Instrument level (aka Hi-Z) is the direct level of guitars and basses transmitted via an instrument cable before being converted to line level by something like an audio interface, or a DI box.

Instruments such as keyboards/synths/digital pianos are generally outputted at line level when being recorded in a signal chain. Line level is the typical level used by most professional audio equipment. However, when categorizing analog cables there are two more instances we must consider: Balanced vs Unbalanced, and the level at which the signal is transmitted.Īs discussed in previous articles - there are three levels of signal that are transmitted via a cable: That said, this article will still touch upon a few digital cables that will often be just as required as a typical instrument cable (MIDI, USB, Thunderbolt, Firewire, Optical, etc.). Typically, the stars of the show in your music studio will be analog cables. There are two main types of cables: analog and digital.Īnalog cables work by sending information via a stream of electricity (an electrical signal) from one point to another.ĭigital cables work by sending information via a stream of binary code (1s and 0s) from one point to another. What Actually Are Cables? How Do They Work? Digital vs Analog

Virtual audio cable splitter