Why on earth would you want a 6-pin Din?

[nevetslab]

While I was in the 'basement' of the Vox V1143 Beatle Preamp, changing out the eight axial lead 55 yr old electrolytic caps, I noticed the 6-pin DIN connector in the line of the rest of the pots on that area of the preamp, and I thought for a moment I saw a kluged bunch of connector pins on the 6-pin female Foot Pedal connector joined together. I'd have to look closer at that, and went on desoldering and cursing at the pile of stranded wires wrapped around intertwined with the capacitor leads. Thought to myself, I need to stop at my other shop to pick up a 6-pin male DIN connector.

I drove past CenterStaging and up the street to Pacific Radio who supplies the film, broadcast and pro audio industry in Hollywood/Burbank expecting to be able to buy a new male 6-pin connector. All they had was 5-pin DIN. I asked the clerk who just happened to appear down the aisle from me if they carried anything but 5-pin DIN. NOPE. No call for it, so we don't inventory it. Stupid question. So, got back into my car and completed the short trip to my other shop to find what I hoped was there. Lots of 7-pin and 8-pin DIN (used in interfacing Bruel & Kjaer gear), but...NO 6-pin DIN. Rats. Drove back here, one last hope...the 'ol' kitchen drawer in my tool chest. 8 pin and 3-pin DIN, no 6-pin DIN.

Checked with our Guitar dept, thinking I had seen an odd Vox pedal that didn't match any of our rental gear, but none to be found. We did find a Mesa Triple Crown pedal & it's 6-pin DIN cable. No help, really, as there's a circuit board inside the pedal, and I can't cannibalize that for this project, only needing it for testing.

Checked with our keyboard dept, knowing the answer in advance. Loads of 5-pin DIN....MIDI. 6-pin??!! Why on earth? 55 yr old amp uses it for pedal.

So, once again, fork out shipping fee to one of the carriers to cover buying a couple 6-pin DIN connectors to mate with this amp. I looked closer at the back side of the preamp's connector, and it was just sloppy wiring I saw....all 7 pins were discrete....7th pin NOT a pin on the connector....connector shell contact. Sigh............

[Leo_Gnardo]

So, once again, fork out shipping fee to one of the carriers to cover buying a couple 6-pin DIN connectors to mate with this amp.

None at Studio Supply?

I had to fix a Peavey amp with 6-pin DIN connector for the foot pedal. Mouser had 'em. Not especially cheap, IIRC about $6-7 for the plug. In its defense, it was a sturdy metal plug, not some cheapie plastic thing.

[Jon Snell]

There are many DIN connectors, widely used in older stuff, especially Hi Fi.

We now use XLR connectors.

https://www.neutrik.com/en/neutrik/p...ectors?c=audio

[Leo_Gnardo]

There are many DIN connectors, widely used in older stuff, especially Hi Fi.

Indeed, I have a QUAD preamp & FM tuner that use 5 pin DIN interconnects. Only one DIN to RCA-plug breakout though. FM tuner has been in constant use over 25 years, pulls in a lot of stations with my primitive antenna, sounds terrific. Had to guess which plugs on the breakout were L & R, apparently another is mono & can't figure out what the 4th one's for. (Note to those unfamiliar with the brands, QUAD is/was a British quality hi fi manufacturer. The tuner is not "quad"rophonic.)

[nevetslab]

Having found the Switchcraft 12BL6MX male 6-pin DIN at Mouser @ $8.77 ea, I was going to buy those. I checked to see what Pacific Radio had in way of control cable. They had some 10-cond 22AWG at $2.21/ft, then found Belden 9421 8-cond 22AWG there for $1.77/ft, so I drove back to my other shop to pick up the tiny gold plated Arrow-Hart SPDT toggle switches, and while rummaging thru my desk drawer for those, I found a pair of new-in-the-bag Male 6-pin DIN connectors, metal shell (no mfgr mark, but quality connectors). Dug out a small cast Bud box suitable for making the control box, so this only cost me about $10 for the cable out of pocket today. Don't remember what I paid for those DIN connectors...probably an ebay purchase. So, that sourcing task is over.

On the Adhesive for bonding the foam rubber to that perf plate for the Reverb Locking function.....that White Wood Glue actually held just fine...went to peel it off, and it didn't want to budge. Great! One less task to complete.

[drewl]

Yeah, it's a shame they weren't standardized like midi, and how many Peavey amps with wonderful features from din connectors don't have the foot switch.

But the odd connectors are available, and I've made several foot switches so people can use them.

I lucked out at work as cell site antenna motors use a few different din connectors and cables I grab from de-commisioned gear headed for the trash.

[glebert]

I am working on a footswitch for a Peavey Artist VT which uses a 6 pin DIN connector. I got two males and two females for about $7 shipped on Amazon Prime.

[Enzo]

Hard to standardize connectors when the FS features are not standardized. We could use actual MIDI protocol, but then you'd have to have a small logic circuit inside the amp and in the FS.

I like the clever Fender arrangement that lets a five button switch communicate through a simple guitar cord.

[drewl]

Yeah, those amps were all made before midi cords.

I didn't mean the midi protocols, just a standard for basic din connector switching.

[The Dude]

I'm betting, at least in some cases, the 6 pin DIN was used for footswitch connection so that you couldn't plug into the wrong jack when there was also MIDI I/O available.

[Enzo]

MIDI is 5 pin 180 degree DIN. There are also 5 pin DIN plugs that are 270 degree.