Wiring Guides

Building your own cables with SP Connectors? These wiring diagrams show the standard pinouts for the most common pedalboard and studio cables. All connectors are shown from the solder side, and the colours follow a stereo cable with a red core, a white core and a shield.

Tip: the pin numbers are marked on each connector insert – always double-check them before you solder. Tap a diagram to open it full size.

How MIDI works – and why it fits on a TRS (or even XLR) cable

A 5-pin DIN connector makes it look like MIDI needs five wires, but it doesn't. MIDI is a simple current loop, and the signal only uses two pins: pin 4 (current source) and pin 5 (data / current sink). Pin 2 is just the cable shield, and pins 1 and 3 aren't used at all in standard MIDI.

So any connector with three contacts – two for the signal and one for the shield – can carry MIDI. That's why many pedals and synths use 1/4" or 3.5 mm TRS jacks for MIDI, and why you can just as well build a DIN-to-TRS cable, or even run MIDI over XLR cables for long and rugged stage runs. The only thing that matters is that pin 4 and pin 5 end up on the right contacts at the other end.

Good to know:

• Some devices send power over the MIDI cable using pins 1 and 3 (often called MIDI phantom power, used by some floor controllers). If your gear works that way, you need a cable that carries those pins too – check the manual.
• If you use XLR for MIDI, label those cables clearly so they don't end up in a mixer input with phantom power switched on.

MIDI cable – 5-pin DIN to 5-pin DIN

Only pins 4 and 5 carry the MIDI signal, with the shield on pin 2. Wire both ends the same: 4 to 4, 5 to 5 and 2 to 2. Pins 1 and 3 are left unconnected.

Connector: SPD5A angled 5-pin DIN

MIDI cable – 5-pin DIN to 1/4" TRS

Because MIDI only needs pins 4 and 5 plus the shield, it fits perfectly on the three contacts of a TRS plug – ideal for pedals and devices with TRS MIDI. The diagram shows Type A, the official MIDI standard: pin 5 to tip, pin 4 to ring and pin 2 to sleeve. For Type B devices, swap tip and ring – check your device manual.

Connectors: SPD5A angled 5-pin DIN · SPS6-S straight TRS · SP550-S angled TRS · SP650-S angled TRS

Balanced cable – XLR female to XLR male

Wired pin for pin: 1 to 1, 2 to 2 and 3 to 3. Note that the male insert is mirrored compared with the female when seen from the solder side.

Connectors: SPX-F · SPX-M · SPXA-F · SPXA-M

Balanced cable – XLR female to 1/4" TRS

Pin 2 (hot) to tip, pin 3 (cold) to ring and pin 1 (ground) to sleeve.

Connectors: SPX-F · SPXA-F · SPS6-S · SP550-S · SP650-S

Balanced cable – XLR male to 1/4" TRS

Same wiring as the female version: pin 2 to tip, pin 3 to ring and pin 1 to sleeve.

Connectors: SPX-M · SPXA-M · SPS6-S · SP550-S · SP650-S

Y-split cable – 1/4" TRS to 2 × TS

Splits one TRS jack into two mono plugs: tip to the tip of TS A, ring to the tip of TS B, and the sleeve to both TS sleeves. Use it for a stereo output into two mono inputs (tip = left, ring = right) or as an insert cable (tip = send, ring = return – check your device).

The easiest way to build it is with the SPS7-S, which clamps two mono cables in one TRS plug: one cable goes to each TS plug, and both shields go to the sleeve. Our SP Cables SPC0805 pedalboard cable fits both the SPS7-S and the SPS4 / SP400.

Connectors: SPS7-S dual-cable TRS · SPS4 straight TS · SP400 angled TS

Questions about a cable build? Get in touch – we're happy to help.