Belkin BreakFree adds magnetic breakaway connector to your guitar cable

From all the coffee shop musicians here at Engadget, we'd like to sincerely thank Belkin for producing this marvelous device. For the rest of us who run around on stage like madmen, we have our doubts about how well this will work. Nevertheless, the BreakFree Connectors were designed to add a magnetic breakaway point in your 1/4-inch cable, meaning that things will simply snap away if too much pressure is applied. Sure, this could save you a mint in shredded cable costs, but we'd venture to say that only the calmer performers in attendance will really find it useful. Snatch (gently, of course) the BreakFree this September for $19.99 and grab a few extra tips for $9.99 per pair.

[Via Coolest-Gadgets]

[Alan @ Jul 22nd 2008 5:06PM]

Can I say inspired by Magsafe?

[Tom @ Jul 22nd 2008 5:32PM]

Magsafe was "inspired" (read: borrowed, then tried to patent) by deep-fryers. And the safety feature on those was inspired by third-degree burn victims.

So it is much more appropriate (and badass) to say that this product was inspired by people with little-to-no skin.

[LarryLarryLarry @ Jul 22nd 2008 6:50PM]

Either the jack-plug connection is stronger, or the magnet connection is stronger.

If the magnet connection is stronger, you accomplish nothing. If the jack-plug connection is stronger, then you get disconnected MORE EASILY than before. That's not acceptable.

Loop your cord through your strap and there is zero stress on the jack-plug combo. This isn't the stupidest gadget ever, but it's in the running.

[Wayne @ Jul 22nd 2008 7:12PM]

Amen, LarryLarryLarry.

[John @ Jul 22nd 2008 7:22PM]

There's something very...clitoral...about that image.

[sockatume @ Jul 22nd 2008 7:55PM]

Larry: It's not as simple as that. The connection for a jack plug is pretty firm in one particular direction, and attempting to remove the plug by pulling in any other direction results in equipment/self damage. By contrast, you can pull a magnetic connector off in pretty much any direction with the same amount of force.

[sockatume @ Jul 22nd 2008 7:59PM]

(Also there's not just the question of damaging the cable/guitar/amp through stress, there's the problem of gormless twits like me running into your guitar cable, getting snagged, and sending us both offstage like a couple of mountain climbers having a bad day. So if you work with fools, y'know, this could be useful.)

[monkfishbandana @ Jul 22nd 2008 8:09PM]

With all of this complaining about it coming out too easily, it's there to reduce cable strain and from tearing down your stack...

...so has no-one thought, not for one moment, that this doesn't have to be connected to the instrument end of things - and that it could in fact be connected to the equipment itself?

[joe @ Jul 22nd 2008 9:41PM]

not really; seeing as they copied this from a dimarzio/planet waves product several years ago...

I do give them props for building it as GO between, instead of actually replacing your cable... makes it slighlty more interesting. but then again if its really a concern get a longer cable or go wireless.. seems sorta like a solution to a non problem. and yes I am a guitar player

[TrentHaraku @ Jul 23rd 2008 8:02AM]

Stupid. Magsafe didn't inspire this. This kind of cable has been a round for a long time. Thinkgeek.com has had a 1/8 inch cable for a long time that breaks away like this one does.

[who? @ Jul 22nd 2008 5:09PM]

MagSafe 4 guitars! Neat idea!!!

[Krush @ Jul 22nd 2008 6:20PM]

Belkin trying to make up the money it lost on being unable to sell its $20 iPhone headhphone adapter with the 3g model. Here - take my money Belkin - share some with Monster cable - they looks to loosing out on HDMI "Ultra" cables.

[liquidat0r @ Jul 22nd 2008 5:09PM]

Cool, but I've never liked Belkin though.

[Kunal @ Jul 22nd 2008 5:57PM]

Belkin never really liked you either, they were just pretending.

[retro77 @ Jul 22nd 2008 6:54PM]

Belkin called, they want their toothbrush back.....

[Mike Cornett @ Jul 22nd 2008 5:10PM]

Not sure how well I'd like this, being a guitar player...The extra lead will detract from the tone, not to mention magnets near pickups never work well...and the whole stepping on a cable and having it pop out in the middle of a song...not cool.

[Zak @ Jul 22nd 2008 5:15PM]

Er - if you step on a cable in the middle of a song, doesn't it pop out anyway? I believe the point is to avoid damage to the cable., not to provide some "un-poppable" solution. Same with Apple's mag-safe adapters.

[jodosh @ Jul 22nd 2008 5:23PM]

@Zak

The mag connector on my mac book pops out with far less pressure than a normal connector would. It pops out with far less pressure than would cause any damage to the computer (by design.) In the world of laptops, that is fine, temporary interruptions in a power source will not shut the computer down, but if this cable comes out in the middle of a song...

[YpoCaramel @ Jul 22nd 2008 5:28PM]

Well, if people never trip over your guitar cables, then don't worry.

Still, when people tripped over my Macbook Pro's maglite cable, it just kind of broke free. With a normal cable, tripping might drag the notebook with it, basically wrecking it. Still, I figure a guitar is tougher than a notebook, but still.

[Jeff @ Jul 22nd 2008 5:41PM]

The extra connection is not gonna "detract from your tone". Come on, you're a guitarist. There are a million other things that are going to affect your tone before this thing will. Amp, amp settings, pickups, pots, switches, internal wiring, strings, effects, etc. How many pedals do you use? You ever see the setup Kevin Shields uses? About 20 different pedals running at once. Ditto for David Gilmour. You think those extra connections "detract from their tone"?

[Zak @ Jul 22nd 2008 5:53PM]

Jodosh - That was sort of my point. If you're using a normal cable and you step on it in the middle of a song, doesn't it pop out anyway? I've seen it happen. So if the cable is going to pop out either way, the mag connector cable will at least prevent damage to the cable.

[Mike Cornett @ Jul 22nd 2008 5:54PM]

@Jeff

Since you mentioned David Gilmour, have you taken a look at his setup, or read an article on it? Tube buffers in between each pedal because of sound loss...Cables? Solid single conductor 18AWG copper...I use the same cables....stiff.

I'm a guitarist, and a big tone freak. Pedals? One, maybe two in the signal at once...I use a tube buffer to take back the tone and gain loss. Tube buffered effects loop hosts a reverb and delay. Only thing I usually use in front is a tube overdrive made by the amp's creator, Chris Siegmund. Sometimes I'll throw in an envelope filter and/or octave divider, but when not in use, they aren't in the chain. Every lead will detract from tone, especially if you're using solid core, single conductor cable, and the you have a dinky magnet connector in front of that...

It's a well known fact that every variable potentiometer (resistor), and every capacitor effects tone...Just as every foot switch, and every lead connector. I've spend countless hours w/ my amp's designer and know these things first hand.

[Mike Cornett @ Jul 22nd 2008 5:56PM]

@Zak

Not really...Wrap it through your guitar strap and you shouldn't have a stepping problem...You aren't going to damage your cable by getting it ripped outa the jack...You'll damage your cable by having it bent from a chair sitting on it, or someone with heavy boots stomping on it. If your cables have proper heatshrink tubing, the cable itself won't rip from the lead.

[Taylor @ Jul 22nd 2008 5:58PM]

The real advantage to this is so you never have to replace the 1/4" female plug in the guitar.

An extra connection in the line will add less noise than a used and abused plug. Its the same reason you use a patchbay on expensive mixers.

[Mike Cornett @ Jul 22nd 2008 6:02PM]

@Taylor

Not quite...Reason you use a patchbay on 'expensive mixers' or typical mixing desks/consoles is because you've got 10 different rackmount pre's & compressors, and 48+ channels of audio...It's for practical reasons of not having to plug everything in by hand just to use a channel of a particular pre, etc.

[Jake @ Jul 22nd 2008 7:03PM]

Dear Mike, how do i put this..... have you been a "guitar player" for one day? I tend to refer to myself as a guitarist, but whatever works i guess, also, if you are a "guitar player" you might have heard of "Taylor" guitars, and they make some of the best acoustics in the world, and there pick ups.... ARE MAGNETIC PICK UPS! Thats how they do it now-a-days. so this would not affect sound, it works perfectly fine. Truthfully i would never buy one, why not just buy a wire less, not have to worry about breaking your guitar's output jack, which is what I'm sure thats what their going for here, chords, are cheap, guitars are not...

[LarryLarryLarry @ Jul 22nd 2008 6:46PM]

Either the magnet connection is weaker, or the plug-jack combo is weaker.

If your magnet is weaker, then you lose connection MORE EASILY than before. Not acceptable.

If your plug-jack combo is weaker, the magnet doesn't do anything.

Put your normal cord through your guitar strap and there is zero-stress at the plug-jack combo. No lost connection, even if you step on your cord while running and yank yourself to the ground.

This isn't the stupidest gadget ever, but it's on the list.

[Benson @ Jul 22nd 2008 7:12PM]

Wow. Impressive how much some artist types think they know about engineering topics.

For my part, as an E.E., I'm fully aware of my artistic shortcomings. But they say ignorance is bliss, I guess...

[Mike Cornett @ Jul 22nd 2008 7:16PM]

@Jake

My friend you are making yourself out to be an idiot with a response like that...Of course pickups are magnetic...and what does that have anything to do with Taylor guitars? All pickups are electromagnetic, with the exception of piezzo. That's precisely my point...other magnetic interference so close to the pickups could become a problem...try putting a magnet up to your pickups when you are plugged in...see if you don't hear a difference....

I've never heard of breaking your output jack...and even if a miracle happened and your output jack broke...that puts you back $1 with an easy solder...compared to $20 for this tone losing device...

[Alaw @ Jul 22nd 2008 9:05PM]

@Jake:

I enjoy talking about things that I have no knowledge of whatsoever as well, but in this case, I know quite a bit about the workings of a guitar and the tone associated with them. You sir, are a jackass.

[MoonMan @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:04AM]

Wow, Jake pwned himself.

disclaimer: sorry, I don't tend to use the term "pwned", but after reading what Jake wrote, nothing else comes to mind but him getting pwned by himself.

[Rob @ Jul 22nd 2008 5:11PM]

I'm not sure how practical this would be in the real world. Nice concept though.

[Samboini @ Jul 22nd 2008 5:25PM]

Rock out with your cock out. That's my motto. So it won't save my leads.

[natty @ Jul 22nd 2008 5:36PM]

Uhhh zzyzx snap jack cables do this and are used by lots of professional musicians. Pretty much everyone saying this and that about magnets and pickups and uselessness have evidently never been in a touring band.

[yode @ Jul 22nd 2008 5:12PM]

Cool idea, won't work in real world situations though.

[Vernon de Thierry @ Jul 22nd 2008 5:12PM]

Well at least if you have a break away at both ends. You can always do some skipping when you get sick of shredding.

[IT-Accountant @ Jul 22nd 2008 5:12PM]

just get a wireless unit!

[Billly @ Jul 22nd 2008 5:17PM]

Wireless setups have never worked right for me. There's always some kind of interference and having to clip the transmitter to my person is somewhat unwieldy. This breakaway cable doesnt seem to be worth it either. I think I'll stick to buying 25ft cables and securing them behind my guitar strap. I've never had a problem with that method.

[d @ Jul 22nd 2008 5:24PM]

That, and they're flipping expensive. Not for the starving artist.
And I don't thing a mag cable would work either. How embarrassing would it be to accidentally unplug in the middle of a gig? I'll keep my normal cord, personally.

[Tom @ Jul 22nd 2008 5:35PM]

I agree, just go wireless. And for those who are 'starving artists' and can't afford a quality wireless setup, I wouldn't recommend running around and dancing with your guitars to begin with - that's how expensive accidents happen.

[digitallysick @ Jul 22nd 2008 5:12PM]

Excellent idea, but belkin products are absolute junk, very low quality. I think those that have bought computer/ipod accessories by belkin know.

[andi @ Jul 22nd 2008 5:22PM]

I have a belkin n1 vision router, and I love it. Never had problems with it either...

[Andrew Kim @ Jul 22nd 2008 5:14PM]

i can see this working for people that play guitars at home, but playing with the magnetic breakaway connector live would probably cause serious issues.

1) Your not always standing in one place
2) The stupid thing unplugs on you while your playing you're SCREWED!!!

seriously, a nifty gadget to have for day to day guitar playing at home, but not for live performers.

but then again, if you keep that things stuck in a guitar.. that might drain all your power if you use a battery... -_-

[Vendrix @ Jul 22nd 2008 5:18PM]

I do live shows and I have to say, I wouldn't use this. When I move around and rock out, I'm sure this thing will snap out fast. I agree with IT though, just get a wireless one. Works wonders live.

[Josh @ Jul 22nd 2008 5:20PM]

definitely very useful for practice, bedrooms, etc. but an absolute no for any performance

ill be getting one

[dustinlikewhat @ Jul 22nd 2008 5:21PM]

junk. every time you make a new point of connection you lose 3 dB of signal, which helps bring up your noise floor when you turn the volume knob up to compensate. you're looking at 6dB just from this little contraption, not to mention the nominal 6dB from the cable, totaling out to 12dB of loss, right there you've more than cut your signal's perceived volume in half.

[Joe Dombrowski @ Jul 22nd 2008 5:40PM]

Don't know where you're getting your info, but the 3dB drop is only the result of a split. Otherwise, no one would use external equipment or patch bays in the recording chain. (My degree is in recording engineering)

[whatishalo? @ Jul 22nd 2008 5:23PM]

Check out this tasty lick: Bweeew Reeeee Yaaaa....klunk...buzzzzzzzz

[tb @ Jul 22nd 2008 5:24PM]

at last!
hope the usb/firewire ones come soon, i'd stop destroying my laptop ports with the damn USB cables

[Fred @ Jul 22nd 2008 5:33PM]

It'd be nice if you're one of those folks that switch instruments a lot.