Cables - fibre optic iconic sound light lead

[Wonky2]

Just read an a article on a prototype guitar lead which uses fibre optics instead of traditional cable.

http://askaudiomag.com/articles/review-iconic-sound-lightlead

I know it makes a considerable difference on my hifi gear so would imagine a notable improvement in the scenario too.

I'll be sticking with my 20 year old whirlwinds for now though

[flyfisher]

Good for things like electrical isolation (earth loops, hum etc) but tone-wise a lot will depend on the linearity of the opto-electronics at each end of the link.

[amnesia]

I wonder just how they will take to being stood on?

...and seeing how many guitar / bass players coil their leads they might not like that either!

[jazzyvee]

I actually tried one out at the Northern Guitar Fare in Liverpool yesterday afternoon and the difference between this optical lead and a standard lead is massive. I thought this was gonna be another snake oil product but the difference between the standard and optical lead is so clear you don't have to listen carefully to hear it I was actually shocked at the difference. I did try it out with passive basses a Shergold bass and a Rickenbacker 4004. I hope to have an opportunity to try it with my alembic to see if the difference is as great with an active bass before I make any decision on whether to buy one.

My only concerns about it is that the batteries last about 18 hrs which is another thing to think about when you are using active basses and the housing on the prototype is plastic which is not gonna be as durable for the rigours of the stage as a metal jack. Maybe the production model will be metal.

Edited November 24, 2014 by jazzyvee

[discreet]

Not more batteries?? I'm out!!

[flyfisher]

Shocked in a good way I guess?

Thing is though, with all the tone shaping controls available to the average basis these days, the real test is not a simple A-B swap between fibre and cable but between two complete rigs set up to give the best tone. And yes, 'best tone' will be subjective but the acid test will be to achieve two indistinguishable tones.

So yes, I can imagine a fibre link would have different characteristics to a screened cable (or indeed a wireless link) but that's not really the only issue here.

[planer]

[quote]Would I buy one? I’d buy three![/quote]
[quote][b]Cons[/b]: There's only three in the world at the moment.[/quote]

Bit greedy really, taking the whole planets stock in one hit.

Seriously though, it looks like a good gadget, but it could be a bit gimmicky to take off in a big way, even if the mfrs can convince the market over the durability. And then there is the battery 'issue', if they could find a way to power it from bass-players' flatulence then it's a winner.

Edited November 24, 2014 by planer

[KingBollock]

They answered my first question straight away in the article, it's analogue, which is good.

It's rather expensive for my wallet, but if I were a professional musician or even an amateur that records a lot, I think it would be worth it, going on the samples given. I do see them more as a studio thing than for gigging.

And it has pretty lights!

The batteries are a worry, how close to the end of their life do they start to degrade the signal?

As I understand it (I have never tried it personally) fibre optic cables aren't difficult to work with, but is the cable they use a common type or specially made? Are they tinkerable? Will you be able to eventually buy separate plugs and cables for them? Or will the warranty be good enough that you don't have to worry about doing your own repairs?

I'll probably never have one. They're too expensive for what I would use them for and over the last year or so I have added a bunch of cheap and homemade pedals between my bass and amp, I think the difference in sound quality would be entirely lost in my rig.

[flyfisher]

[quote name='KingBollock' timestamp='1416845136' post='2614186']
As I understand it (I have never tried it personally) fibre optic cables aren't difficult to work with, but is the cable they use a common type or specially made? Are they tinkerable? Will you be able to eventually buy separate plugs and cables for them? Or will the warranty be good enough that you don't have to worry about doing your own repairs?
[/quote]

Depends on the type of fibre. Because of the short distances involved I'm guessing they won't be using single mode fibre, so no need for very specialised and expensive connector tooling.

Multimode fibre and connectors are less critical, but even so they are complete overkill for a short distance audio bandwidth application so perhaps they are using some sort of plastic fibre similar to those 'TosLink' connections on Hifi systems.

I wonder how they compare to short cable links into a DI box?

[discreet]

[quote name='planer' timestamp='1416842068' post='2614145']
...if they could find a way to power it from bass-players' flatulence then it's a winner.
[/quote]

I don't see why not. After all, Basschat is powered by it.