okay, I'm new to audio and live sound so bear with me.

just a silly question about the difference and use between balanced and unbalanced cables.

since balanced cables reject noise, why not everything be connected using balanced cables instead of unbalanced ones?

I just recently bought an old Yamaha RM 2408 board that I just realized has all unbalanced outputs. I want to go to a patchbay from the board but I'm not sure if I should get tranformers for every output to switch to balanced or if it matters .

I'm eventually going into a digi 002.

There's also a patchbaybuilt into the board with Aux sends/returns and Inserts. All unbalanced.

Topic... and why?

Shouldn't I be ok as long as all my equipment is plugged into the same power source (which it is)?

...

I've got to run a preamp into an umbalanced reel-to-reel recorder that has XLR ins and outs. The preamp has a balanced out, but it also has an unblanced 1/4" TRS out. What am I better off doing, getting some sort of DI box/transformer, or just getting a 1/4" to XLR unbalanced adapter? I don't really get much of this, I'm new to all this.

I have the following components in my studio:
*) Yamaha digital piano and various synth modules (unbalanced outs - RCA/phone jack)
*) Nakamichi tape deck (unbalanced ins/outs - RCA/phone jack)
*) MOTU 828mkII audio interface (balanced ins/outs - TRS - says to also accept unbalanced)

Kev, this may be one for you.. you seem like an electronicsy type guy.

I'm building a monitor switch so a can choose between input from a CD player or DAW, and output to either Monitors (powered) or headphone amp...

I have just purchased a second hand Laxicon Lxp-1 which is my first external processor. I have a soundcard with 8 ins & 8 outs (balanced).
The Lxp-1 is unbalanced. All inputs/outputs are jack leads

What is the difference in unbalanced & balanced and are there unbalanced/balanced leads, or does this just mean stereo or mono jack leads.

Hi all,
I'm wondering about the old Sennheiser MKH-110 (omni). On paper it has an astonishing bass reponse, and I've heard it on some nature recordings and it appears to sound pretty good (but not as good as MKH20 in the same setting).

Sorry if this is not the best place to post this one, but it seemed the most relavent.

I have a budget mic, which uses a mono (unbalanced) jack connector.

It's a PZM mic with a battery compartment.