This article is about the former RCA Corporation. For information on use of the RCA trademark since 1986, see RCA (trademark) . For the electrical connector from RCA commonly used to carry audio and video signals, see RCA connector . For other uses, see RCA (disambiguation)
The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded in 1919 as the Radio Corporation of America. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Company. In 1932, RCA became an independent company after the partners were required to divest their ownership as part of the settlement of a government antitrust suit.
An innovative and progressive company, RCA was the dominant electronics and communications firm in the United States for over five decades. In the early 1920s, RCA was at the forefront of the mushrooming radio industry as a major manufacturer of radio receivers, and the exclusive manufacturer of the first superheterodyne sets. The company also created the first nationwide American radio network, the National Broadcasting Company (NBC). RCA was also a pioneer in the introduction and development of television, both black and white and especially color television. Throughout most of the company's existence, RCA was closely identified with the leadership of David Sarnoff. He became general manager at the company's founding, served as president from 1930 to 1965, and remained active as chairman of the board until the end of 1969.
During the 1970s, RCA's seemingly impregnable stature as America's leader in technology, innovation and home entertainment began to weaken as the company attempted to expand beyond its main focus of the development and marketing of consumer electronics and communications into a diversified multinational conglomerate. Additionally, RCA began to face increasing domestic competition from international electronics firms such as Sony, Philips, Matsushita and Mitsubishi. RCA suffered enormous financial losses in the mainframe computer industry and other failed projects including the CED videodisc system. Though the company was rebounding by the mid-1980s, RCA never regained its former eminence and was reacquired by General Electric in 1986; over the next few years, GE liquidated most of the corporation's assets. Today, RCA exists as a brand name only; the various RCA trademarks are currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment and Vantiva, which in turn license the RCA brand name and trademarks to several other companies, including Voxx International, Curtis International, AVC Multimedia, TCL Corporation and Express LUCK International, Ltd. for their various products.
Establishment by General Electric
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Company logo in 1921 stressed its leadership in international communication.[2]RCA originated as a reorganization of the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company of America (commonly called "American Marconi"). In 1897, the Wireless Telegraph and Signal Company, Limited, was founded in London to promote the radio (then known as "wireless telegraphy") inventions of Guglielmo Marconi. As part of worldwide expansion, in 1899 American Marconi was organized as a subsidiary company, holding the rights to use the Marconi patents in the United States and Cuba.[3] In 1912 it took over the assets of the bankrupt United Wireless Telegraph Company, and from that point forward it became the dominant radio communications company in the United States.
When the United States entered World War I in April 1917, the federal government took control of most civilian radio stations in order to use them for the war effort. Although the government planned to restore civilian ownership of the radio stations once the war ended, many United States Navy officials hoped to retain a monopoly on radio communication even after the war. Contrary to instructions it had received, the Navy began purchasing large numbers of radio stations. When the war ended, Congress rejected the Navy's efforts to have peacetime control of the radio industry and instructed that the Navy return the stations it had taken control of to the original owners.[4]
Due to national security considerations, the Navy was particularly concerned about returning high-powered international stations to American Marconi, since the majority of its stock was in foreign hands, and the British already largely controlled the international undersea telegraph cables. This concern was increased by the announcement in late 1918 of the formation of the Pan-American Wireless Telegraph and Telephone Company,[5] a joint venture between American Marconi and the Federal Telegraph Company,[6] with plans to set up service between the United States and South America.[7]
Alexanderson 200-kW motor alternator transmitter installed at the U.S. Navy's New Brunswick, New Jersey station[8]The Navy had installed a high-powered Alexanderson alternator, built by General Electric (GE), at the American Marconi transmitter site in New Brunswick, New Jersey. It proved to be superior for transatlantic transmissions to the Spark-gap transmitters that had been traditionally used by the Marconi companies. Marconi officials were so impressed by the capabilities of the Alexanderson alternators that they began making preparations to adopt them as their standard transmitters for international communication. A tentative plan made with General Electric proposed that over a two-year period the Marconi companies would purchase most of GE's alternator production. However, the U.S. Navy objected to the plan, fearing British domination in international radio communications and the national security concerns this raised.[9]
The Navy, claiming support from U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, looked for an alternative that would result in an "all-American" company taking over the American Marconi assets. In April 1919, two naval officers, Admiral H. G. Bullard and Commander S. C. Hooper, met with GE president, Owen D. Young and requested a suspension of the pending alternator sales to the Marconi companies. This would leave General Electric without a buyer for its transmitters, so the officers proposed that GE purchase American Marconi, and use the assets to form its own radio communications subsidiary. Young consented to this proposal, which, effective November 20, 1919, transformed American Marconi into the Radio Corporation of America. The decision to form the new company was promoted as a patriotic gesture. The corporate officers were required to be citizens of the United States, with a majority of the company stock to be held by U.S. citizens.[9]
Upon its founding, RCA was the largest radio communications firm in the United States.[10] Most of the former American Marconi staff continued to work for RCA. Owen Young became the chairman of the board of the new company. Former American Marconi vice president and general manager E. J. Nally become RCA's first president. Nally was succeeded by Major General James G. Harbord, who served from 1922 until January 3, 1930, when Harbord replaced Owen Young as chairman of the board. David Sarnoff, who was RCA's founding general manager, became its third president on the same day. RCA worked closely with the federal government and felt it deserved to maintain its predominant role in U.S. radio communications. At the company's recommendation, President Wilson appointed Rear Admiral Bullard "to attend the stockholders' and director's meetings... in order that he may present and discuss informally the Government's views and interests".[11]
The radio industry had been making technical advances, particularly in the area of vacuum tube technology and GE needed access to additional patents before its new subsidiary could be fully competitive. During this time American Marconi had been steadily falling behind others in the industry. The two companies entered into negotiations which resulted in a series of mutually beneficial cross-licensing agreements between themselves and various other companies in the industry. On July 1, 1920, an agreement was made with the American Telephone & Telegraph Company (AT&T), which purchased 500,000 shares of RCA, although it would divest these shares in early 1923. The United Fruit Company held a small portfolio of radio patents and signed two agreements in 1921. GE's traditional electric company rival, the Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Corporation, had also purchased rights to some critical patents, including one for heterodyne receiving originally issued to Reginald Fessenden, plus regenerative circuit and superheterodyne receiver patents issued to Edwin Armstrong. Westinghouse used this position to negotiate a cross-licensing agreement, effective July 1, 1921, that included a concession that 40% of RCA's equipment purchases would be from Westinghouse. Following these transactions, GE owned 30.1% of RCA's stock, Westinghouse 20.6%, AT&T 10.3%, and United Fruit 4.1%, with the remaining 34.9% owned by individual shareholders.[12]
In 1930, RCA agreed to occupy the yet-to-be-constructed landmark skyscraper of the Rockefeller Center complex, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, which in 1933 became known as the RCA Building (renamed the GE Building in 1988 and currently known as the Comcast Building after Comcast bought NBC-TV). This lease was critical for enabling the massive project to proceed as a commercially viable venture—David Rockefeller cited RCA's action as being responsible for "the salvation of the project".[13]
Radio development
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International and marine communication
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Illustration of how a fully built RCA Radio Central facility at Rocky Point, Long Island, New York would have appeared. Only two of the twelve "antenna spokes" were actually built.[14] RCA Satcom K1 geostationary communications satellite deployed from Space ShuttleColumbia in 1986RCA's primary business objectives at its founding were to provide equipment and services for seagoing vessels, and "worldwide wireless" communication in competition with existing international undersea telegraph cables. To provide the international service, the company soon undertook a massive project to build a "Radio Central" communications hub at Rocky Point, Long Island, New York, designed to achieve "the realization of the vision of communication engineers to transmit messages to all points of the world from a single centrally located source". Construction began in July 1920, and the site was dedicated on November 5, 1921, after two of the proposed twelve antenna spokes had been completed, and two of the 200-kilowatt alternators installed. The debut transmissions received replies from stations in 17 countries.[15]
Although the initial installation would remain in operation, the additional antenna spokes and alternator installations would not be completed, due to a major discovery about radio signal propagation. While investigating transmitter "harmonics" – unwanted additional radio signals produced at higher frequencies than a station's normal transmission frequency – Westinghouse's Frank Conrad unexpectedly found that in some cases the harmonics could be heard farther than the primary signal, something previously thought impossible, as high-frequency shortwave signals, which had poor groundwave coverage, were thought to have a very limited transmission range. In 1924, Conrad demonstrated to Sarnoff that a low-powered shortwave station in East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania could be readily received in London by a simple receiver using a curtain rod as an antenna, matching, at a small fraction of the cost, the performance of the massive alternator transmitters. In 1926, Harold H. Beverage further reported that a shortwave signal, transmitted on a 15-meter wavelength (approximately 20 MHz), was received in South America more readily during the daytime than the 200-kilowatt alternator transmissions.[16]
The Alexanderson alternators, control of which had led to RCA's formation, were now considered obsolete, and international radio communication would be primarily conducted using vacuum tube transmitters operating on shortwave bands. RCA would continue to operate international telecommunications services for the remainder of its existence, through its subsidiary RCA Communications, Inc., and later the RCA Global Communications Company. In 1975, the company formed RCA American Communications, which operated its Satcom series of geostationary communications satellites. International shortwave links were in turn largely supplanted by communications satellites, especially for distributing network radio and television programming.
At the time RCA was founded in 1919, all radio and telegraphic communication between China and the US, including official messages, were sent through either German radio or British cable links. The U.S. Navy lobbied RCA to seek a concession for a radio link to China, however the company was reluctant because its other concessions were already operating at a loss. This link began operation in 1928. The Mackay Radio and Telegraph Company of California signed a similar agreement with China in 1932. RCA claimed this was breach of contract on the grounds that its 1928 agreement had given it exclusive rights. The dispute went to arbitration, and in 1935 a decision, issued in Radio Corporation of America v China, concluded the Mackay concession was valid, because the earlier RCA concession had not granted exclusive rights.[17][18]
Broadcasting
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Advertisement promoting theater attendance to hear the ringside commentary broadcast by RCA's temporary station, WJY (1921) Studio of RCA's first broadcasting station, the short-lived WDY, located at its plant in Roselle Park, New Jersey (1922) The June 1, 1922, cover of RCA's equipment catalog showcased the emerging home market.The introduction of organized radio broadcasting in the early 1920s resulted in a dramatic reorientation and expansion of RCA's business activities. The development of vacuum tube radio transmitters made audio transmissions practical, in contrast with the earlier transmitters which were limited to sending the dits-and-dahs of Morse code. Since at least 1916, when he was still at American Marconi, David Sarnoff had proposed establishing broadcasting stations, but his memos to management promoting the idea for sales of a "Radio Music Box" had not been followed up at the time.[19]
Around 1920, a small number of broadcasting stations began operating, and soon interest in the innovation was spreading nationwide. In the summer of 1921, a Madison Square Garden employee, Julius Hopp, devised a plan to raise charitable funds by broadcasting, from ringside, the July 2, 1921 Dempsey-Carpentier heavyweight championship fight to be held in Jersey City, New Jersey. Hopp recruited theaters and halls as listening locations that would charge admission fees to be used as charitable donations. He also contacted RCA's J. Andrew White, the acting president of the National Amateur Wireless Association (NAWA), an organization originally formed by American Marconi which had been inherited by RCA. White agreed to recruit the NAWA membership for volunteers to provide assistance at the listening sites, and also enlisted David Sarnoff for financial and technical support. RCA was authorized to set up a temporary longwave radio station, located in Hoboken a short distance from the match site, and operating under the call letters WJY. For the broadcast White and Sarnoff telephoned commentary from ringside, which was typed up and then read over the air by J. Owen Smith. The demonstration was a technical success, with a claimed audience of 300,000 listeners throughout the northeast.[20]
RCA quickly moved to expand its broadcasting activities. In the fall of 1921, it set up its first full-time broadcasting station, WDY, at the Roselle Park, New Jersey company plant. By 1923, RCA was operating three stations—WJZ (now WABC) and WJY in New York City, and WRC (now WTEM) in Washington, D.C. A restriction imposed by AT&T's interpretation of the patent cross-licensing agreements required that the RCA stations remain commercial free, and they were financed by profits from radio equipment sales.
National Broadcasting Company
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Beginning in 1922, AT&T became heavily involved in radio broadcasting, and soon became the new industry's most important participant. From the beginning, AT&T's policy was to finance stations by commercial sponsorship of the programs. The company also created the first radio network, centered on its New York City station WEAF (now WFAN), using its long-distance telephone lines to interconnect stations. This allowed them to economize by having multiple stations carry the same program.
RCA and its partners soon faced an economic crisis, as the costs of providing programming threatened to exceed the funds available from equipment profits. The problem was resolved in 1926 when AT&T unexpectedly decided to exit the radio broadcasting field. RCA purchased, for $1,000,000, AT&Ts two radio stations, WEAF and WCAP in Washington, D.C., as well as its network operations. These assets formed the basis for the creation of the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), with ownership divided between RCA (50%), General Electric (30%), and Westinghouse (20%) until 1930, when RCA assumed 100% ownership. This purchase also included the right to begin commercial operations. NBC formed two radio networks that eventually expanded nationwide: the NBC-Red Network, with flagship station WEAF, and NBC-Blue, centered on WJZ. Although NBC was originally promoted as expecting to just break even economically, it soon became extremely profitable, which would be an important factor in helping RCA survive the economic pressures of the Great Depression that began in late 1929.[21]
Concerned that NBC's control of two national radio networks gave it too much power over the industry, in 1941 the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) promulgated a rule designed to force NBC to divest one of them.[22] This order was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, and on October 12, 1943, the NBC-Blue network was sold to candy magnate Edward J. Noble for $8,000,000, and renamed "The Blue Network, Inc." In 1946 the name was changed to the American Broadcasting Company (ABC). The "Red" network retained the NBC name and remained under RCA ownership until 1986.
For two decades the NBC radio network's roster of stars provided ratings consistently surpassing those of its main competitor, the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS). But in 1948, as the transition from radio to television was beginning, NBC's leadership came under attack due to what became known as the "Paley raids", named after the president of CBS, William S. Paley. After World War II the tax rate for annual incomes above $70,000 was 77%, while capital gains were taxed at 25%. Paley worked out an accounting technique whereby individual performers could set up corporations that allowed their earnings to be taxed at the significantly lower rate. Instead of NBC responding with a similar package, Sarnoff decided that this accounting method was legally and ethically wrong. NBC's performers did not agree, and most of the top stars, including Amos and Andy, Jack Benny, Red Skelton, Edgar Bergen, Burns and Allen, Ed Wynn, Fred Waring, Al Jolson, Groucho Marx and Frank Sinatra moved from NBC to CBS. As a result, CBS boasted of having sixteen of the twenty top-rated programs in 1949. The consequences would carry over to television, where CBS maintained its newfound dominance for decades. Paley had personally worked to woo the performers, while Sarnoff professed his indifference to the defections, stating at an annual meeting that "Leadership built over the years on a foundation of solid service cannot be snatched overnight by buying a few high-priced comedians. Leadership is not a laughing matter."[23]
Radio receivers
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RCA acted as the sales agent for a small line of Westinghouse and GE branded receivers and parts used by home constructors, originally for a limited market of amateur radio enthusiasts. By 1922, the rise of broadcasting had dramatically increased the demand for radio equipment by the general public, and this development was reflected in the title of RCA's June 1, 1922, catalog, "Radio Enters the Home". RCA began selling receivers under the "Radiola" name, marketing equipment produced by GE and Westinghouse under the production agreement that allocated a 60%–40% ratio in output between the two companies. Although the patent cross-licensing agreements had been intended to give the participants domination of equipment sales, the tremendous growth of the market led to fierce competition, and in 1925 RCA fell behind Atwater Kent as the leader in receiver sales. RCA was particularly hamstrung by the need to coordinate its sales within the limits of the GE/Westinghouse production quotas, and often had difficulty keeping up with industry trends. However, the company made a key advance in early 1924 when it began selling the first superheterodyne receivers, whose high level of performance increased the brand's reputation and popularity. RCA was the exclusive manufacturer of superheterodyne radio sets until 1930. All RCA receivers were battery powered until late 1927 when plug-in AC sets were introduced, providing another boost in sales.[24]
Vacuum tubes
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RCA voltage regulator vacuum tube.RCA inherited American Marconi's status as a major producer of vacuum tubes, which were branded Radiotron in the United States. Especially after the rise of broadcasting, they were a major profit source for the company. RCA's strong patent position meant that the company effectively set the selling prices for vacuum tubes in the U.S., which were significantly higher than in Europe, where Lee de Forest had allowed a key patent issued to him to lapse. RCA was responsible for creating a series of innovative products, ranging from octal base metal tubes co-developed with General Electric before World War II, to miniaturized Nuvistor tubes used in the tuners of the New Vista series of television receivers.
The company began work on a secret project for the U.S. Navy called Madame X in September 1942. The Bloomington, Indiana, plant was one of the first of five RCA plants to produce Madame X vacuum tubes, which included a proximity fuse used to electronically detonate its payload when it was in range of its target, as opposed to relying on a direct hit. James V. Forrestal, former secretary of the Navy said, "The proximity fuse had helped blaze the trail to Japan. Without the protection this ingenious device has given the surface ships of the fleet, our westward push could not have been so swift and the cost in men and ships would have been immeasurably greater."[25]
The Nuvistor tubes were a last major vacuum tube innovation, along with General Electric's Compactron, and were meant to compete with the newly introduced transistor. By 1975, RCA had completely switched from tubes to solid-state devices in their television sets, except for the cathode ray tube (CRT) picture tube itself.
Phonographs and records
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The rapid rise of radio broadcasting during the early 1920s, which provided unlimited free entertainment in the home, had a detrimental effect on the American phonograph record industry. The Victor Talking Machine Company in Camden, New Jersey, was then the world's largest manufacturer of records and phonographs, including its popular showcase "Victrola" line. In January 1929, RCA purchased the Victor Talking Machine Company; this acquisition became known as the RCA Victor division of the Radio Corporation of America, and included ownership of Victor's Japanese subsidiary, the Victor Company of Japan (JVC), formed in 1927 and controlling interest in The Gramophone Company Ltd. (later EMI Records) in England.
RCA's acquisition of the Victor company included the western hemisphere rights to the iconic Nipper/"His Master's Voice" trademark.[26] RCA Victor popularized combined radio receiver-phonographs, and also created RCA Photophone, a movie sound-on-film system that competed with William Fox's sound-on-film Movietone and Warner Bros.' sound-on-disc Vitaphone. Although early announcements of the RCA and Victor merger stressed that the two firms were linking equally to form a joint new company, RCA initially had little true interest in the phonograph record business. The management of RCA was interested essentially in Victor's superior sales capabilities through the record company's large network of authorized distributors and dealers, as well as the extensive, efficient manufacturing facilities in Camden, New Jersey. Immediately following the purchase of Victor, RCA began planning the manufacture of radio sets and components on Victor's Camden assembly lines, while decreasing the production of Victrolas and records.[27]
The entire phonograph record industry in America nearly foundered after the stock market crash of 1929 and subsequent Great Depression. During the nadir of the record business in the early 1930s, the manufacture of phonographs and records all but ceased; extant older phonographs were now obsolete and many had been relegated to the attic or basement. RCA Victor began selling the first all-electric Victrola in 1930 and in 1931 the company attempted to revitalize record sales with the introduction of 331⁄3 revolutions-per-minute (rpm) long play records, which were a commercial failure during the Great Depression, partly because the Victrolas with two speed turntables required to play them were exorbitantly expensive, and also because the audio performance of the new records was generally poor; the new format used the same groove size as existing 78 rpm records,[28] and it would require the smaller-radius stylus of the later microgroove systems to achieve acceptable slower-speed performance. Additionally, the new long-play records were pressed in a pliable, vinyl-based material called "Victrolac" which wore out rapidly under the heavy tonearms then in use.[29]
In 1934, following the debacle of its long-play record, RCA Victor introduced the Duo Jr., an inexpensive, small, basic electric turntable designed to be plugged into radio sets. The Duo Jr. was sold at cost, but was practically given away with the purchase of a certain number of Victor records. The Duo Jr.'s rock-bottom price helped to overcome the national apathy to phonographs, and record sales gradually began to recover.[30] Around 1935, RCA began marketing the modernistic RCA Victor M Special, a polished aluminum portable record player designed by John Vassos that has become an icon of 1930s American industrial design.[31] In 1949, RCA Victor released the first 45 rpm "single" records, as a response to Columbia Records successful introduction of its microgroove 331⁄3 rpm "LP" format in 1948. RCA Victor adopted Columbia's 331⁄3 rpm LP records in 1950,[32][33] and in 1951, Columbia adopted RCA Victor's 45 rpm records.[34]
Motion pictures
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RCA also made investments in the movie industry, but they performed poorly. In April 1928, RCA Photophone, Inc., was organized by a group of companies including RCA to develop sound-movie technology. In the fall of 1927, RCA had purchased stock in Film Booking Office (FBO), and on October 25, 1928, with the help of Joseph P. Kennedy, the Radio-Keith-Orpheum Corporation (RKO) studio was formed by merging FBO with Keith-Albee-Orpheum Corporation (KAO), a company whose holdings included motion picture theaters. The theaters in which RKO had an interest provided a potential market for the RCA Photophone sound systems. RCA ownership of RKO stock expanded from about one quarter in 1930 to about 61% in 1932.[35] However, as with most movie studios during the Great Depression, RKO encountered severe financial problems, going into receivership from early 1933 until 1940. RCA sold its holdings in the studio to raise funds for its basic operations.
Separation from General Electric
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After years of industry complaints that the cross-licensing agreements between RCA, GE, and Westinghouse had in effect created illegal monopolies, the U.S. Department of Justice brought antitrust charges against the three companies in May 1930.[36] After much negotiation, in 1932 the Justice Department accepted a consent agreement that removed the restrictions established by the cross-licensing agreements, and also provided that RCA would become a fully independent company. As a result, GE and Westinghouse gave up their ownership interests in RCA, while RCA was allowed to keep its factories.[37] To give RCA a chance to establish itself, GE and Westinghouse were required to refrain from competing in the radio business for the next two and one-half years.[38]
Television
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RCA ad for the beginning, in April 1939, of regular experimental television broadcasting by RCA-NBC over New York City station W2XBS (forerunner of today's WNBC/4), for "an hour at a time, twice a week."[39]RCA began television development in early 1929, after an overly optimistic Vladimir K. Zworykin convinced Sarnoff that a commercial version of his prototype system could be produced in a relatively short time for $100,000. Following what would actually be many years of additional research and millions of dollars, RCA demonstrated an all-electronic black-and-white television system at the 1939 New York World's Fair. RCA began regular experimental television broadcasting from the NBC studios to the New York metropolitan area on April 30, 1939, via station W2XBS, channel 1 (which evolved into WNBC channel 4) from the new Empire State Building transmitter on top of the structure. Around this time, RCA began selling its first television set models, including the TRK-5 and TRK-9, in various New York stores.[40] However, the FCC had not approved the start of commercial television operations, because technical standards had not yet been finalized. Concerned that RCA's broadcasts were an attempt to flood the market with sets that would force it to adopt RCA's current technology, the FCC stepped in to limit its broadcasts.
Following the adoption of National Television System Committee (NTSC) recommended standards, the FCC authorized the start of commercial television broadcasts on July 1, 1941. The entry of the United States into World War II a few months later greatly slowed its deployment, but RCA resumed selling television receivers almost immediately after the war ended in 1945.
In 1950, the FCC adopted a standard for color television that had been promoted by CBS, but the effort soon failed, primarily because the color broadcasts could not be received by existing black-and-white sets. As the result of a major research push, RCA engineers developed a method of "compatible" color transmissions that, through the use of interlacing, simultaneously broadcast color and black-and-white images, which could be picked up by both color and existing black-and-white sets. In 1953, RCA's all-electronic color television technology was adopted as the standard for the United States. At that time, Sarnoff predicted annual color television sales would reach 1.78 million in 1956, but the receivers were expensive and difficult to adjust, and there was initially a lack of color programming, so sales lagged badly and the actual 1956 total would only be 120,000.[41] RCA's ownership of NBC proved to be a major benefit, as that network was instructed to promote its color program offerings; even so, it was not until 1968 that color television sales in the United States surpassed those of black-and-white sets.
While lauding the technical prowess of his RCA engineers who had developed color television, David Sarnoff, in marked contrast to William Paley, president of CBS, did not disguise his dislike for popular television programs. His authorized biography even boasted that "no one has yet caught him in communion with one of the upper dozen or so top-rated programs" and "The popular programs, to put the matter bluntly, have very little appeal for him."[42]
RCA professional video cameras and studio gear, particularly of the TK-40/41 series, became standard equipment at many American television network affiliates, as RCA CT-100[43] ("RCA Merrill" to dealers) television sets introduced color television to the public.
Diversification
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David Sarnoff with the first RCA videotape recorder, 1954. RCA Television Quad head 2-inch color recorder-reproducer used at broadcast studios in the late-1960s, 1970s and early 1980s.[44]In 1941, shortly before the United States entered World War II, the cornerstone was laid for a research and development facility in Princeton, New Jersey called RCA Laboratories. Led for many years by Elmer Engstrom, it was used to develop many innovations, including color television, the electron microscope, CMOS-based technology, heterojunction physics, optoelectronic emitting devices, liquid crystal displays (LCDs), videocassette recorders, direct broadcast television, direct broadcast satellite systems and high-definition television.
RCA plants switched to war production shortly after the U.S. entered the war in December 1941. During World War II, RCA was involved in radar and radio development in support of the war effort, and ranked 43rd among United States corporations in the value of wartime military production contracts.[45] One such contract was to outfit the battleship USS Texas with a 400-megahertz pulse radar set, using technology developed by RCA acoustics scientist, Irving Wolff.[46] During and after the war, RCA set up several new divisions for defense, space exploration and other activities. The RCA Service Corporation provided large numbers of staff for the Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line. RCA units won five Army–Navy "E" Awards for Excellence in production.[47] Due to the hostilities between Japan and the United States during World War II, the Victor Company of Japan became an independent company after seceding from RCA Victor in the United States; JVC retained the 'Victor' and "His Master's Voice" trademarks for use in Japan only.
In 1955, RCA sold its Estate brand of large appliance operations to Whirlpool Corporation. As part of this transaction, Whirlpool was given the right to market "RCA Whirlpool" appliances through the mid-1960s.
RCA manufactured equipment for repairing radios, such as oscilloscopes.
RCA Graphic Systems Division (GSD) was an early supplier of electronics designed for the printing and publishing industries. It contracted with German company Rudolf Hell to market adaptations of the Digiset photocomposition system as the Videocomp, and a Laser Color Scanner. The Videocomp was supported by a Spectra computer that ran the Page-1 and, later the Page-II and FileComp composition systems. RCA later sold the Videocomp rights to Information International Inc.
RCA Victor became a major proponent of the 8-track tape cartridge, which it launched in 1965. Initially, the 8-track made a huge and profitable impact on consumers of recorded music. Sales of the 8-track tape format began to decline during the late 1970s when consumers increasingly favored the 4-track compact cassette tape format developed by Philips.
Computers
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RCA Spectra 70 Model 46RCA was one of a number of companies in the 1960s that entered the mainframe computer field in order to challenge the market leader International Business Machines (IBM). Although at this time computers were almost universally used for routine data processing and scientific research, in 1964 Sarnoff, who prided himself as a visionary, predicted that "The computer will become the hub of a vast network of remote data stations and information banks feeding into the machine at a transmission rate of a billion or more bits of information a second ... Eventually, a global communications network handling voice, data and facsimile will instantly link man to machine—or machine to machine—by land, air, underwater, and space circuits. [The computer] will affect man's ways of thinking, his means of education, his relationship to his physical and social environment, and it will alter his ways of living. ... [Before the end of this century, these forces] will coalesce into what unquestionably will become the greatest adventure of the human mind."[48]
RCA marketed a Spectra 70 computer line that was hardware, but not software, compatible with IBM's System/360 series. It also produced the RCA Series, which competed against the IBM System/370.[49] This technology was leased to the English Electric company, which used it for their System 4 series, which were essentially RCA Spectra 70 clones. RCA's TSOS operating system was the first mainframe, demand paging, virtual memory operating system on the market. By 1971, despite a significant investment, RCA had only a 4% market share, and it was estimated that it would cost around $500 million over the next five years to remain competitive with the IBM/370 series. On September 17, 1971, the RCA Board of Directors announced its decision to close its computer systems division (RCA-CSD), which would be written off as a $490 million company loss. Sperry Rand's UNIVAC division took over the RCA computer division in January 1972. Univac did not want the Spectra computers because they were similar to its own 9000 series; instead, they wanted RCA's computer customer base.
Later years
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Edgar H. Griffiths, RCA president from 1976 to 1981, at the 1979 Annual Meeting, NYCOn January 1, 1965, Robert Sarnoff succeeded his father as RCA's president, although the elder Sarnoff remained in control as chairman of the board. The younger Sarnoff sought to modernize RCA's image with the introduction in late 1968 of what was then a futuristic-looking new logo (the letters 'RCA' in block, modernized form), replacing the original lightning bolt logo, and the virtual retirement of both the Victor and Nipper/"His Master's Voice" trademarks. The RCA Victor Division was renamed RCA Records; the 'Victor' and 'Victrola' trademarks were no longer used on RCA consumer electronics. 'Victor' was now restricted to the labels and album covers of RCA's regular popular record releases, while the Nipper/"His Master's Voice" trademark was seen only on the album covers of Red Seal records.
In 1969, the company name was officially changed from Radio Corporation of America to the RCA Corporation, to reflect its broader range of corporate activities and expansion into other countries. At the end of that same year, David Sarnoff, after being incapacitated by a long-term illness, was removed as the company's chairman of the board. He died in December, 1971.
RCA's exit from the mainframe computer market in 1971 marked a milestone in its transition from electronics and technology toward Robert Sarnoff's goal to diversify RCA as a multinational business conglomerate. During the late 1960s and 1970s, the company made a wide-ranging series of acquisitions, including Hertz (rental cars), Banquet (frozen foods and TV dinners), Coronet (carpeting), Random House (publishing) and Gibson (greeting cards). However, the company was slipping into financial disarray, with wags calling it "Rugs Chickens & Automobiles" (RCA), to poke fun at its new direction.[50]
Robert Sarnoff's tenure as RCA president was unsuccessful, marked by falling profits, in addition to being personally disliked by many company executives. He was ousted in a 1975 "boardroom coup" led by Anthony Conrad, who became RCA's new president. Conrad resigned less than a year later after he admitted failing to file income tax returns for six years. His successor, Edgar H. Griffiths, proved to be unpopular and retired in early 1981. Griffiths was succeeded by Thornton Bradshaw, who turned out to be the last RCA president.
RCA maintained its high standards of engineering excellence in broadcast engineering and satellite communications equipment, but ventures such as the NBC radio and television networks declined.
After the departure of Robert Sarnoff, Griffiths, wishing to restore RCA's heritage and responding to public demand, revived the Nipper/"His Master's Voice" trademark. In mid 1976, RCA Records reinstated Nipper to most record labels in countries and territories where RCA held the rights to the trademark. Once again, RCA widely used Nipper in newspaper and magazine advertisements and store displays. The trademark also returned to company stationery, shipping cartons, delivery and service trucks and reappeared for a time on RCA television sets and CED Videodisc players. Several newspaper articles and TV news reports about Nipper's revival appeared at the time. A multitude of new Nipper promotional items and collectibles also reappeared, including T-shirts, caps, neckties, cufflinks, coin banks, keychains, watches, clocks, coffee mugs, drinking glasses, coasters and stuffed toys.
Around 1980, RCA corporate strategy reported on moving manufacture of its television receivers to Mexico. RCA was still profitable in 1983, when it switched manufacturing of its VHS VCRs from Panasonic to Hitachi. Projects attempting to establish new consumer electronics products during this era, failed and lost RCA much money and prestige. An RCA Studio II home video game console, introduced in 1977, was canceled just under two years later due to poor sales. Development of RCA's capacitance electronic (CED) videodisc system, marketed under the SelectaVision name, began in 1964 and after several years of delays, was launched in March, 1981. The CED videodisc system represented the largest investment RCA ever made in a single product, even larger than the company's development of color TV. The CED system was practically obsolete by the time it finally did appear and never reached the manufacturing volumes that even approached the numbers needed to substantially bring down its price to compete against the newer, recordable and increasingly cheaper videotape technology. RCA abandoned the manufacture of CED players in 1984 and discs in 1986, after a loss of around 650 million dollars.
In 1981, Columbia Pictures sold its share in the home video division to RCA and outside of North America this division was renamed "RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video (now Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)". The following year, within North America, it was renamed to "RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video". In 1983, the German media conglomerate Bertelsmann sold 50% of Arista Records to RCA Records; in 1985, RCA and Bertelsmann formed a joint venture, RCA/Ariola International, which took over management of RCA Records. Bertelsmann would fully acquire RCA Records from General Electric after GE absorbed RCA in 1986.[51]
In 1984, RCA Broadcast Systems Division moved from the RCA Victor plant in Camden, New Jersey, to the site of the RCA antenna engineering facility in Gibbsboro, New Jersey. On October 3, 1985, RCA announced it was closing the Broadcast Systems Division.[52] In the years that followed, the broadcast product lines developed in Camden were terminated or sold off, and most of the old RCA Victor buildings and factories in Camden were demolished, except for a few of the original Victor buildings that had been declared national historic buildings.[53] For several years, RCA spinoff L-3 Communications Systems East was headquartered in the famous Nipper Building, but has since moved to an adjacent building built by the city for them. The Nipper Building was restored and now houses shops and luxury loft apartments.[54]
Re-acquisition and breakup by General Electric
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In December 1985, it was announced that General Electric would reacquire its former subsidiary for $6.28 billion in cash, or $66.50 per share of stock.[55] GE's acquisition of RCA was the largest non-oil company merger in history up to that time and was completed on June, 9, 1986. Despite initial assurances that RCA would continue to operate as a mostly autonomous unit, it was revealed that GE's main motivation in purchasing RCA was to acquire the corporation's defense-related businesses and the NBC Television Network. Over the next few years, GE proceeded to sell off most of RCA's remaining assets (after the 2011 sale of NBCUniversal to Comcast, the only former RCA unit which GE retained was Government Services). In 1987, GE disposed of its 50% interest in RCA Records to its partner Bertelsmann, and the company was renamed Bertelsmann Music Group. RCA Global Communications Inc., a division with roots dating back to RCA's founding in 1919, was sold to the MCI Communications Corporation; also in 1987, the NBC Radio Network was sold to Westwood One.[56]
In 1988, the rights to manufacture consumer electronics products under the RCA and GE brands was acquired by Thomson Consumer Electronics, in exchange for some of Thomson's medical businesses, which still manages the RCA trademarks today. Also in 1988, its semiconductor business (including the former RCA Solid State unit and Intersil) was bought by Harris Corporation.[57] That same year, the iconic RCA Building, known as "30 Rock" at Rockefeller Center was renamed the GE Building.
In 1991, GE sold its share in RCA/Columbia to Sony Pictures which renamed the unit "Columbia TriStar Home Video" (later further renamed to Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment, now Sony Pictures Home Entertainment). This merger surpassed the Capital Cities/ABC merger that happened earlier in 1985 as the largest non-oil merger in business history.[58]
Sarnoff Labs was put on a five-year plan whereby GE would fund all the labs' activities for the first year, then reduce its support to near zero after the fifth year. This required Sarnoff Labs to change its business model to become an industrial contract research facility. In 1988, it was transferred to SRI International (SRI) as the David Sarnoff Research Center, and subsequently renamed the Sarnoff Corporation. In January 2011, Sarnoff Corporation was fully integrated into SRI.[59]
In 2011, GE sold its controlling interest in the National Broadcasting Company, by this time part of the multimedia NBC Universal venture that included TV and cable, to Comcast, and in 2013, Comcast acquired the remaining interest.[60]
Legacy
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RCA antique radios, and early color television receivers such as the RCA Merrill/CT-100, are among the more sought-after collectible radios and televisions, due to their popularity during the golden age of radio and the historic significance of the RCA name, as well as their styling, manufacturing quality and engineering innovations. Most collectable are the pre-war television sets manufactured by RCA beginning in 1939, including the TRK-5, TRK-9 and TRK-12 models.
The RCA Heritage Museum was established at Rowan University in 2012.[61]
The historic RCA Victor Building 17, the "Nipper Building", in Camden, New Jersey, was converted to luxury apartments in 2003.[62]
A type of plug/jack combination used in audio and video cables is still called the RCA connector.
To this day, a variety of consumer electronics including 2-in-1 tablets, televisions and telephones, home appliances and more are sold under the RCA brand name.
Environmental issues
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Numerous former RCA manufacturing sites have been reported to be polluted with industrial waste.
Photo gallery
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See also
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Notes
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Until 2010 known as Thomson SA
References
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Further reading
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Audio cables can be an overwhelming topic for any beginner or intermediate musician.
Because Bluetooth and wireless technology aren't quite up to par with what we need in our studios, unfortunately, cables and wires are things we must concern ourselves with.
While cables may not be the most exhilarating topic in the world, knowing how to use them to generate clean audio throughout your various signal chains is crucial .
So, to help you in your path to cable mastery, we've created an in-depth guide to audio cable types.
Read on to learn more!
Before we dive into the wacky world of cables, let's first make sure you have an understanding of the difference between analog cables and digital cables.
Both of these cable types are made to transfer audio information. However, analog cables work by transferring electrical audio signals , while digital cables work by transferring digital binary information.
Analog cables can also be divided into two types, including balanced and unbalanced cables.
Unbalanced cables have two wires on the inside, including a ground wire and a conductor wire. These cables are at higher risk of picking up noise and radio interference.
Balanced cables, however, use an additional wire on the inside to cancel out any noise or electrical hum. On the insides of these cables, you'll find a ground wire and two conductor wires. The additional conductor wire cancels out any unwanted noise.
Balanced and unbalanced cables are just the tip of the iceberg, as you also have to determine whether the gear you are using is balanced or unbalanced.
Balanced gear comes in all shapes and sizes, though some of the most common include:
Unbalanced gear also comes in many shapes and sizes, including:
If you have unbalanced connections that you want to convert to balanced connections, you can use external converters. If you have a complex setup, however, these kinds of converters can get very expensive.
If you're converting to get rid of hum, you might consider purchasing something like the Clean Box converter instead, which works wonders for getting rid of hum and noise.
You can also use a standard DI (direct injection) box for this type of conversion. You'll often find DI boxes in the live world. If you've ever played on stage, you've likely seen these little boxes perched along the front near the PA connection.
*DI Box Photo
These boxes are made to plug unbalanced gear, such as guitars, synthesizers, etc., into balanced inputs, such as PA systems and mixers. The beauty of these kinds of boxes is that you can run longer cables without having to worry about interference and noise.
TS cables, which stand for Tip/Sleeve cables, are sometimes referred to as instrument cables or guitar cables. These are unbalanced cables, meaning you'll want to keep them as short as you possibly can to avoid unwanted noise.
These cables are made to connect mono sources, including:
You'll most often find TS cables in 1/4" sizes. However, they are also common in 1/8" or 3.5mm sizes. These smaller cables are used in consumer products, such as MP3 players and laptops. If you want to avoid signal noise, we recommend going with 1/4" TS cables when possible, as these come with better shielding.
TRS cables might look very similar to TS cables, though if you look closely, you'll realize that there are two small strips on the connection head rather than two. They are referred to as Tip/Ring/Sleeve cables because of these three divided spaces on the connector.
Depending on how you use TRS cables, they can be balanced or unbalanced. When used with mono equipment, for example, TRS cables can be balanced with their positive, negative, and ground conductor wires.
However, TRS cables can also carry stereo audio information, which makes them unbalanced. This is because each conductor wire will take one of the two stereo channels running through the cable.
You'll often find TRS cables used in studio monitors, audio interfaces, mixers, headphones, and headphone outputs on certain instruments.
The great thing about TRS and TS cables is that you have plenty of conversion options. For example, you can easily convert from a TRS cable to a 3.5mm adapter.
XLR cables are pretty much everywhere in the audio world. With their bulky, durable builds, you can expect a clean and balanced connection from these cables. The great thing about XLR cables is that you can run super long connections without worrying about noise interference that you would get from something like a TS cable, for example.
You'll find XLR cables on a wide range of devices, including:
XLR guarantees the clearest and crispest signal possible, perfect for connecting instruments and other devices up for clean recording or live performances. You can expect the same clarity whether you're running a five-foot cable or a fifty-foot cable.
However, it's important to note that not all XLR cables are the same. For example, a gold-plated XLR cable will have more durability than a copper-plated XLR cable. If you have an XLR cable with individual foil shielding and insulation for the internal wires, you'll also have far better noise protection.
I have yet to find a consumer device that uses Speakon cables, as these cables are most often used for connecting speakers and amplifiers in professional settings. These kinds of cables are often unbalanced cables, though they are still very popular alternatives to 1/4" speaker cables, as they have a unique design that locks in place, so you can avoid disconnections during the most energetic live performances.
Plus, with reinforced cable braiding, they are less prone to wear and tear, giving them a durability advantage as well.
If you're connecting a device that doesn't have a Speakon connection, you can use an adapter that turns quarter-inch speaker cables into Speakon cables. However, you have to make sure that your Speakon cables aren't designed for high-powered bi-amp configurations, as typical quarter-inch cables won't work.
If you've ever looked behind your TV or home A/V system, you've probably seen RCA connections. You'll also often find RCA cables in DJ setups, as they are popular for connection mixers and turntables to CDJ players.
RCA cables are like TS cables in that they are unbalanced cables, meaning they only have two wires on the inside. For this reason, it's a good idea to make sure your RCA cables are as short as possible to limit the possibility of noise.
Many devices are made to connect to one another with simple RCA connectors. However, if you have an incompatible device that does not have RCA inputs or outputs, you can use a number of converter connections, such as XLR to RCA or 3.5mm to RCA.
Banana cables, also known as banana plugs or speaker cables, are similar in look and size to TS cables. However, they are constructed differently and are meant to connect amplifiers and speakers. These are more common in consumer-grade audio, and you'll often find these used with A/V receivers to connect sets of external speakers.
MIDI cables are unique in that they don't actually send audio information. Rather, they send digital event messages. MIDI cables have been in production since the 1980s. Without them, we wouldn't have come as far as we have with digital audio development. These cables are easily distinguishable with their five-pin connectors.
Today, USB cables have taken the jobs of MIDI cables in many instances. However, that doesn't diminish the importance of MIDI cables as crucial components in many synthesizers, sequencers, and instruments.
MIDI cables are interchangeable, meaning they can be used for MIDI In, MIDI Out, and MIDI Thru connections. Many devices come with three separate ports for these applications, so you can arrange them however you please in your setup or signal chain.
You can also use MIDI cables to send and receive information from multiple devices at once.
S/PDIF (Sony/Phillips Digital Interface) cables are often found in consumer A/V hardware, TVs, and gaming consoles. You'll find these in two different forms, including coaxial (RCA) and optical (often referred to as Toslink).
In today's consumer space, S/PDIF cables are a bit outdated. Unless you own an older media system, you probably have HDMI inputs and outputs that have taken the place of S/PDIF. However, the major benefit of S/PDIF cables over HDMI is that they provide a dedicated audio connection instead of full-fledged audio and video connection.
Officially referred to as AES3 cables, AES cables are triple conductor cables that transfer two channels through a wide range of single connectors, most commonly XLRs.
These cables were originally developed during the 1980s in a collaboration between the Audio Engineering Society and the European Broadcasting Union, hence the name. However, they were upgraded a number of times up until the last time in 2003.
S/PDIF developed its consumer-friendly cables based on AES/EBU cables.
Note that while S/PDIF cables have XLR heads, the difference in resistance means they won't work for standard XLR connections.
Whether you're listening, creating, or simply transferring data from one device to another, USB cables are some of the most ubiquitous and well-known digital audio cables in the world. You'll find them in various shapes and sizes, though USB-A and USB-B cables are two of the most common.
USB cables were built to transmit digital audio data. They've largely taken the place of MIDI cables, transferring MIDI commands while providing power for bus-powered devices. They're wonderful for connecting computers to digital synthesizers and audio interfaces. In many instances, a single USB cable can do the job of multiple audio and MIDI cables.
In recent years, the USB-C cable hit the market, offering high-quality, built-in audio support.
It's important to note, however, that because USB is a fairly new connection, it isn't compatible with many old instruments and hardware accessories. Because they aren't as sturdy as other types of audio cables (for the most part), they aren't the best in terms of longevity.
ADAT cables are digital cables used to connect two compatible pieces of equipment. These cables are referred to as ADAT cables because of the ADAT optical interface protocol used in the compatible equipment.
ADAT makes use of an optical cable, allowing you to transfer up to eight channels of high-quality 24-bit/48kHz audio with a single connection.
You'll often see these in studios that need to run extra preamps or inputs to audio interfaces. While they use the same connector heads as S/PDIF cables, they work using different protocols.
Dante cables are relatively new cables in the world of digital audio. Now, to be specific, Dante cables aren't actually cables at all but the protocol used to transmit the audio. The Dante protocol uses either CAT-5 or CAT-6 ethernet cables.
We're starting to see Dante setups more and more in the live sound realm, and we're pretty certain that it will become the new standard in time. This is because Dante setups have the ability to transfer up to 256 channels using a single ethernet cable, which is great for live performances that have high track counts.
You'll often find Dante setups in the form of stage boxes or digital snakes running to a digital mixer. However, we're also seeing Dante pop up in some interfaces, as it makes use of ethernet's accessibility.
There are three kinds of FireWire cables out there, including four-pin, six-pin, and nine-pin FireWire cables. The FW400 is the standard four-pin connector, which is made to transfer 400 Mbps of data. The six-pin connector also transfers data at the same speed, though it can supply DC power as well.
Lastly, you have the nine-pin connector, otherwise referred to as the FW800, which is twice as fast as the FW400 and can supply power like the six-pin iteration.
HDMI cables are standard cables for connecting consumer electronics, including Blu-Ray players and DVD players. These cables have the ability to transfer uncompressed audio and video to professional audio equipment. You'll find five connector types in the HDMI world, including Type A through E. Each connector type has its own pin configuration.
The best way to determine which pin configuration you should use for your gear is to refer to your manual.
Thunderbolt came about back in 2012, thanks to Apple. It was made to replace 30-pin connectors, which were used on Apple devices prior. These cables have become very popular for connecting a wide range of peripherals, especially in the world of pro audio gear. If you use any Apple gear post-2012, you've definitely made use of a Thunderbolt cable.
The great thing about Thunderbolt connections is that they are ultra-compatible, thanks to the number of converters available. Whether you need to convert HDMI, USB, VGA, or SC cards, you can do so with a Thunderbolt adapter.
D-sub cables (shortened from D-Subminiature) are multi-pin connectors that you'll find in a wide range of pro audio equipment, including analog and digital. The pin configurations can vary. You'll find these in 9, 15, 25, 37, and 50-pin configurations.
Many pro audio brands make use of DB25 connections, such as Tascam and Mackie.
Daisy chain cables are often found in guitar and bass setups for connecting multiple effects or stomp boxes together to create a single signal chain. You'll find these kinds of cables in a wide range of configurations.
It's worth noting that daisy chain cables do not transmit audio or digital information. Instead, they transmit power. We felt it was important to include these, however, as they are extremely common in audio setups.
When building your audio setup and making connections, it's important to consider the level ratings of your equipment.
There are four types of level ratings you'll find in the cable and connector world, including:
The strongest of the bunch is speaker level . As you probably know, speakers require quite a bit of power to get as loud as they do. If you've ever rocked out to your favorite band at a stadium or danced to your favorite DJ at the club, then you've come face to face with the power of speaker level.
The next strongest is line level . Line level signals provide a standard in terms of voltage level for equipment. When hooking up microphones or instruments, the goal is to match line-level requirements.
The instrument level sits just below line level in terms of power. Some instrument-level equipment includes guitars, basses, and synthesizers. To get these instruments to line level, it's common to use DI boxes.
The weakest of the bunch is Mic Level . If you're trying to perform or record with a microphone, you will need a microphone preamp to bring it up to line level. Otherwise, you'll have a low signal-to-floor ratio that will make your mic level audio too soft to be heard.
The main purpose of an audio cable is to transfer a signal from one device to another without signal degradation or external noise. Of course, not all cables are made with the same level of quality. To get a pristine, noise-free signal from your cable, you'll have to spend a bit more money.
While most casual musicians can get away with cheap cables, professional musicians and audiophiles will want noise-free, high-fidelity transmission for close listening, recording, mixing, and mastering.
There are many features to look for in quality audio cables.
People will often tell you to buy cables with gold-plated connectors, as gold lessens resistance, giving you a more durable cable. However, it's equally important to note that compared to nickel-plating, gold is more subject to wear and tear. If you find yourself plugging and unplugging your gold-plated cables a lot, the gold quality may be more of a liability.
If we were to tell you to prioritize a few things when looking for quality cables, those things would be durability, flexibility, and strong soldering. With these few elements, you'll have cables that will last you for many years.
You may also consider getting cables with heat-shrunk plastic sleeves, as they prevent internal wires from shifting around.
Length is a factor you'll need to consider when buying unbalanced cables, as longer cables are more susceptible to noise.
Of course, if you're playing a live show in a venue with a full band, noise might not be the biggest concern. It's more important to have a long cable that can run from your instrument to the PA system or mixer.
However, if you're buying an unbalanced cable for your recording studio, you'll want to go with a shorter cable, as shorter cables aren't as susceptible to noise.
All audio cables have shielding for noise and interference protection. More often than not, you'll find wire braids on the insides of cables surrounding the center conductor wires.
If you've ever played through your amp and heard radio chatter, it's likely because the cable shielding is inadequate. With good shielding, you don't have to worry as much about interference, as it often works like a ground.
It's important to note that there are several kinds of shielding available, including:
Braided shielding is the most common type of shielding. It looks like a braid with small strands of wire braided around the signal-conducting wire. Braided shielding is both durable and flexible, perfect for cables used in live performances.
Spiral-wrapped shielding is formed with a flat wire strip spiraled around a grouping of center wires. You don't get the same amount of tensile strength or durability compared to braided shielding, though this type of shielding provides better flexibility.
Plus, cables with this shielding are usually less expensive than braided cables and are less resistant to interference from radio signals.
Foil shielding uses Mylar aluminum to provide total coverage. However, it's not the best electricity conductor, and it often interferes with clean audio transfers. It's also the weakest of the three shielding types, which is why it breaks down fairly easily with constant flexing.
The good thing is that foil shielding is very inexpensive, as it is easy to produce. However, because of its weaknesses, we only recommend it for small cables, such as patch cables or stereo cables that don't move once connected.
Whether you're recording music, playing live, or enjoying music as a consumer, being knowledgeable about audio cable types is a nice skill to have. No matter where in the audio realm you find yourself, you'll always know how to wire your setup to get the best sound possible.
Beyond that, you'll never have to look like a total noob in front of the venue sound guy!
Whenever you find yourself looking at a set of cables with confusion, find your way back to this guide to get the information you need.
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