Why CAT 5?

Tremonti

Tremonti

Fractal Fanatic
Seems like its more issues than just using a 7 pin midi.....why use a CAT5? Heard nothing but issues on here....
 
IMO,
- Cat-5 doesn't require a separate power supply at the axe
- cheaper to replace than midi 7 pin cable
- easier to find than midi 7pin cable at 9 pm on a Saturday night if your cable breaks after GC has closed

at least those are the reasons I like it better than the midi. I do keep my power supply and a midi cord in my gig bag as my back-up solution (as well as another cat-5 cable)
 
I had some trouble with the physical RJ45 connector on mine.. I noticed I could get connection by wiggling the plug in the jack, or bending the plastic clip thing to seat it tighter. Altogether too flakey for me. Meanwhile, I already had a nice Bestronics 7-pin midi cable. It has a way more robust metal connector, is plenty long enough for my needs, lays flat on the floor and I don't see any practical performance difference when footswitching. So I went back to midi as my primary (wallwart adaptor stays in the rack) and I now consider the cat5 option as a nice backup in case I ever need it.
 
IMO Cat 5 is better because of the Ethercon option which makes it tank proof. I modded my MFC to add ethercon and have 0 troubles.
For full disclosure's sake, I must say that I had no troubles either before I modded and I was using a STRANDED cat 5 cable which lays flat. (Solid cable is a pain, stranded is supple as a guitar cord).
But I've got enough experience with the flimsiness of RJ45 plugs to know that it was just a matter of time.
I have BAD experiences with all forms of Midi cables including sturdy metal din plugs, which will bend out of shape when stepped on and no longer fit the midi receptacle. So I stay away as much as I can from using Midi in any application except inter-keyboard communication.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jon
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom