{"id":18042,"date":"2025-02-05T16:18:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-05T21:18:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/?p=18042"},"modified":"2025-03-20T13:32:08","modified_gmt":"2025-03-20T17:32:08","slug":"audio-cable-types-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/audio-cable-types-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Audio cable types: A complete guide (with pictures)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Working with music equipment can be confusing, especially when it comes to trying to figure out which audio cable types to use to connect instruments and hardware.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In this in-depth guide, let&#8217;s demystify audio cable types by going over some of the most common options used in music production. We&#8217;ll also share tips on how to use them to help you feel more comfortable in the studio or recording at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let&#8217;s get started!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-c3706cc98d779b0d6fb864120a14adaa\" style=\"background-color:#62daff\"><strong>Voice to verse\u2014anywhere. With the addition of Splice Mic, you can instantly test and record ideas, explore genres, and unlock new creative possibilities, all from <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/splice.onelink.me\/vNNn\/sozstw8b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>the Splice mobile app.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Analog audio cable types<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The vast majority of audio cables carry sound using a continuous electrical voltage, which is what makes them <strong>analog<\/strong> in nature. Before we even get into the specific types of analog cables, you\u2019ll want to know a bit more about the audio signals they can transmit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Balanced vs. unbalanced cables<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Analog audio cables fall into two main categories: <strong>balanced<\/strong> and <strong>unbalanced<\/strong>. Unbalanced cables have only two wires inside (a ground wire and a positive wire), which makes them more susceptible to outside interference and noise, especially as the cable length increases. Balanced cables, on the other hand, have three wires (a ground, positive, and negative wire), which allow for the removal of unwanted noise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One way to deal with the limitations of unbalanced cables is to use specialized hardware like <a href=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/what-is-a-di-box\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"a DI box (opens in a new tab)\">a DI box<\/a> to convert unbalanced audio into balanced audio. This will keep the sound quality high over longer distances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With that out of the way, let&#8217;s explore some of the most common analog cables below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. TS (\u201ctip-sleeve\u201d)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"640\" data-src=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_TSS-1024x640.jpg\" alt=\"Image of TS (\u201ctip-sleeve\u201d) audio cables\" class=\"wp-image-18052 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_TSS-1024x640.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_TSS-400x250.jpg 400w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_TSS-355x222.jpg 355w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_TSS-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_TSS-1536x960.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_TSS-500x312.jpg 500w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_TSS-345x215.jpg 345w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_TSS-1200x750.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_TSS-250x156.jpg 250w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_TSS.jpg 1920w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/640;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>TS cables always carry unbalanced signals (due to the two wires mentioned earlier), so you\u2019ll want to keep the cable length short or use a DI box. They&#8217;re usually \u00bc of an inch wide, and can be identified by the single rubber ring near the tip of the connector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>TS cables are mono, carrying a single channel of audio from instruments that produce unbalanced mono signals like electric guitars, effects pedals, and even some hardware drum machines or synthesizers<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. TRS (\u201ctip-ring-sleeve\u201d)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"640\" data-src=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_TRS-1024x640.jpg\" alt=\"Image of TRS (\u201ctip-ring-sleeve\u201d) audio cables\" class=\"wp-image-18051 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_TRS-1024x640.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_TRS-400x250.jpg 400w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_TRS-355x222.jpg 355w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_TRS-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_TRS-1536x960.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_TRS-500x312.jpg 500w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_TRS-345x215.jpg 345w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_TRS-1200x750.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_TRS-250x156.jpg 250w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_TRS.jpg 1920w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/640;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>TRS cables can carry a balanced mono signal, or a balanced stereo signal if you use a pair of cables for the left and right channels. They&#8217;re often \u00bc of an inch wide like their TS counterparts, and can be identified by the two rubber rings on the metal connector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>TRS cables can also carry an unbalanced stereo signal if you use just one cable, with smaller \u215b-inch versions being common for connecting headphones to a computer or phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">TRS vs. TS<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>While they share similarities in size and appearance, the TL;DR is that TS cables are used for unbalanced mono signals (like guitars), while TRS cables can be used for balanced mono signals as well as stereo signals (like headphones). They can visually be distinguished by their number of rings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. TT (\u201ctiny telephone\u201d)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"640\" data-src=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_TT-1024x640.jpg\" alt=\"Image of (\u201ctiny telephone\u201d) audio cable\" class=\"wp-image-18053 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_TT-1024x640.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_TT-400x250.jpg 400w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_TT-355x222.jpg 355w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_TT-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_TT-1536x960.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_TT-500x312.jpg 500w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_TT-345x215.jpg 345w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_TT-1200x750.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_TT-250x156.jpg 250w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_TT.jpg 1920w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/640;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Also known as bantam jacks, these cables are slightly thinner versions of the \u00bc-inch TS \/ TRS cables. They&#8217;re commonly used in recording studio <a aria-label=\"patchbays (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/what-is-a-patchbay\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">patchbays<\/a> or patchboards to quickly route audio between many different pieces of gear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. XLR<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"640\" data-src=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_XLR-1024x640.jpg\" alt=\"Image of XLR audio cables\" class=\"wp-image-18055 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_XLR-1024x640.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_XLR-400x250.jpg 400w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_XLR-355x222.jpg 355w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_XLR-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_XLR-1536x960.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_XLR-500x312.jpg 500w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_XLR-345x215.jpg 345w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_XLR-1200x750.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_XLR-250x156.jpg 250w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_XLR.jpg 1920w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/640;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>XLR cables will always carry balanced signals, which means you can get a nice and clean sound, even over long stretches of cable. Unlike TS and TRS cables, which can be pulled out by accident, these cables click into place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>XLR is the connector of choice on most modern microphones, powered speakers, and even some instruments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. RCA<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"640\" data-src=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_RCA-1024x640.jpg\" alt=\"Image of an RCA audio cable\" class=\"wp-image-18050 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_RCA-1024x640.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_RCA-400x250.jpg 400w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_RCA-355x222.jpg 355w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_RCA-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_RCA-1536x960.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_RCA-500x312.jpg 500w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_RCA-345x215.jpg 345w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_RCA-1200x750.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_RCA-250x156.jpg 250w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_RCA.jpg 1920w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/640;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>RCA cables carry unbalanced signals and are usually paired up with a right\/red and left\/white channel to transport stereo audio. These cables are commonly used to connect turntables and mixers together for DJing, as well as a lot of consumer electronics like audio receivers and DVD players. They can also be used to transmit digital audio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Digital audio cable types<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While the cables above are almost exclusively used to transmit analog audio signals, it\u2019s also worth mentioning some of the most common <strong>digital<\/strong> connectors that you might find yourself using.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. MIDI<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"640\" data-src=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_MIDI-1024x640.jpg\" alt=\"Image of a MIDI cable\" class=\"wp-image-18049 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_MIDI-1024x640.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_MIDI-400x250.jpg 400w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_MIDI-355x222.jpg 355w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_MIDI-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_MIDI-1536x960.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_MIDI-500x312.jpg 500w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_MIDI-345x215.jpg 345w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_MIDI-1200x750.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_MIDI-250x156.jpg 250w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_MIDI.jpg 1920w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/640;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/what-is-midi-in-music\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">MIDI<\/a> (musical instrument digital interface) cables carry musical data including pitch, velocity, panning, and tempo. This allows one device (like a <a href=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/best-laptop-music-production\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">computer<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/what-is-a-midi-keyboard\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">keyboard<\/a>) to send digital signals and control the musical output of another device, like a software or hardware synthesizer. MIDI can also be used to synchronize multiple devices so they all produce sound at the same tempo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. USB<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"640\" data-src=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_USB-1024x640.jpg\" alt=\"Image of a USB cable\" class=\"wp-image-18054 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_USB-1024x640.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_USB-400x250.jpg 400w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_USB-355x222.jpg 355w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_USB-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_USB-1536x960.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_USB-500x312.jpg 500w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_USB-345x215.jpg 345w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_USB-1200x750.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_USB-250x156.jpg 250w, https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_USB.jpg 1920w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/640;\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>USB cables can be used to power portable electronic devices and transport data, including MIDI information and digital audio (ex. through <a href=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/best-audio-interfaces\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">an audio interface<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many modern MIDI-enabled devices use USB cables instead of (or in addition to) the traditional five-pin connector above. Some other similar connectors to USB include Firewire and Thunderbolt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Audio cable types: Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>And there you have it! Hopefully this article gave you a foundational understanding on some common audio cable types and how to use them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How many different types of cables do you use for making music? Are there any important ones we missed? Start a conversation with us and an ever-growing community of music creators via <a href=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/features\/community\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the Splice Discord.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Use Splice Mobile to instantly test and record ideas, explore genres, and unlock new creative possibilities\u2014all from your phone:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button aligncenter\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/splice.onelink.me\/vNNn\/l2edvqvz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Download Splice Mobile<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn about common audio cable types spanning TS, TRS, XLR, MIDI, USB, and more, and how you can use them effectively when making music.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":18043,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1700,1696],"tags":[1721,1724,1705,666],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Audio Cable Types: A Complete Guide (With Pictures) - Blog | Splice<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn about common audio cable types spanning TS, TRS, XLR, MIDI, USB, and more, and how you can use them effectively when making music.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/audio-cable-types-guide\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Audio Cable Types: A Complete Guide (With Pictures) - Blog | Splice\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn about common audio cable types spanning TS, TRS, XLR, MIDI, USB, and more, and how you can use them effectively when making music.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/audio-cable-types-guide\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Blog | Splice\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Splice\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-02-05T21:18:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-03-20T17:32:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_BlogPost.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Matteo Malinverno\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@splice\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@splice\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Matteo Malinverno\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/audio-cable-types-guide\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/audio-cable-types-guide\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Matteo Malinverno\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/43123e87ce32298439fa5bbdd471e89d\"},\"headline\":\"Audio cable types: A complete guide (with pictures)\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-02-05T21:18:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-20T17:32:08+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/audio-cable-types-guide\/\"},\"wordCount\":841,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/audio-cable-types-guide\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_BlogPost.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"audio technology\",\"guitar\",\"microphones\",\"synth\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Recording\",\"Tips &amp; Tutorials\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/audio-cable-types-guide\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/audio-cable-types-guide\/\",\"name\":\"Audio Cable Types: A Complete Guide (With Pictures) - Blog | Splice\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/audio-cable-types-guide\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/audio-cable-types-guide\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_BlogPost.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-02-05T21:18:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-20T17:32:08+00:00\",\"description\":\"Learn about common audio cable types spanning TS, TRS, XLR, MIDI, USB, and more, and how you can use them effectively when making music.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/audio-cable-types-guide\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/audio-cable-types-guide\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/audio-cable-types-guide\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_BlogPost.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_BlogPost.jpg\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":1200,\"caption\":\"audio-cabes-audio-cable-xlr-featured-image\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/audio-cable-types-guide\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Audio cable types: A complete guide (with pictures)\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Splice Blog\",\"description\":\"An inside look at making music\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Splice\",\"alternateName\":\"Splice Sounds\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Splice-logo-black-background.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Splice-logo-black-background.png\",\"width\":2928,\"height\":1540,\"caption\":\"Splice\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Splice\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/splice\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/splice\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@splice\",\"https:\/\/discord.com\/invite\/splice\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/43123e87ce32298439fa5bbdd471e89d\",\"name\":\"Matteo Malinverno\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6210453a06683c0f3f11a7040fba7ede?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6210453a06683c0f3f11a7040fba7ede?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Matteo Malinverno\"},\"description\":\"Matteo Malinverno is a New York-based music producer currently working on the Content team at Splice.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/author\/matteo\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Audio Cable Types: A Complete Guide (With Pictures) - Blog | Splice","description":"Learn about common audio cable types spanning TS, TRS, XLR, MIDI, USB, and more, and how you can use them effectively when making music.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/audio-cable-types-guide\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Audio Cable Types: A Complete Guide (With Pictures) - Blog | Splice","og_description":"Learn about common audio cable types spanning TS, TRS, XLR, MIDI, USB, and more, and how you can use them effectively when making music.","og_url":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/audio-cable-types-guide\/","og_site_name":"Blog | Splice","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Splice","article_published_time":"2025-02-05T21:18:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-03-20T17:32:08+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1920,"height":1200,"url":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_BlogPost.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Matteo Malinverno","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@splice","twitter_site":"@splice","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Matteo Malinverno","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/audio-cable-types-guide\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/audio-cable-types-guide\/"},"author":{"name":"Matteo Malinverno","@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/43123e87ce32298439fa5bbdd471e89d"},"headline":"Audio cable types: A complete guide (with pictures)","datePublished":"2025-02-05T21:18:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-20T17:32:08+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/audio-cable-types-guide\/"},"wordCount":841,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/audio-cable-types-guide\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_BlogPost.jpg","keywords":["audio technology","guitar","microphones","synth"],"articleSection":["Recording","Tips &amp; Tutorials"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/audio-cable-types-guide\/","url":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/audio-cable-types-guide\/","name":"Audio Cable Types: A Complete Guide (With Pictures) - Blog | Splice","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/audio-cable-types-guide\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/audio-cable-types-guide\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_BlogPost.jpg","datePublished":"2025-02-05T21:18:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-20T17:32:08+00:00","description":"Learn about common audio cable types spanning TS, TRS, XLR, MIDI, USB, and more, and how you can use them effectively when making music.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/audio-cable-types-guide\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/audio-cable-types-guide\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/audio-cable-types-guide\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_BlogPost.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Splice_Cable_Guide_BlogPost.jpg","width":1920,"height":1200,"caption":"audio-cabes-audio-cable-xlr-featured-image"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/audio-cable-types-guide\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Audio cable types: A complete guide (with pictures)"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/","name":"Splice Blog","description":"An inside look at making music","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Splice","alternateName":"Splice Sounds","url":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Splice-logo-black-background.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Splice-logo-black-background.png","width":2928,"height":1540,"caption":"Splice"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Splice","https:\/\/x.com\/splice","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/splice\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@splice","https:\/\/discord.com\/invite\/splice"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/43123e87ce32298439fa5bbdd471e89d","name":"Matteo Malinverno","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6210453a06683c0f3f11a7040fba7ede?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6210453a06683c0f3f11a7040fba7ede?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Matteo Malinverno"},"description":"Matteo Malinverno is a New York-based music producer currently working on the Content team at Splice.","url":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/author\/matteo\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18042"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/28"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18042"}],"version-history":[{"count":35,"href":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18042\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35047,"href":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18042\/revisions\/35047"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18043"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18042"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18042"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18042"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}