Alembic Guitars Club
Alembic products => Alembic Basses & Guitars => Topic started by: series_iii on August 20, 2006, 10:57:42 AM
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i will be going on stage with a mix of basses - some use the 5-pin alembic cable, some are 1/4 stereo. i run my rig in stereo (i have a DS-5R that the basses go into) and i would like to simplify my bass changing routine. i'm thinking a adaptor to convert the 5-pin alembic cable to 1/4 stereo. that way when i swap basses i don't have to swap cables (i try to keep bass swaps quick and unobtrusive while the singer schmoozes the crowd between songs). since each bass has its own strap (with straplocks) that stays with the bass, i'd probably make the cable adaptor attach to the strap - kinda like a wireless pack.
my questions are this:
1) where would i get a 5-pin female inline jack like what's on the standard alembic cable?
2) has anyone heard of a premade version of this?
3) anyone else done this?
thanks in advance for your help and advice!
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I would imagine that Butch at Bayou Cables (http://www.bayoucables.com/) could make a high quality adaptor for you.
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The parts are also readily available at electronics supply houses if you want to make it yourself. You will need the pin layout.
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A fellow club member posted the following as the pin layout, but I have no idea as to whether it's correct.
pin 1 : signal ground
pin 2 : neck pickup
pin 3 : bridge pickup
pin 4 : +20V
pin 5 : -20V
So I'm guessing you would use the first three pins and ignore 4 and 5.
Switchcraft and Neutrik make good quality 5-pin connectors.
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yeah thanks, i've already pinged butch. trying to decide if i wanna build or buy.
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Hi Tim,
That's exactly what I've been trying to make tomorrow.
My rigs are build for series basses, but I also use Anniversary bass(stereo) and Distillate bass(mono).
I will make 2 adaptors for each basses.
One for Dis-B includs mono to stereo adaptor.
May be, it's no problem with passive circuit.
But if it's better with buffer amp, easy for power supply from pin4.
I am wondering about the location of jack.
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after some digging around, it looks like a switcraft in-line male mated to the appropriate 1/4 jack on the other end oughta do it:
http://www.mouser.com/search/refine.aspx?Ntt=502-TA5ML (http://www.mouser.com/search/refine.aspx?Ntt=502-TA5ML)
i've got a no-name alembic 5-pin cable that came with one of my basses that has that connector on it. i couldn't find a neutrik equivalent.
what say you guys? this look like the right one?
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Hi,
I made the small adaptor box with 2 cables.
The box is simply conected stereo phone jack to 5-pin jack. (No.1:ground, No.2:neck PU, No.3:bridge PU)
Red cable is Stereo to Stereo cable for Anniv.Bass. (Red cable is my personal code for Stereo-Stereo and Blue is Mono-Stereo.)
Blue cable is Mono to Stereo for Dis.B and other basses. (simply conected tip to tip & ring)
It works fine with Anniv. and Dis. basses.
Now I am looking for belt clip.
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/30869.jpg)
The in-line adaptor is easy for use.
But we usualy use angled 5 pin plug.
It's just like snapped cable, when adaptor is conected.
Eiji
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Finally I got and fixed the clip. It's very well ! I recommend this adaptor for Series & Stereo instruments users. This is back side.
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/30943.jpg)
The adaptor on the strap with my Dis-B.
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/30944.jpg)
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Tim;
I think you want the A5M (http://www.mouser.com/search/ProductDetail.aspx?R=A5Mvirtualkey50210000) rather than the TA5M. I believe the TA5M is a smaller connector.
Eiji; looks cool! Needs paint .
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Tim:
Looks cool, but I have one, make that two, questions:
1. If you use this with a Series instrument, aren't you cutting off the power to the electronics?
2. If the answer to the above is that the Series will be powered by it's batteries, then why not just use the 1/4 jack on the bass instead of converting the 5-pin to a 1/4?
Bill, tgo
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Bill; I think the situation is as follows.
He has several basses on stage, at least one of which is a Series bass. He uses the 5-pin cable with the Series bass. Other basses only have quarter inch jacks.
Thus, currently, he is using both a 5-pin cable and a quarter inch cable, which makes the stage a bit messy (I know, been there).
To make the stage cleaner and instrument changes between songs easier, he would like to use only the 5-pin cable. Thus the little adaptor will be for use on the non-Series instruments only.
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Thanks Dave. That makes sense.
Bill, tgo
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thanks for the help and suggestions. i like your suggetion, eiji but i didn't want to go with a box. Here's what i came up with. The neutrik connectors came from fistells in denver. The one on the left is the mono adapter for the steinberger. the one on the right is for the spyder with the 20th anneversary electronics.
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/31000.jpg)
here's why i had to do this. at any time i'll have any combination of the basses pictured with me on stage (not pictured is the series II 5-string). i don't swap basses for every song, but when i swap i want it to be quick and unobtrusive. it was easy with just the series I & II since they use the same cable. it was tolerable with the steinberger but the spyder is what forced it. since it has stereo output, i wanted to use it to its full potential. i didn't want to have to jack with 3 different cords. the straps stay with the basses, so i'll capture the adaptor to the strap and the problem is solved - plug the 5-pin cable from the rig into the strap and away i go!
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/393/31001.jpg)
btw just in case you're curious, the bridge pickup goes to the 2x10, the neck goes to the 1x18
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That fretless is a beaut! Can you share some more pics of that one? Is it a long scale?
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Tim; they look great!
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Hi Tim,
Great Basses !
Spyder 8 st with Anniversary circuit !?
Small standard body with fretless long scale !?
And I am curious about 3 different stands.
Cable adaptors are cool.
I am interested angled Neutric stereo phone plug.
I made with small box adoptor, because I have some idea of powered thing.
(for ex. buffer amp for passive instruments, power supply for the other basses or LEDs, etc...)
DC-DC converter will be installed in the box.
Yes, the box is still in proto type state.
Eiji
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hi Eiji:
well the stands are a mix and match of various things found in music stores. they're all going to be replaced with a hercules (similar to the one that holds the spyder). i'm tired of risking expensive basses in cheap stands.
yes - small body long scale. perhaps tomorrow i'll post more pics of that bass since it's garnered so much attention. i just got back from rehersal and i'm wiped out.
since i don't need external power for anything, cable adaptor works ok for me. i sure wish they'd put a 5 pin on the spyder, though. it uses a lot of batteries!
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Hi Tim,
Do you know this 6 strings Spoiler (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=13925) ?
It has Anniversary circuit with 5 pin construction.
Yes, It means Anniversary powered by DS-5.
Now the bass is owned Japanese club member.
He showed me the circuit, and looks is so easy.
But Alembic will never make such thing.
If I can, I want to make power supply from DS-5 for Anniversary and Distillate basses.
But I don't want any routing and circuit modification.
I will try with 1/4 inch multi connector.
Eiji
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Per popular request, i posted pictures of the fretless here:
http://club.alembic.com/Images/411/31037.html?1157064985 (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=8418)
quick and dirty, i'm no photographer...
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Parts,wire and custom assembly is also available at WWW.HAVEINC.COM (http://WWW.HAVEINC.COM)