Really dumb Speakon to 1/4in jack question

[SimonH]

Apologies for the blindingly obvious question, but if you don't know you don't know!

I just bought a MB 104HF cab which has a pair of Speakon ins. I assume, since they aren't labelled, it doesn't matter which is used as the input and which is the extension for another cab? Just checking before I blow it up!

But that's not the stupid question (although it is pretty dumb). The question is this: the output from the amp (Hartke 3500, with its preamp bypassed using an ADA MB1 preamp which is rather lovely) is a 1/4in jack. Can I just connect the amp to the cab with the usual 1/4in jack speaker cable, slotting the cab end into the Speakon socket on the cab?

I just spent loadsa money on the cab and for the want of being really stupid I don't want to cock it up.

I'm also guessing I should make all connections before switching anything on. Rather obviously too.

I did look on the Google before posting this, but I think the question is SO novice even Google can't be bothered to answer it!

[icastle]

[quote name='SimonH' timestamp='1334957670' post='1624179']
I just bought a MB 104HF cab which has a pair of Speakon ins. I assume, since they aren't labelled, it doesn't matter which is used as the input and which is the extension for another cab? Just checking before I blow it up!
[/quote]
Makes no difference which you use as an in or an out - they're wired in parallel.

[quote name='SimonH' timestamp='1334957670' post='1624179']
But that's not the stupid question (although it is pretty dumb). The question is this: the output from the amp (Hartke 3500, with its preamp bypassed using an ADA MB1 preamp which is rather lovely) is a 1/4in jack. Can I just connect the amp to the cab with the usual 1/4in jack speaker cable, slotting the cab end into the Speakon socket on the cab?
[/quote]
Yep that'll be fine.
Speakons are by far the better of the two connection types (from a mechanical point of view) but the Hartke 3500 doesn't have these as far as I remember.

And these aren't daft questions - daft is where you guess, get it wrong and everything goes bang...

[SimonH]

Ah, thanks, that's crystal clear. I suspected as much, just wanted to double check. Good. I've got a load of cables someone gave me, including 1/4in to Speakon, but I'm not sure of their integrity so I think I'll just stick with the 1/4in cables I know are speaker cables... until I get a MB head, then it'll be Speakon - Speakon...

Thanks again!

[pete.young]

A word of warning though - not all Speakon sockets will accept a jack plug.

I don't know what's fitted to a 104HF and the unhelpful Markbass web site doesn't offer the option of dowloading the manual. You might need to experiment, or find somebody who has one.

[mojobass]

if its any help my markbass head has two speakon outputs, and i can plug a 1/4 jack into those to run my cab!

[brensabre79]

Heads are different.
They don't generally use the Speakon/Jack hybrid sockets on cabs mainly because whilst a speakon socket is air-tight, a jack is not so air can get in and out of the hole when its not being used which can cause the cab to fart out the back! the other reason is its a very expensive socket.

If a jack plug won't easily go into the centre of the speakon socket don't force it! you'll need a Speakon-Jack speaker cable.