The standard patch cords delivered with the early
Serge systems were DIY ones with Eazy-Hook screw on banana jacks and test
wire. These were nice because they were much cheaper than the Pomona's,
and could be configured by the user. They were not as rugged, however, but
could be easily repaired.
I've got both kinds of patch cords, and each has
it's own strengths and weaknesses. The
biggest advantage with the Eazy-Hooks was that they did not clutter up the
entire machine with "wire hose" as the Pomona's did, but the thin test wire
could be routed down closed to the panel, even under the knobs so that you could
have access to all the controls on the front panel without having to weave
through a mesh of patch cords. The disadvantage was that you
could not simply start grabbing wires to tear down a patch --you had to remove
the banana jacks by grasping the plastic body, since the Eazy-Hook wire was not
robust enough withstand pulling out the plugs --plus they needed to be kept
rather neat, since long patch cords could get quite tangled up. They were
remarkable rugged, however, if you handled them properly.
Darrel Johansen