Column 2

　In Column 2, we asked Mr. Okuno about his views as to what professionals seek from cables in terms of durability and functionality based on his contacts with various musicians on the music scene and through his deepening of exchanges with high-level technicians involved in the music business.
3：A "quality" point of view

Mr. Okuno：We were influenced by musicians in various ways and I have learned a lot from them. In my case, in particular, I was greatly influenced by Yuji Toriyama. While I was working with the Bradshaw system, I noted that technicians listened very seriously to the opinions of Mr. Toriyama with regard to sound quality, noise, etc., produced by cables. From this, I strongly came to feel that various factors were involved in determining good or bad quality cables. Later on, meeting Pete Cornish also greatly influenced my views. The cables he created have qualities that can endure under virtually any condition or any environment encountered on a world tour. His cables not only maintain good sound quality, but the cables themselves manage to reinforce the sound without affecting other factors involved in producing the sound. Seeing his cables had a profound affect on my idea of how cables should be created.
　Through listening to various opinions from people involved in the actual music scene a wide variety of characteristics were incorporated into Providence cables. Among these, one that stands out as a revolutionary idea is the "L-plug with its original, unique angular structure".

Mr. Okuno：The idea (for the L-plug) had been employed since we began creating cables under the brand name of "Live Wire". In connection with development of cables, the very basics of designing plugs is to realize durability and provide a secure fitting with a jack which serves as a contact. While examining various ideas, we found out that wah-wah pedals having a trapezoid shape when viewed from the top are the most popular. And, in the case of the L-plug, we also found out that it could not always be fully inserted to the end of a jack depending on cap length or angle. When we brought the matter up with the manufacturer of L-plugs for Providence, he suggested "why not change the angle of the L-plug?"
　Up to this point we had never even imagined that the plug angle could be changed, but, I said, "Alright, let's get busy and create some samples!" And, one of the samples we made was a perfect fit for the wah-wah pedal. However, when we tried using an L-plug with an effector having a square-shaped chassis, instead of a trapezoid shape, we found that vertical pressure could not be effectively applied if the L-plug was at a right-angle. Thus, the pressure that was applied when we tried to remove it caused the jack to bend which, in turn, weakened the spring for the jack contact. However, we found that by slanting the angle of the plug slightly, the pressure applied by the fingers holding the cap was changed, which allowed it to be applied at a more perpendicular angle. Using this method, the plug could be inserted or removed without causing damage to the jack or to the plug itself. Based on this, we filed a utility model patent application for the L-shape plug with its unique angular structure.
●Original Providence L-shape plug with unique angular structure (utility model)

4：Future prospects of Providence

　In conclusion, we asked Mr. Okuno about future product development prospects from Providence as a leader in the industry and as a company producing products that meet the standards for mainstream guitars, effectors and amplifiers.
Mr. Okuno：We wanted to offer products that would meet the requirements of the music scene on various levels as much as possible. Fourteen years have passed since we began marketing the products under the "Live Wire" brand name and more than 20 years since I first got involved with cables. During these years, the trends in music have changed and diversified. The needs of musicians have further diversified and our first three models cannot keep up with such diversifications. Under such circumstances, we have made it one of our goals to develop cables which match the requirements of providing the right sounds to match the requirements of various aspects of the world of music. Of course, Providence cables can be used in virtually any situation, whether it be for live concerts or recording sessions. However, in order to allow for the development of better cables I would like to further expand the possibility for use of our products from a wide variety of angles.
　The ideal goals pursued by Providence have yet to be achieved. Perhaps we have reached the foundation for such goals, but we still have to return to the start line. It is our goal to uphold the Providence brand name, even 100 years from now. Essentially, our idea of the basics of a "brand" name means to produce reliable gear that can be used, regardless of the era we live in. Not that a brand name in itself should be able to carry a product by itself, but it should be capable of naturally carrying forward and to live on as a result of producing realizable gear that meets the needs of the time.
As individuals, we may live for a few more decades at most, but our music continues to live on. Although generations change, the gear required for music will most likely live on as well, with perhaps slight modifications added. Even 100 years from now when we have all moved on, I hope that the image of Providence will continue to live on as a "reliable brand of musical gear" for all those involved in music. Cables, switches and effectors, of course, will change flexibly to meet the needs of the music scene of the time, thus no fixed goals can be set for such musical gear. However, even as music gear changes with the times, the philosophy of Providence is one of moving forward and providing top notch music gear to aid musicians in focusing on their performance without feeling unneeded stress. Although our philosophy will remain unchanged, the requirements of music gear will need to keep up with the trends of the day. These are some of the things I would like to see Providence achieve as a brand that originated in Japan.