When putting together your modular system, a vital component that’s easy to overlook is buying a collection of patch cables to use with it. What should you look for when shopping for cables for your modular system?
Most important is that you need cables with plugs that are compatible with the system you’ve chosen. Eurorack uses 3.5 mm connectors (which are slightly different than the 1/8" size used by vintage synths like the ARP 2600 and Korg MS series); most 5U or MU (Moog Unit) systems use 1/4" (6.35 mm) connectors; Serge uses banana connectors; Buchla uses a combination of banana and TiniJax; some micro systems use pin connectors. (See page 15 of Patch & Tweak for more background.) The advice below is written for Eurorack format systems, but the basic principles apply to most other systems as well.
In truth, the difference between cables is small enough that most of the time, you can make these choices without sacrificing performance. But if you are concerned about optimizing performance, here are a few things to consider. Let’s start with the most crucial part, at least from the user interface point of view: the design around the plug itself.
