Author: DJ TechTools
Back in 2018, the DJ Techtools team decided to make our first foray into audio cables. We learned a lot from this first adventure, and now we’re back with a brand new generation of RCA Chroma Cables. You might have seen us talking about these fresh new cables on social media and in our store and newsletter. Now, we’re excited to share a bit more in-depth as to what we did differently and why this is the type of iterative design that DJTT wants to bring to the DJ accessory world.
Following up on our release of USB-C to C cables in the Chroma line earlier this year, DJTT’s product team launched our new RCA cables for DJs. We collected a lot of feedback after our audio cables release in 2018 and came away with a few clear directives:
- a majority of DJs use RCA cables every time they DJ
- being able to distinguish left and right cables in all situations is really helpful
- most DJ booths and setups are 2 meters wide at max
- a wide selection of colors is very desirable
- some DJ gear has really packed or even recessed RCA connections
Designing and making a set of new cables during one of the most expensive times to buy copper since 2011 hasn’t been easy. Since DJTT is a small team and not a mega-corporation, we decided to focus on just one audio cable type – RCA to RCA cables – and go from there.
So earlier this year, we took a look at the feedback we got from our first generation and decided to attack each point with a fresh new design. Our new RCA to RCA cables have:
- dual-color Left/Right cable ends: yep, this is a tried and true way to tell left from right on a cable – while still keeping the cable’s Chroma color flare on one of the ends.
- textured right cable ends: this tactile feature means that you can quickly “tell-by-feel” which cable end is right (it’s got many ridges) and which is left (totally smooth). That means in clubs and other low-light situations – or when you’re plugging an RCA cable in “blind” (some DJ booths are like that), there’s no guesswork or pulling out your phone flashlight to double check.
see how nicely those textured marks are on the Right cable? you’ll never put cables in “blind” again
- increased length to 2 meters: our old cables were 1.5m long, and after a bit of digging and research we realized that additional length would be extremely appreciated by many DJs. Making a bunch of shorter and longer sizes just wasn’t realistic – so this length works in as many DJ booths as possible.
yup, the new cables can handle tight fits wayyyyyy better
- thinner circular over molding for recessed + tight connections: the hexagonal overmolds on the end of the original Chroma Cables Audio gave them their own unique design flair, but they were just a little too wide to fit into some recessed RCA ports (like on some NI gear) or other situations where RCA cables are plugged in very closely (have you seen the back of a DJM-V10 recently?). Our new cables taper out to a thinner circular mold a bit more aggressively, allowing them to fit into much more challenging RCA port contexts.
All of these new design elements combine with the the bright colors, dual strain reliefs / cable connectors, and quality materials used to make a solid set of cables. They weren’t cheap (see the copper comment above), but they’re quality we can stand behind – and ultimately co-designed with the great feedback we got from our community (you!) over the last few years. We’re happy to be making our own solid RCA cables for DJs.
Win a set of your own DJ RCA cables
To celebrate the holidays and these cables, I thought it might be fun to give some away to you all. We’re going to give away 4 sets of two pairs of RCA cables – all you have to do is use the widget below. We’ll choose the winners next week on December 14th.