Build a custom EMU0404 analog breakout cable
How to build a custom EMU-0404 breakout cable for high end audio applications.
If you own an EMU0404 and use it for audiophile listening, then it's pretty obvious the stock breakout cable is pretty weak. It's flimsy and of poor quality, and then you need a weird 1/4" to RCA to hook it up to your amp...no fun.
So with a few parts I had lying around and $4.50 woth of extras from Radio Shack I built a custom breakout cable. So far it sounds great! Here's what I used to make mine, though you can substitue lower or higher quality parts where you see fit:
- Silver-plated copper mil-spec wire, teflon housing
- WBT 4% silver solder
- Tinned copper braided shielding
- Radio Shack DB9 D-Sub connector
- Radio Shack D-Sub Metal Hood
- Dayton Audio Pro-Fi locking RCA plugs
- Some Techflex & heatshrink to make it pretty
To start, you'll need the pinout for the breakout cable. Here it is, with the important ones in bold (from the Head-Fi forums courtesty of Stroog).
1: nothing
2: right output
3: left output
4: left input
5: right input
6: right output ground
7: left output ground
8: left input ground
9: right input ground
So what exactly does that mean? Well, if you get the Radio Shack D-Sub connector each pin is marked. Just solder each wire to the correct pin. Otherwise, here's a handy diagram I came across online:
The top left pin is #1, the next one over is #2, and so on. When soldering to the back of the DB9 connector remember it will be in reverse, so the top right will be #1!
Instructions are below - please feel free to comment or email me if you have any questions.
* If you would like, contact me for a quote to build this cable for you using the same configuration I used for this tutorial.
First, solder the wires to the pins I have bolded above
Next, I litz braid the wire (optional step)
Then add shielding and techflex
Then screw on the hood and solder to the RCA jacks and you're done!
posted on 08.26.05
comments
This information has been a real life saver for me. Thanks
posted by Schel on 05.19.06
thanks for the article, just what I was looking for
posted by marc on 06.17.06
Why did u connect another cable to the ground of the rca signal instead of using a shielded cable type with braid and connecting it to the ground pin? The external braid you used is not connected to the ground, youre carrying ground signal on a cable and your cable is not shielded I'm afraid.
posted by Marco on 07.29.09
Actually the shield is connected to ground, it's just not pictured. The RCA plugs bodies are connected to the shield and grounding them. I believe they're also connected to the body of the serial side as well.
posted by sean mulholland on 07.29.09
ok, what I meant is that is an unusual approach, I mean using cables to carry the ground signal, wich is usually carried by the shielding of the cable, am I right? In this case the cables used have no shielding? so you used an external thicker shielding?
posted by Marco on 07.29.09
Actually most cables I've seen use separate wires to carry ground. The shield can be used as a ground, but that's not very common from what I've seen.
Sometimes you'll see "all in one" cabling sold, where they are built in layers rather than a twisted pair or braid of multiple individual wires. Coaxial cable for example is like that, with a core wire with a outer tube-like wire for ground.
As far as I know it doesn't make a tremendous difference either way, though most audio folks seem to prefer unexposed grounds (even though with an RCA connector the ground is almost always exposed at the connector).
posted by sean mulholland on 07.29.09
What you don't want to do is connect the ground at both ends of the cable, otherwise you might end up with a 'hum loop' if both pieces of equipment (404 and amplifier) are independently grounded.
posted by Nigel Bradbury on 11.13.09
Hi thanks for the info. Unfortunately I am not too technical although I can see what you have done. I have a E-MU 8852 soundcard with the left analogue input cable has broken. Is it possible to do this repair/replacement on this breakout cable of mine. If I did the job I would want to replace the input and outputs because they are all a bit flimsy at the moment because of the use they get. One possibilty may be to build the whole thing into a box using female jacks just like a real breakout box. Your comments would be gratefully appreciated.
posted by Steve Martyn on 04.11.10
Hi Steve - unfortunately I'm not too familiar with that sound card. If you have a multimeter you can test it pretty easily though, just see which pin corresponds to the broken wires and go from there. If it's a standard connector you can just sodder on wires and build a breakout box or whatever you wish. Good luck!
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