Re: Broken SoundMeister

[dempson@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

Mitchell Spector <spec@vax2.concordia.ca> wrote:

> [Talking about swapping live audio cables.]
>
>     Perhaps I've just been lucky, but I've done the same with several
> sound boards in my Apple IIe's and IBM without zapping anything. I've
> always thought swapping cables in powered audio equipment was fairly
> safe (phono and RCA connectors) unlike computer connectors such as
> SCSI, serial, floppy, video, ADB, etc (actually many people claim
> it is safe to "hot-swap" ADB, video and serial devices, but I feel
> uneasy about that risky practice).

I've always hot-swapped serial devices, but I try to avoid doing this
with ADB (it has power going down the cable).  I'm not keen on playing
around with RGB video connections (a switch box is probably OK), but
composite is fine.

One major exception to serial swapping is GeoPort devices on the Mac,
which get power from the computer.  I'd also hesitate to swap anything
which sucks power out of the data or flow control lines (e.g. MIDI
interfaces), but I have no compunction about swapping between a modem
and LocalTalk, for example.  [One of my Macs has a busted modem port due
to a lightning strike that took out my previous modem.]

-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand