Cables and Adapters Catalog

This is a list of most of the cables and adapters that Media Loan offers as part of general access (meaning any enrolled students can check them out). The Table should provide enough information to determine which cable or adapter you need, but for more information call or visit media loan for assistance.

In the name column, you will see P or S as part of some names, this is to indicate of the connector is a Plug or a Socket. Plug and Socket is a more technical and appropriate term than the often used connector description of Male and Female to describe if the connector is an extruding piece of metal (plug, male) or a hole that the metal goes into (socket, female). A dash mark in the name column indicates that the cable has 2 different ends like 1/4"-Mini means that it is a 1/4" on one end and it goes to a Mini on the other end.

Group	Name	Category	Most Common Use	Description
A U D I O	Mini - 1/4" Dual	AUDIO	iPod	Mini (1/8") splits to two 1/4" for stereo audio output from an iPod or laptop to other audio equipment.
	1/4" - Mini	AUDIO	Headphones	Headphones plug adapter
	Mini - 1/4"	AUDIO	Headphones	Headphones plug adapter
	Mini w/Screw - 1/4"	AUDIO	Headphones	Headphones plug adapter
	Mini - RCA Dual	AUDIO	iPod	Typically used to get stereo audio signal from an iPod or laptop and send it into a device with 2 RCA sockets for 2 channels of the stereo signal
	RCA Stereo	AUDIO / VIDEO	Home Audio	For connecting stereo speakers or other audio devices that have two RCA connectors at both ends.
	Headphone Splitter	AUDIO	Headphones	A cable that connects Mini (1/8") plug to two Mini (1/8") sockets. It allows two headphones to connect to one socket and both get stereo signal.
	RCA P - S	AUDIO / VIDEO	Home Audio	RCA extended that has an RCA plug on one end and socket on another. This is not advised to be used to make really long RCA connections because this is an "unbalanced signal" and is vulnerable to adding noise at longer lengths.
	RCA P - P	AUDIO / VIDEO	Home Audio	A standard RCA plug to plug cable that could be used for a single signal audio left, right or video.
	MINI P - S	AUDIO	iPod	Mini (1/8") extender is used for increasing the reach of a mini connection.
	MINI P - P	AUDIO	iPod	Mini (1/8") cable used to connect an iPod (among other things) with audio equipment.
	1/4" - RCA	AUDIO	PA	1/4" plug to RCA plug connects various audio equipment with compatible sockets.
	1/4" S Barrel	AUDIO	PA	1/4" socket barrel allows two 1/4" plugs to connect. It is advised to have the same pin count on both sides like 2 pin to 2 pin or 3 pin to 3 pin.
	1/4" TS	AUDIO	Guitar/ keyboards	1/4" audio cable is TS (Tip, Sleeve) meaning it is used for unbalanced signals.
	1/4" TRS	AUDIO	PA	1/4" audio cable is TRS (Tip, Ring, Sleeve) meaning is is used to 1 balanced signal or can carry two unbalanced signals.
	1/4" TRS P - S	AUDIO	PA	1/4" audio extended plug to socket is TRS (Tip, Ring, Sleeve) meaning is is used to 1 balanced signal or can carry two unbalanced signals.
	DI Box	AUDIO	Guitar/ keyboards	Connects an unbalanced 1/4" cable to a balanced XLR Cable. It additionally helps with ground loops, impedance matching and preventing electromagnetic noise from being introduced to the signal. The DI Box has the added benefit of switches for a pad, ground lift, as well as an unchanged output of the input so you could connect a guitar cable to the DI Box and have that output to an amp via "1/4" thru" as well the balanced XLR output for connecting to a mixer.
	1/4" to XLR Hilow	AUDIO	Guitar/ keyboards	Connects an unbalanced 1/4" socket to a balanced XLR Cable. It additionally helps with ground loops, impedance matching and preventing electromagnetic noise from being introduced to the signal.
	XLR S Barrel	AUDIO	PA	XLR barrel with sockets at both ends, used for connecting 2 XLR plugs.
	XLR P Barrel	AUDIO	PA	XLR barrel with plugs at both ends, used for connecting 2 XLR socket.
	XLR P - 1/4" TRS	AUDIO	PA	XLR plug to 1/4" plug with TRS (Tip, Ring, Sleeve) for getting a balanced signal from XLR to 1/4" likely to be used for mixer to speaker connections.
	XLR S - 1/4" TRS	AUDIO	PA	XLR socket to 1/4" plug with TRS (Tip, Ring, Sleeve) for getting a balanced signal from XLR to 1/4" likely to be used for mixer to speaker connections.
	XLR - USB B	AUDIO / COMPUTER	Mic	This can be used to put an XLR microphone signal into a computer. It is a small interface for a single XLR connection to be digitized and turned into a USB type B (version 2) connection. Media Loan also has other interfaces if you want to record more signals.
	Mic Splitter	AUDIO	Mic	Allows a XLR connection to be doubled so the same signal be send to difference places. If in an Audio Studio, this could instead be done in the patch bay via the mults.
V I D E O	RCA Triple	VIDEO / AUDIO	Video Display	3 RCA connectors bundled for Audio Left (White), Audio Right (Red), and Composite Video (Yellow).
	Component Adapter	VIDEO / AUDIO	Video Display	3 RCA connectors bundled and connected to a DSLR connector. No audio is carried, but instead send video on a red, green, and blue channel as component video.
	S Video	VIDEO / AUDIO	Video Display	An older video cable for an older video format.
	RCA - Mini TS	AUDIO	Camera Audio	RCA to Mini (1/8") TS (Tip, Sleeve) for connecting audio for a consumer level camera.
	RCA Triple - Mini TRRS	VIDEO / AUDIO	Camera A/V	3 RCA connectors bundled and connected to a Mini (1/8") TRRS (Tip, Ring, Ring, Sleeve) for carrying Audio Left (White), Audio Right (Red), and Composite Video (Yellow).
	RCA Triple - Canon Connector	VIDEO / AUDIO	Camera A/V	3 RCA connectors bundled and connected to a Canon Brand connector for carrying Audio Left (White), Audio Right (Red), and Composite Video (Yellow).
	BNC	VIDEO	Video	Video cable most commonly used for SD SDI or HD SDI.
	XLR S w/Transformer - Mini TRS	AUDIO	Camera Audio	This cable connects a professional mic to a consumer level camera. It may be preferable to instead record audio to a dedicated audio recorder like the Olympus Recorder rather than the consumer level camera
D I S P L A Y	Mac DVI - VGA	COMPUTER / VIDEO	Video Display	Mac DVI to VGA
	Mac Thunderbolt - VGA	COMPUTER / VIDEO	Video Display	Mac Thunderbolt (MiniDisplayPort) to VGA
	DVI - VGA	COMPUTER / VIDEO	Video Display	DVI to VGA
	VGA mini - VGA	COMPUTER / VIDEO	Video Display	VGA mini to VGA
	HDMI	COMPUTER / VIDEO	Video Display	Normal HDMI cable
	HDMI micro	COMPUTER / VIDEO	Video Display	HDMI to HDMI micro
	HDMI - VGA	COMPUTER / VIDEO	Video Display	HDMI to VGA
	HDMI - Thunderbolt	COMPUTER / VIDEO	Video Display	Thunderbolt
	VGA w/Audio	COMPUTER / VIDEO	Video Display	VGA cable, these don't carry audio, but there is a Mini (1/8") cable bundled for carrying audio.
	VGA	COMPUTER / VIDEO	Video Display	VGA cable, these dont carry audio.
	HDMI Mini	COMPUTER / VIDEO	Video Display	HDMI to HDMI mini
	USB C Display Adapter	COMPUTER / VIDEO	Video Display	An adapter that uses a USB C connector like from a modern laptop and connects to the display connector types; HDMI, VGA, DVI.
C O M P U T E R	USB A - B	COMPUTER	Data	For Data Connections
	Card Reader	COMPUTER	Data	Transfurs various data cards (includeing SD) to USB mini
	USB mini	COMPUTER	Data	For Data Connections from USB normal to mini
	USB micro	COMPUTER	Data	For Data Connections from USB normal to micro
	USB P - S	COMPUTER	Data	For USB Extensions
	Firewire	COMPUTER	Data	For Data Connections
	Phone connector	COMPUTER	Phone	Phone Connector
	Ethernet	COMPUTER	Data	Cable often used to connect a computer to a router for internet access without relying on Wifi
	Coax	COMPUTER	Data	Often used for RF receiver connection, transmitting home internet and cable, and other things. (Technical side-note, the cable is Coaxial [ the same as BNC and RCA] while the connector is called F-Type)