Richard Lainhart on Cables, and his Buchla 200e Master Performance Patch

via Richard Lainhart on the Plan b list regarding Markertek cables:

"I use those cables with my 200e system, and I love them, although I don't think they're for everyone. Markertek makes them themselves to order, and I've never had a problem with the build quality (bad jacks, loose solder joints, etc.), and I've purchased over 50 of them. I'd purchased many cables from them in the past for my former job, and found the Switchcraft jacks and double-shield, double-lead format to be really reliable and clean. I got them for my system primarily for the color variety, because I've found that it makes it easier to trace the signal paths in complex patches, but I do appreciate the quality standards Markertek adheres to. Do those standards really make a difference in the signal quality in a modular synth? I don't know; I'm not sure I could hear the difference between these and other decent-quality cables, but I'm happy with them.

There is one drawback with these, though, and that's the size of the jacks and the thickness of the cables. Both are much greater than the original cables that shipped with the 200e, and as a result, the front panel tends to get more obscured in a complex patch. Here's the state of my current master performance patch:

http://www.otownmedia.com/Current_Master_Patch.jpg

It's gotten pretty dense over time, and you'll notice that in some places, particularly the lower left, the cable density is such that it's getting hard to get at the knobs. Thinner cables and smaller jacks would make that easier. But for me at least, the build quality and color selection make them worth it."