The great banana debate

[Paul Schreiber]

Here are my thoughts...

1) Bananas are fine, but use them in PAIRs. The industry standard is to mount a ground jack 3/4" away from the signal jack. You can make all of the grounds black, and still color code the signals. For connecting, use ITT/Pomona shielded coax with molded banana plugs. Allied, Newark, and others carry the completed cables or just the molded plugs. Hunt up some RG-174 cable: it's much smaller diameter (lighter and more flexible) and you can whip up cusom lengths.

"Necks are for wires." - Bob Moog

2) The best choice is of course panel mounted BNC jacks, using made up ITT/Pomona BNC to BNC cables. Expensive, but you can't beat rugged and reliable.

3) Actually, 1/4" phone jacks are really just so-so. They are shielded, but unless you buy the really good Switchcraft ones, you will actually wind up spending MORE money than if you went the BNC route.

4) I have a problem using "single" bananas: where is the ground/shield? You certainly don't want to rely on the metal panels screwed to a grounded rail. For control voltages (Not for the VCO) this is probably OK. But I want my audio and VCO leads shielded.

5) ARP 2600 tried 3.5MM (bastardized in the US as "1/8") jacks, but got complaints that they broke off, leaving the plug crammed into the jack. They also pulled out too easy. Ditto for RCA jacks.

Let's check some prices......(from Mouser and Newark)

For 1 connection ( ie 1 cable plugging into 2 things)

A) Dual banana = 4 colored jacks @ $0.48 each + ITT/Pomona 24" cable w/molded plugs @ $9.42 = $11.34
B) Same as A, but made your own cable: 2 molded plugs @ $2.38ea + 24" RG174 @0.42/ft = $7.52
C) 2 panel BNC @ $1.45ea + ITT/Pomona 24" cable @ $7.05 = $9.95
D) 2 Switchcraft jacks @ $2.86ea + 2 2-conductor plugs @ $3.48 + wire = $13.52

Hmmmm...god old Moog 1/4" jacks/plugs are the MOST expensive way to go.

Thats why I like BNC. Note that much more than bananas, but you drag around a 120lb HP spectrum analyzer with one probe. Uses same panel area as 1/4". Makes your synth look like lab equipment, not a 1927 telephone exchange.

Paul Schreiber
Synthesis Technology

"Portable synthesizers?? They would have to cost 10 times my modular ones." - Dave Rossum EMu Systems

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From: 	Steven Varner[SMTP:svarner at sdcoe.k12.ca.us]
Sent: 	Thursday, February 20, 1997 3:34 AM
To: 	synth-diy
Subject: 	The great banana debate

Hi,

A. I'm getting a lot of blank posts from synth-diy.  
Anyone else have this problem too?

B. A few months ago there was a discussion of banana 
plugs/jacks versus 1/4 inch plugs.  I would like 
those that have used either to post your experiences 
now that a bit of time has passed.  I remember Ric 
Miller saying he changed all his jacks to banana 
jacks (and from all the red and yellow spots on 
Ernie, I see he did).  Mark McLemore posted some pros 
and cons.  How are the banana patch cords as far as 
noise?  And for others out there: how are 1/4 inch 
for hum? (I still think this shouldn't be a problem 
as long as only one end of the shielding is 
connected).  
I really want to go with banana plugs. 
1. They come in lots of colors
2. They're lighter
3. They have greater connecting surfaces
4. They're made for being yanked in and out of jacks
5. They're cheaper!

Mark's idea of making banana to 1/4 inch adapters in 
unused panel areas was great (a simple idea, why 
didn't I think of it?).

Steve Varner
svarner at sdcoe.k12.ca.us