I just saw another post claiming directionality of cables

[aron]

The worst part is that he's telling others about it. What the hell?
He said "the directionality of the cable. I found that print (George L's points to the amp side of the cable!"

I don't know why but this just made me irritated tonight.

[bool]

Meh ... but of course there IS such thing as directionality of cables.

F.e., if you have one of those cables that have a switching jack (the one that "mutes" the cable when it isn't plugged into an instrument), you just can't deny the fact that this is IS directional.

One side into your guitar, ant the other side into whatever your fancy..

[knutolai]

From what I read the labeling on certain brands guitar cables were intended just to make order in a mess of cables (where does this cable com from? etc). I find it kinda amusing that some people have managed to convince themselves there is some magic mojo to it.
It's also interesting how much psychology plays a part in what we hear. I've so many times adjusted the EQ of a instrument in a mix and felt that it sounded different only to discover the device wasn't active and the change was all in my head. 

[bool]

"EQ-off" tweaks are old news ... try something different, like comp. attack. This is a good one imo, "now it's bigger and stronger, now it's smaller and fluffy ... oh, but the damn thing isn't on"

[psychedelicfish]

I thought that everyone knew that? It's the Earth's magnetic field inducing microcurrents enhancing the intermolecular diode effects in the copper. Get the lead's polarity right and you have the tone of the gods. Get it wrong, on the other hand, and you'll be stuck in the depths of tone-sucking hell forever. But what would you guys know about this stuff, anyway?

[knutolai]

teach us your electron magic master!

[bool]

how dose it sound in MP3?

[zombiwoof]

I have seen guitar cables that have the ground lifted on one end, so the ends are marked for instrument and amp.  Other than that, with a normal cable, I have never heard that there is any certain direction they need to go, if there were it would be marked on the cable in some manner.

Al

[tca]

Telegrapher's equations does some exotic things to some minds!

[R.G.]

There is something about the human mind that wants to believe in magic. We somehow grab onto specious claims and then go find evidence that supports what we already want to believe.

This is perhaps most acute when people start dabbling in areas that are quite involved. It's possibly related to the Dunning-Kruger effect, where knowing a little about some complicated area engenders a false confidence, since the person doesn't know how much they don't know, and think that well, a few tricks and I've got it all down. All that experience and higher learning stuff isn't really needed. 

That's why measurement devices are so good for technical matters - you can't BS a meter.  You *CAN* then misinterpret what it said, but the meter is simple - it measures.

But people want magic.

[armdnrdy]

It's possibly related to the Dunning-Kruger effect, where knowing a little about some complicated area engenders a false confidence, since the person doesn't know how much they don't know, and think that well, a few tricks and I've got it all down. All that experience and higher learning stuff isn't really needed. 

I had to look that one up.
I have known many people that have suffered from this affliction (possibly myself included!)but....I didn't know it actually had a name!

[Dave W]

the laws of physics have been re-written?

[DougH]

I don't think the Lava Cable guy hangs at the gear page anymore because even there they were reaming him about this sh*t.

It's pretty bad when your voodoo is so weak even TGP won't buy it.

[seedlings]

If you uupgrade and purchase their Gold line of cables, they're non -directional!!

CHAD

[vigilante397]

I had someone assure me that gold cables are only for use with bass guitars. 

[seedlings]

I had someone assure me that gold cables are only for use with bass guitars. 

Was he a drummer?

CHAD

[vigilante397]

Was he a drummer?

CHAD
[/quote]

Actually he was a guitarist. I would even call him a better guitarist than myself, which added to my confusion. 

[aron]

Well one of my friends (he's a good one so lets let him go on this one) told me to take my hook up wire and label the direction and then only wire in one direction in the pedal. He sound the pedal will sound better.

I just said "I doubt it" and then I said "COME ON" and then I said "OK whatever - keep doing what you are doing if it sounds better".

[bool]

you can leave mr.Z out of the equation, but the above question fits with this theme (imnho)

[Jdansti]

I used to work with a chemist who kept a little voodoo doll made from scraps of parafilm on top of his inductively coupled plasma instrument (an instrument for analyzing dissolved metals in water), and he'd get really pissed off if anyone touched that doll because he said it would cause the instrument to go out of calibration if the doll wasn't placed in exactly the right position.