Planet wave circuit breaker cables

[ZenBasses]

[url] http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0002CZV46/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?qid=1372865444&sr=8-4&pi=SL75[/url]

In need of some new cables

How are these compared to other pw products?

Always liked the idea for silencing on stage and the like

Seem a good price atm

Any views are greatly welcomed

[discreet]

Get our own obbm to make you up some Klotz cables with Neutrik SILENT jacks, instead.

[url="http://www.rock-wire.uk.com/"]http://www.rock-wire.uk.com/[/url]

You won't get better value or quality.

Edited July 3, 2013 by discreet

[alstocko]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1372867829' post='2130954']
Get our own obbm to make you up some Klotz cables with Neutrik SILENT jacks, instead.

[url="http://www.rock-wire.uk.com/"]http://www.rock-wire.uk.com/[/url]

You won't get better value or quality.
[/quote]
+1 million

I'm never buying jacks from anywhere else again

[Happy Jack]

Those Planet Waves ones are the ones with a little black on/off button, right?

Great idea in theory, not so clever in practice.

Problem #1 is when you plug the switched end into the amp, not the bass.

Problem #2 is that there is no indicator as to whether you are in 'on' or 'off' mode. Walk out for the second set at the Dog & Duck after having a pint and finding that your rig has mysteriously died does very little for your blood pressure ...

[woodyratm]

I had one of these cables once, died in about a month.

Also +1 to Happy Jack - I did both.

[ZenBasses]

I shall look into the obbm cables again.. I've known about them for ages... But forgot about them.

I am now enlightened again

Roughly how much is p+p?

Only need a 2m or 3m cable seems v good value

Thank you

Edited July 7, 2013 by ZenBasses

[discreet]

[quote name='ZenBasses' timestamp='1373229035' post='2135127']Roughly how much is p+p?[/quote]

IIRC approx £3.20

[ZenBasses]

Thank you

[bassmayhem]

Avoid them! They suck. Lasts as long as a bottle of Ale. One more thing that can break, and it does break...

[ZenBasses]

Just ordered a obbm cable... 21 quid including p+p...

Will be looking forward to the clank of the letter box this week.

[rOB]

I've had two pw circuit breaker cables since before I joined bc (few years ago now) gigged and rehearsed since then, no problems at all.

I just use them as handy mute switches.

[MoJoKe]

I have several OBBM leads in my gig bag and in the studio, so cannot agree more to this recommendation.

However... when not using wireless on stage I use a PW switched cable for my main lead. Mine is right angled at the bass end, so no confusion there about which end the switch is. I find the switch (which may be different on the straight plugs) very easy to use (pushed in towards the bass is ON), and absolutely great for "silent" muting (no pop or noise when you do it!) or swapping basses. In the same way as turning wireless transmitter off/on, and if nothing is coming out of my MB rig it is the first thing I check.

My current lead is about 18 months old and still working absolutely fine, and, while I [i][b]have [/b][/i]had faults with PW leads before, they have a lifetime guarantee, so this isn't a problem 'cos you send it back and they send you a replacement, no questions asked (as long as the lead hasn't suffered obvious abuse!).

Oh, and the PW switch has never let me down, where I have had two leads with Neutrik Silent jacks (the red ones with the brass sleeve, which pushes in when you plug in), and both silent jacks failed within a year, so were swapped for standard jacks (and you cannot use the neutrik ones as a mute switch.

However, don't even get me started about the PW flanged plugs! In spite of the design change they will eventually mess up any socket you plug them into!!

[mart]

Has anybody tried using these with an active bass?

I got a cable with one of the Neutrik silent jacks only to discover that it isn't really compatible with actives. Sometimes it works silently, sometimes it gives a loud pop as the active circuit gets fired up (or turned off).

[obbm]

[quote name='mart' timestamp='1375177313' post='2157528']
Has anybody tried using these with an active bass?

I got a cable with one of the Neutrik silent jacks only to discover that it isn't really compatible with actives. Sometimes it works silently, sometimes it gives a loud pop as the active circuit gets fired up (or turned off).
[/quote]

Neutrik have a warning about this on their web site.

[url="http://www.neutrik.com/en/audio/plugs-and-jacks/silentplug/np2x-au-silent"]http://www.neutrik.com/en/audio/plugs-and-jacks/silentplug/np2x-au-silent[/url]

See note at the bottom of the page.

[mart]

Yes, after discovering problems in practice, I went googling and found that Neutrik admit they might not work for active set-ups. It's fair enough. I just wondered if the PW breaker cables would be any better.

I have this stupid thing that I often have to play one or two songs, then nothing for twenty or thirty minutes, then another song. And I obsess that the battery is going to give way in that twenty/thirty minute gap. So I would prefer to unplug the cable during that time. That's ok if I'm using an amp with a mute switch, but that's not always convenient.

But I'm forming the impression that it is impossible to have a silent mute switch without some power, be that from the amp, or from a 9v battery. I don't understand the electrics of why that should be, I just observe that all of the unpowered switches seem to have some sort of caveat like with the Neutrik silent plugs. But the PW cables seem to buck that trend, hence why I asked if anybody has used these with active basses.

Alternatively, if someone can explain why you need some sort of power to enable a mute switch to work without any kind of popping, I'd be interested, although my brain is probably too small to take it in.

[Dad3353]

[quote name='mart' timestamp='1375229476' post='2158704']...I often have to play one or two songs, then nothing for twenty or thirty minutes, then another song. And I obsess that the battery is going to give way in that twenty/thirty minute gap...[/quote]

Aha..! It's therefore more of a medical problem..! I sympathise, but this is really too far over the top, imho. Leave the cable plugged in during the whole session, the battery will hold out. Only yourself can know how many hours the battery has already done, but if you change for a fresh one before waiting for failure, you'll be safe. If you really eat batteries that much, use rechargeables, freshly charged before gigs.
Just my tuppence-worth, no malice intended.

[Dood]

[quote name='mart' timestamp='1375229476' post='2158704']
Yes, after discovering problems in practice, I went googling and found that Neutrik admit they might not work for active set-ups. It's fair enough. I just wondered if the PW breaker cables would be any better.

I have this stupid thing that I often have to play one or two songs, then nothing for twenty or thirty minutes, then another song. And I obsess that the battery is going to give way in that twenty/thirty minute gap. So I would prefer to unplug the cable during that time. That's ok if I'm using an amp with a mute switch, but that's not always convenient.

But I'm forming the impression that it is impossible to have a silent mute switch without some power, be that from the amp, or from a 9v battery. I don't understand the electrics of why that should be, I just observe that all of the unpowered switches seem to have some sort of caveat like with the Neutrik silent plugs. But the PW cables seem to buck that trend, hence why I asked if anybody has used these with active basses.

Alternatively, if someone can explain why you need some sort of power to enable a mute switch to work without any kind of popping, I'd be interested, although my brain is probably too small to take it in.
[/quote]

The Switched plugs from Planet Waves work perfectly with active basses and truly mute the cable whilst plugging in ( as long as you remember to unmute manually afterward!!) I've a number of active basses using Planet Waves cables with no problems.

[Dood]

I'd also add that although I use Planet Waves cables; my choice of interconnect, I have had cables from OBBM too. I trained as an electronics tech myself and thus I can tell you that his handiwork is A1.

[mart]

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1375230542' post='2158712']
Aha..! It's therefore more of a medical problem..! ....
[/quote]
Absolutely! Very perceptive!

It's just that, from my experience, buying a new cable is a cheaper and quicker way of dealing with mental health issues than tackling it as a medical issue.

Thanks also to dood for the good news. I've now got one on order.

Cheers folks!

[mart]

(I feel the need to add that there's no smiley on my comment above about mental health, cos I'm deadly serious, having been through 5 years of anti-depressant hell, and associated fun. Sorry about the tangent!)

Edited July 31, 2013 by mart

[MoJoKe]

[quote name='mart' timestamp='1375229476' post='2158704']
Yes, after discovering problems in practice, I went googling and found that Neutrik admit they might not work for active set-ups. It's fair enough. I just wondered if the PW breaker cables would be any better.
[/quote]

I use the PW cable with my lakland 55-02 active basses, and can [b]completely reassure you they are completely silent [/b](well with my basses anyway!). pop the little switch out on the jack then it is completely safe to unplug silently. I guess the difference is that with the PW, the lead is still plugged in when the switch is activated, so a circuit is theoretically there still, where with the Neutrik ones you simply pull the jack out from the bass.

[dannybuoy]

I use cables with these jacks, very handy for messing about with different basses and pedals at home, being able to plug/unplug with the amp left on without any nasty buzzing noises.

[mart]

[quote name='MoJoKe' timestamp='1375381130' post='2160612']
I use the PW cable with my lakland 55-02 active basses, and can [b]completely reassure you they are completely silent [/b](well with my basses anyway!). pop the little switch out on the jack then it is completely safe to unplug silently. I guess the difference is that with the PW, the lead is still plugged in when the switch is activated, so a circuit is theoretically there still, where with the Neutrik ones you simply pull the jack out from the bass.
[/quote]
Thanks. Your explanation about the active circuit still being on when the lead is in - that makes sense, and probably does explain why these work better than the Neutrik silent plugs for this situation.

Hopefully in a few days I'll be back, with my own PW cable, adding my own confirmation that they do the job I want.

[JapanAxe]

I have a couple of these leads, but I now only ever use them between pedalboard and guitar amp. They are not very flexible, so if you start moving around the stage too much (as I used to in the guise of 'Keef Rockhard') they form big awkward loops.

For bass I use a brilliant OBBM cable. I will not use PW for this application because the input socket on my TC head is board-mounted and not secured to the chassis - a silly cheapo design flaw. A PW jack would trash this in no time.

[Jah Wibble]

Have ordered a cable from Obbm recently, brilliant, couldn't recommend them enough.

That being said, I use circuit breakers because Markbass, for some unknown reason don't really like putting mute switches on many of their amps, so I find these cables pretty useful.


That is all....