Topic: What is the proper name for a MADI cable?

I am shopping on Amazon for some 10-15 foot MADI cables for my MADIface and I want to make sure I purchase the right type. What is the proper name for them, because when I type MADI cable in, it gives a lot of different options and gets a little confusing.

Re: What is the proper name for a MADI cable?

More information, please.
Which MADI device(s) do you want to connect to the MADIface USB exactly?

An example for chaining devices, see here:
https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.ph … 62#p250362

BR Ramses - HDSPe MADI FX, M-1620 Pro D, 12Mic, UFX III, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, Nuendo 15, Win10 IoT Ent

Re: What is the proper name for a MADI cable?

ramses wrote:

More information, please.
Which MADI device(s) do you want to connect to the MADIface USB exactly?

An example for chaining devices, see here:
https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.ph … 62#p250362

I have the ferrofish pulse mx. just want longer Madi cables for it.

4 (edited by ramses 2026-05-10 19:05:38)

Re: What is the proper name for a MADI cable?

Didn't you read the thread that I quoted?
The information is included even with a link to a shop with a suitable OM4 duplex cable SC to LC as an example:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/1b6xkd2h … w&dl=1
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/1b6xkd2h5jami8ifcwlwv/2026-05-10-Madiface-USB-Ferrofish-Pulse-16-MX-Patch-cable.jpg?rlkey=r2mpfonj6qjz9uqp7q1dix55u&st=hrfisikw&dl=1

You said 10-15 foot, this is 3-4.6 m. So either 3 or 5 m, these are the typical lengths that you get in shops.

I would get a 5 m cable. You can simply wind up the excess length, taking care of minimum bending radii.
You can use the way the cable was coiled when it arrived in the packaging as a guide.

https://www.kabelscheune.de/LWL-Patchka … 4-5-m.html

BR Ramses - HDSPe MADI FX, M-1620 Pro D, 12Mic, UFX III, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, Nuendo 15, Win10 IoT Ent

5 (edited by SpinWorkRecord 2026-05-10 22:51:25)

Re: What is the proper name for a MADI cable?

ramses wrote:

Didn't you read the thread that I quoted?
The information is included even with a link to a shop with a suitable OM4 duplex cable SC to LC as an example:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/1b6xkd2h … w&dl=1
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/1b6xkd2h5jami8ifcwlwv/2026-05-10-Madiface-USB-Ferrofish-Pulse-16-MX-Patch-cable.jpg?rlkey=r2mpfonj6qjz9uqp7q1dix55u&st=hrfisikw&dl=1

You said 10-15 foot, this is 3-4.6 m. So either 3 or 5 m, these are the typical lengths that you get in shops.

I would get a 5 m cable. You can simply wind up the excess length, taking care of minimum bending radii.
You can use the way the cable was coiled when it arrived in the packaging as a guide.

https://www.kabelscheune.de/LWL-Patchka … 4-5-m.html

Thanks, there are a lot of different fiber cables that look similar but don't work with audio, so I just wanted to make sure i got the right one. Taking your advice and going with 5m.

6 (edited by ramses 2026-05-10 23:13:32)

Re: What is the proper name for a MADI cable?

There are no special cables for audio, MADI uses standard components that are also being used in the IT.

What is confusing to everybody who is not familiar with this, that there are

- different types: multi- and single mode which result in different maximum cable length (2 km vs 10 km)

- different evolving standards: OM3 and OM4 are nowadays being used widely for multi-mode

- different connector options
   - the bigger SC connectors on recording interfaces
   - the the smaller LC plugs introduced by SFP modules to achieve a higher port density
     and the possibility to switch between single- and multimode by simply replacing the SFP (the transceiver)
   - and ST plugs quite often found on patch bays

The cables also have their unique color code. Yellow cables are usually for single mode, OM3 aqua, OM4 violet.

Duplex cables have two fibers, for send and transceive.
With MADI you can also chain devices one after the other and back to the recording interface.
For this you can either use simplex cables with only one fiber link to serially chain the devices.
Or you use duplex cables and open the plugs at both cable ends; then you automatically have a 2nd fiber as a spare.

BR Ramses - HDSPe MADI FX, M-1620 Pro D, 12Mic, UFX III, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, Nuendo 15, Win10 IoT Ent

Re: What is the proper name for a MADI cable?

ramses wrote:

There are no special cables for audio, MADI uses standard components that are also being used in the IT.

What is confusing to everybody who is not familiar with this, that there are

- different types: multi- and single mode which result in different maximum cable length (2 km vs 10 km)

- different evolving standards: OM3 and OM4 are nowadays being used widely for multi-mode

- different connector options
   - the bigger SC connectors on recording interfaces
   - the the smaller LC plugs introduced by SFP modules to achieve a higher port density
     and the possibility to switch between single- and multimode by simply replacing the SFP (the transceiver)
   - and ST plugs quite often found on patch bays

The cables also have their unique color code. Yellow cables are usually for single mode, OM3 aqua, OM4 violet.

Duplex cables have two fibers, for send and transceive.
With MADI you can also chain devices one after the other and back to the recording interface.
For this you can either use simplex cables with only one fiber link to serially chain the devices.
Or you use duplex cables and open the plugs at both cable ends; then you automatically have a 2nd fiber as a spare.


Ok, I got these. After some digging I saw that I used the shorter ones closer to my interface and chained 2 Pulses. I am not sure if I am going to do that this time or have them separate in different areas of the studio. I think these should work in either configuration?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B4FY76V?re … e&th=1

Re: What is the proper name for a MADI cable?

A more recent cable standard is OM4.

BR Ramses - HDSPe MADI FX, M-1620 Pro D, 12Mic, UFX III, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, Nuendo 15, Win10 IoT Ent

9 (edited by SpinWorkRecord 2026-05-11 23:38:43)

Re: What is the proper name for a MADI cable?

ramses wrote:

A more recent cable standard is OM4.


Ok, nice I had no idea. I was running the orange cables before.

So these may be a better option?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09JP4M9X6?re … e&th=1

10 (edited by ramses 2026-05-12 08:34:57)

Re: What is the proper name for a MADI cable?

First of all, I am writing you this, so that you have a chance to implement a standard for multimode cables in your premises.

I just learned today - as I wondered that your OM4 cable's color is aqua, not violet - that the US and EU have different color codes for multimode fiber cables!

In the EU we differentiate between OM1-OM5.
In the US you do not seem to differentiate so strictly between OM1+2 and OM3+4.

Additionally
- In the US, there seem to be "historical" exceptions from early installation with OM2
- Some US cable vendors seem to change the color code of OM2 and OM4 to make them easier to distinguish.


https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/2wjo8s0x … u&dl=1
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/2wjo8s0x2hmcjqa9a9c0g/2026-05-12-OM1-5-Color-Codes-Different-Standards-in-US-and-EU.jpg?rlkey=htu7bo5xj60lnclsaslu1xy78&st=6rm01x7u&dl=1



Here you can see that for MADI alone, which has very few bandwidth demands compared to modern computer networks, every multimode cable delivers the same maximum cable length of 2 km.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/cj37y92y … s&dl=1
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/cj37y92yjlwouqdeoldco/2026-05-12-OM1-4-Bandwidth-and-max-cable-length.jpg?rlkey=jqqreop8pu1f3hwtq1ihgd38u&st=vb3vfzzs&dl=1

Therefore, if you use fiber cables only for MADI and nothing else, then you could continue to use / to buy OM1, as you seem to have already some OM1 cable from past purchases for MADI.

But there are other scenarios where it also makes sense to stick to one cable type and to use the latest cable standard for multimode (OM4):
a) if you use structured cables in a house installation and are using patch fields
b) if you intend to use those cables also for your LAN, e.g. to build a 10 Gbit LAN between computers and NAS storage.

The reason for a) is that you may not mix cable types within a connection between two devices.
Important note: If you should have already structured optical house cabling then you are fix to this standard.
Then you need to use the same optical cables also for your patch cables.

The reason for b): if you are completely free then establish one standard for your premises and use OM4.
As the price difference is not high and I prefer to have violet here, as it "sticks out" compared to other colors.

So .. whatever you buy, it will work and make no performance / cable length difference for MADI.

You should only open your mind, what makes most sense to you, either to continue using OM1 (orange)
but which might have the disadvantage, that it has the same color as OM2.
Or that you start from scratch and buy only OM4 to have one standard of your own.
But this makes, IMHO, only sense if you can purchase it in violet.

If you have structured optical cabling with patch fields, then you need to use the multimode cable of your in-house installation.

I am a friend of "standards" that things are easily recognizeable and distinguishable.
And if there is a possibility, then I try to define standards for me and stick to them.

I can't tell what makes more sense to you.
You need to draw the final decision on the type and the color of multimode cable that you want to use for whatever reason.

BR Ramses - HDSPe MADI FX, M-1620 Pro D, 12Mic, UFX III, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, Nuendo 15, Win10 IoT Ent

Re: What is the proper name for a MADI cable?

ramses wrote:

First of all, I am writing you this, so that you have a chance to implement a standard for multimode cables in your premises.

I just learned today - as I wondered that your OM4 cable's color is aqua, not violet - that the US and EU have different color codes for multimode fiber cables!

In the EU we differentiate between OM1-OM5.
In the US you do not seem to differentiate so strictly between OM1+2 and OM3+4.

Additionally
- In the US, there seem to be "historical" exceptions from early installation with OM2
- Some US cable vendors seem to change the color code of OM2 and OM4 to make them easier to distinguish.


https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/2wjo8s0x … u&dl=1
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/2wjo8s0x2hmcjqa9a9c0g/2026-05-12-OM1-5-Color-Codes-Different-Standards-in-US-and-EU.jpg?rlkey=htu7bo5xj60lnclsaslu1xy78&st=6rm01x7u&dl=1



Here you can see that for MADI alone, which has very few bandwidth demands compared to modern computer networks, every multimode cable delivers the same maximum cable length of 2 km.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/cj37y92y … s&dl=1
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/cj37y92yjlwouqdeoldco/2026-05-12-OM1-4-Bandwidth-and-max-cable-length.jpg?rlkey=jqqreop8pu1f3hwtq1ihgd38u&st=vb3vfzzs&dl=1

Therefore, if you use fiber cables only for MADI and nothing else, then you could continue to use / to buy OM1, as you seem to have already some OM1 cable from past purchases for MADI.

But there are other scenarios where it also makes sense to stick to one cable type and to use the latest cable standard for multimode (OM4):
a) if you use structured cables in a house installation and are using patch fields
b) if you intend to use those cables also for your LAN, e.g. to build a 10 Gbit LAN between computers and NAS storage.

The reason for a) is that you may not mix cable types within a connection between two devices.
Important note: If you should have already structured optical house cabling then you are fix to this standard.
Then you need to use the same optical cables also for your patch cables.

The reason for b): if you are completely free then establish one standard for your premises and use OM4.
As the price difference is not high and I prefer to have violet here, as it "sticks out" compared to other colors.

So .. whatever you buy, it will work and make no performance / cable length difference for MADI.

You should only open your mind, what makes most sense to you, either to continue using OM1 (orange)
but which might have the disadvantage, that it has the same color as OM2.
Or that you start from scratch and buy only OM4 to have one standard of your own.
But this makes, IMHO, only sense if you can purchase it in violet.

If you have structured optical cabling with patch fields, then you need to use the multimode cable of your in-house installation.

I am a friend of "standards" that things are easily recognizeable and distinguishable.
And if there is a possibility, then I try to define standards for me and stick to them.

I can't tell what makes more sense to you.
You need to draw the final decision on the type and the color of multimode cable that you want to use for whatever reason.

Appreciate it. That all makes sense. I am able to start over so I think I will stick with the om4 I ordered and return the om1. It could future proof me if I go deeper into the network buildout. For now it’s just my studio but things can change and I’d rather be running on a more modern, robust cable just in case I decide to integrate the netwrok down the road. I also now know that I need SC to LC since the pulse needs one connection and the rme needs another.  It was a little confusing but the info is very helpful and hopefully helps others who come across this.

Re: What is the proper name for a MADI cable?

Perfect, thanks for the positive feedback. Was a little unsure whether this info was welcome or too much.

BR Ramses - HDSPe MADI FX, M-1620 Pro D, 12Mic, UFX III, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, Nuendo 15, Win10 IoT Ent