Shortening pre-fabricated insert cables

mcvittym

Well-Known Member
I have bought some Hosa insert cables (http://hosatech.com/product/stp-201rr/) for my Mastermind PBC set up. These seem to work fine, but the cables are too long, and therefore take up too much room in the confined space of my pedalboard case.

I have two options for shortening them:

1. the cheap way - remove a section of cable in the middle and rejoin (with soldered connections, heatshrink, etc)
2. discarding the molded 1/4 inch mono plugs and replacing them with eg Switchcraft 226 plugs, which I would attach to the shortened cables.

Intuitively I suspect that the cheap way may lead to trouble eg with screening, RFI, electrical noise etc but I'd be interested to hear from anyone who actually has tried it or who knows why it would be OK or not OK.
 
To be honest (electrically speaking), I highly doubt that you ACTUALLY introduce any audible "noise" by cutting out the middle section, provided you did a great soldering / heatshrink job. On paper, yes...but in reality, not likely.

That said, I'd still just cut off what you don't need and do the Switchcraft (or other good brand) ends. It would look better, and in my opinion, it would be MUCH easier than trying to cut out the middle and then patch it back up. You'd end up with a messy looking middle trying to figure out how to keep the conductors from touching each other, etc. New ends would be much easier....
 
Or cut the end off and order a stereo plug. Cut to length and put new plug on. No heat shrink needed.
 
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