patching cv's...a little confused

[vacuumdust]

Hey all, a cv patch cable has the voltage right there at the tip of the plug...as you patch it into another MOTM or eurorack style module jack you will undoubtedly hit the hot tip to the grounded outer part of the jack...temporarily shorting it out.  Why is this ok?  It's the reason I can wrap my small brain around banana jacks beacause the cables are unshielded and the jacks have no ground connection.  I ask beacause i'm about to build an MFOS synth that uses banans for cv ins/outs but would like to convert those jacks to 1/8".  So those 1/8"jacks would be grounded to the faceplate unless i isolate them but this doesn't seem to be the case on the modulars i've seen.   ??

[R.G.]

A short is only a problem if the electrical source feeding the short can supply enough power (voltage * current) to damage something. Many low power sources, like CV generators, are either internally high impedance enough (that is, they can't supply enough current) to not be damaged, or come out of opamps with internal current limits to protect them.

Good thing to think of, good thing to learn. Practically every patch cable/cord/adapter is shorted sometime. The question is whether that's damaging or not.

[vacuumdust]

Thanks!  That makes sense.  I also thought that might not the CV already be shorted at the cv out jack if using a shorting type jack.  Then the patch cable opens it up when inserted and carries it to it's destination, opening up THAT jack (in).  Or you could use regular old mono unswitched jacks and the cv just hangs out there at the tip until transported somewhere.  Would there ever be a reason to use a TRS type jack for cv??  THANKS again.