I need advice about the best way to do this, please. So if any Stylophonists are Wise in The Ways of Wiring...

I've got an S1. I've also got a guitar amplifier. It was only a matter of time 'til I tried to connect them together (stylophone + guitar amp = louder stylophone, with added valve-ular goodness ).

Here's the thing:

The only output on the S1 is a headphone socket (3.5mm stereo). The only input on the amp is - not surprisingly - a 1/4" mono jack. I have an adaptor which is STEREO (stereo 1/4" -> stereo 3.5mm) but it'll fit on the end of a (mono) guitar lead, so that's what I'm using: adaptor into S1 headphone output, guitar lead into adaptor, other end into amp. It's a bit of a level mismatch - and presumably an impedance mismatch, too(?) - but it works. Overdriven stylophone! Spring 'verb!! YES!!!

It's not ideal, though: to get it to work you have to pull the jack lead out of the adaptor a little way (or pull the adaptor out of the headphone socket); otherwise, no sound. I'm thinking there's probably a better way.

So what I want to know is:

1. What's to stop me dispensing with the adaptor and making up a lead specially: 1/4" mono jack plug on one end, 3.5mm stereo plug on the other (in other words: cutting one of the plugs off a guitar lead and replacing it with a stereo mini plug)?

2. How would I need to wire it up? If pulling the jack lead (or the adaptor) out slightly makes it work, then presumably the tip of the plug is connecting to the ring of the socket(?) So if I wire up my lead like this:

* sleave of jack plug -> the sleave of 3.5mm plug
* tip of jack plug -> ring of 3.5mm plug

...it should work. Is that right? Or have I got this completely wrong?

3. Is there any reason I shouldn't do this? Or is there a different way that's better (that doesn't involve spending lots of money )?

Sorry for such a long post. To anyone who knows about wiring who's actually got this far: thanks in advance.

td

I'm the keyboardist with 11-piece ska/funk band The Skanx and I gig regularly with a Stylophone S1. The Stylophone is NOT designed to be used as a professional musical instrument, but, let's face it, nothing else gives that sound and until the wizards at Dubreq come up with a "Stage Model", we've got to live with its limitations.

I use a stereo headphone splitter (stereo 3.5mm plug to two mono 3.5mm sockets) and take the output from one side to a (3.5mm plug-to-6.3mm socket) mono "barrel" adapter. It's not ideal, but you can then use a standard guitar lead to your amp. Both adapters cost a couple of quid from Maplin, but make sure you get the right kind of headphone splitter (stereo to two monos) otherwise it won't work.

Other hints: I put the Stylophone and my Casio WK-3000 (killer Hammond sounds) into a simple passive mixer - much easier to adjust the volume that way. The output from the mixer goes via a volume pedal to one input of my amp (a simple 30-watt solid-state combo) while my other keyboard, a vintage Wurlitzer 200A electric piano goes into the other input on the same channel. If I need to go through the PA, I just use the amp's Line Out socket - that way I have control over all my volume settings.

Lastly, I put the Stylophone on top of the Casio, on the right-hand side. To prevent it from slipping or falling off, I use a square silicone rubber mat that I got in the kitchenware section of my local 99p shop.

You can hear my Stylophone in action with The Skanx at www.208records.co.uk/skanx.html , on the song "Czech Mate".

Hi butterfingers, thanks for the reply!

butterfingersbeck wrote:
The Stylophone is NOT designed to be used as a professional musical instrument, but, let's face it, nothing else gives that sound

Amen, brother

butterfingersbeck wrote:
until the wizards at Dubreq come up with a "Stage Model", we've got to live with its limitations

(Off-topic. Note to Dubreq, if they're listening. How about the following features for such a model:

- mono 1/4" jack output
- lo/mid/hi octave selector
- basic tone control (a simple lo-pass filter would do)
- maybe a non-hardwired lead for the stylus (it's probably the weakest point of the design, physically. The ability to easily replace a broken stylus or stylus lead by simply unplugging the dead one and plugging in a replacement would be cool)

butterfingersbeck wrote:
I use a stereo headphone splitter (stereo 3.5mm plug to two mono 3.5mm sockets) and take the output from one side to a (3.5mm plug-to-6.3mm socket) mono "barrel" adapter.

That's a good idea: stereo->mono, then 3.5mm->1/4". Gets rid of this "half-in/half-out" nonsense, anyway. But that's two adaptors rather than one, and I'm trying to get away from using any adaptors if I can: the fewer wobbly connections, the better!

butterfingersbeck wrote:
Wurlitzer 200A electric piano

Very nice, sir - I'm a big fan of the Wurlie! Lovely playing on "The Morning After", if you don't mind me saying

butterfingersbeck wrote:
To prevent it from slipping or falling off, I use a square silicone rubber mat that I got in the kitchenware section of my local 99p shop

That's a good idea; my situation is slightly different though. Mostly I play guitar live, so when I switch to stylo I'll be standing up (with the guitar slung behind my back) holding the S1 in my left hand and the stylus in my right. Which means I run the risk of nudging any adaptors sticking out of the S1's headphone jack with my LH. So I want the connections to be as solid and reliable as possible.

butterfingersbeck wrote:
You can hear my Stylophone in action with The Skanx at www.208records.co.uk/skanx.html , on the song "Czech Mate".

Nice track!

(...)

The way I see it, I have two options:

1. Either I use adaptors as you suggest, and gaffa tape them together for security.

2. ...Or I make up a special lead.

I might try both and see which works best.

Anyone care to comment on my wiring? I'm not great at this stuff, so it's perfectly possible I've got it wrong.

(Off-topic. Note to Dubreq, if they're listening. How about the following features for such a model:

- mono 1/4" jack output
- lo/mid/hi octave selector
- basic tone control (a simple lo-pass filter would do)
- maybe a non-hardwired lead for the stylus (it's probably the weakest point of the design, physically. The ability to easily replace a broken stylus or stylus lead by simply unplugging the dead one and plugging in a replacement would be cool)
I've just noticed the "Any feature requests for new stylophones?" thread; I guess this ^ belongs there...

It occurs to me that the ideal situation is probably to make up a special lead with an angled 3.5mm stereo plug wired to a mono 6.3mm (quarter-inch) plug using good quality guitar cable. The inner (signal) wire should go to the tip of each plug and the earth (ground, shield, outer, mesh) to the sleeve (shaft) of each plug, leaving the ring of the stereo plug unused. Once plugged in, the lead itself can be gaffa-taped to the body of the Stylophone.

You know - I may even make one up myself.

Postscript:

2 days after making up a 3.5mm stereo -> 6.3mm mono lead I found one online: LYNX make them in a variety of lengths, and they're available from audiospares via amazon.co.uk; see here. (No right-angled plug, BTW).

butterfingersbeck wrote:
I use a stereo headphone splitter (stereo 3.5mm plug to two mono 3.5mm sockets) and take the output from one side to a (3.5mm plug-to-6.3mm socket) mono "barrel" adapter. It's not ideal, but you can then use a standard guitar lead to your amp. Both adapters cost a couple of quid from Maplin [...]

If you're interested, CablesToGo (also available via amazon) do a single adaptor that'll do the same job as those two i.e. a 3.5mm stereo male to 6.3mm mono female adaptor; AFAICT Maplin don't sell one.

Thanks for your help before, butterfingers