Advice on best USB B cable?

Hi, trying to find a good quality audio cable to connect my keyboards to my laptop. I think its a USB B to a standard USB 2.0 connector. All i keep seeing is printer type cables which are really cheap but want to get the best quality audio cable i can afford. Can you guys give me an idea of what to look at please.

Thanks

Steve

Hi @stevekeys ,
Try looking at a music site like here …Usb Cables for computer music .
There are a few brands they recommend and sell. Good hunting!

Thanks Dave_dore
So frustrated looking for a decent one as there are so many sellers of cheap printer type ones, wanted to know what make you guys used. Will have a look, thanks for your help

I have already gone through 4 cables this year. There are some heavier gauge cables on Amazon at a reasonable price. I am able to get good quality at a huge discount through people I know working for tech companies, but that is a limited source. They are heavier gauge made for printers, but they are all made for printers and not really made for a lot of movement, like setup and tear down. Most music stores are extremely high priced for lesser quality. I have found the heavier gauge lasts longer and the connectors are much more reliable. Hope that helps.

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Thanks Corky, do you know the make/name of the heavier gauge cables ?

This is from the Native Instruments site:

Most USB cables are labeled with the two identification codes following the AWG (American Wire Gauge) standard:

The code ending with /2C (or X2C) shows the specification of the power wires in the USB cable (relevant for this test)
The code ending with /1P (or X1P) shows the specification of the data wires in the USB cable
The number at the beginning of the codes reflects the diameter of the internal wires:

AWG 24: 0.511 mm
AWG 28: 0.321 mm
Our tests have shown that you should always use USB cables carrying a /2C (or X2C) code beginning with 24 (e.g. 24/2C, 24AWGX2C, AWG 24X2C). As described above, this means the power wires have a diameter of 0,511 mm, which will reduce the power lost in the cable.

The NI-branded cables supplied with our products do not carry any of the AWG codes, however they are specified with the larger AWG 24 diameter to ensure the best performance with your Native Instruments device. Look for the molded NI logo on the plugs to identify these cables.

If your cable is showing a /2C (or X2C) code beginning with 28 (e.g. 28/2C, 28AWGX2C, AWG 28X2C), it is not suitable for use with our hardware devices and needs to be replaced.

So…you are looking for 24 AWG usb cabling. 28/24 is the common one as the 28 AWG carries data, and the 24AWG carries the power. 28/28 is a no go as your power wire will not be consistent for the instruments we use them on. So, you know now that NI carries them, as does several companies i,e, Belkin. Newegg also carries them. Hope this helps…good luck !

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That’s fantastic info, thanks very much for going the extra mile, much appreciated. Steve

What cable length for these. Does it make a difference?

@stevekeys you are most welcome!
@bartok2112 I will not get a cable less than 6ft because of the many different stages I perform on. I have read several articles that anything over 10ft could cause some data loss, but I used a 12ft for a long time.without a problem. It really depends on what your needs are on stage, and for me, that changes from gig to gig.

Thank you. I don’t go longer than 10 feet.

I keep 2 ten ft cables with me just in case, but six ft has become my norm for some time now.

It is not depend on brand and it is also need to creative mind. ASUS Zen AiO PC is suitable for your work. I have been facing same issue with my system but I could solve my issue with help of Ricoh printer support is a team of good technician.

USBFireWire is the only source I use. They aren’t cheap but I’ve never had one fail on me.

~ vonnor

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