science, Part 3: Analogue Connections, Focusritebalanced lines; TRS, TS and XLR; outputs male, inputs female; guitars need a high-impedance input; headphone TRS · checked 2026-10-07
  2. Sound System Interconnection (RaneNote 110), Ranebalanced XLR and TRS; unbalanced TS and RCA; balanced output stages · checked 2026-10-07
  3. 5 Pin DIN Electrical Specs (CA-033), The MIDI AssociationMIDI 1.0 uses a 5-pin DIN connector · checked 2026-10-07
  4. Universal Serial Bus Device Class Definition for MIDI Devices 1.0, USB-IFMIDI over USB as a standard device class · checked 2026-10-07
  5. System Science, Part 4: Digital Considerations, FocusriteAES3 on XLR; S/PDIF on phono (RCA); TOSlink for S/PDIF or ADAT; BNC word clock · checked 2026-10-07
  6. All About ADAT, Focusriteeight channels of 24-bit audio at 48 kHz in one direction · checked 2026-10-07
  7. speakON cable connectors, Neutrikthe industry-standard amplifier/loudspeaker connector · checked 2026-10-07
  8. ANSI E1.11 – 2024, DMX512-A, ESTAclause 7.1.1: equipment shall use 5-pin XLR connectors · checked 2026-10-07
  9. TR-808: Technical Specifications, Roland Supportinstruments, step keys, outputs, DIN sync. Read through the Internet Archive copy of 2026-09-03; the live page refuses automated readers · checked 2026-10-07