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[Caleb Dueck]

In 1987 while designing the system for the nightclub Facade I asked Michael from Whirlwind to build DI's into the snake system. I felt this was the best way to insure they would never get stolen or go "missing". We have since supplied various versions for sound companies, they can be built to order with either standard or Lundahl transformers and to me a no-brainer. Every sound company should have a 6-8 channel DI sub snake to drop by the keyboard rig

Is this much better than rackmounting Radial boxes, and using a standard subsnake?  Or small digital subsnake like AR84, depending on console of course?  Or black box that takes in multiple MIDI controls and outputs audio via Dante?

[Frank DeWitt]

Is this much better than rackmounting Radial boxes, and using a standard subsnake?  Or small digital subsnake like AR84, depending on console of course?  Or black box that takes in multiple MIDI controls and outputs audio via Dante?

I have been reading this with interest.  I build and sell DIs and the second most expensive component is the case.  The questions I have are how would you handle grounds and ground lifts?   The Jensen transformer case ground is separate from the shields.  The shields could be kept separate from channel to channel except at the 1/4 in jacks.  I use Switchcraft J11 because they are rugged and can be adjusted. I really don't like the plastic jacks for a DI or snake.  Just not rugged enough.  Last, would you want individual  ground lift switches?  They could be included with some physical protection.

BTW for keyboards I recommend a small light weight DI and some industrial strength Velcro tape. 
http://www.velcro.com/Products/Adhesive-Backed/Heavy-Duty/Industrial-Strength.aspx
and stick a couple of DI to the back of the keyboard.

[Tim Padrick]

I've yet to find anything that the adhesive-backed Velcro will stay stuck to.

[kristianjohnsen]

Has anyone ever used a drop snake with built in DI box?  In a festival stage, I could see that being very handy for faster band changeovers.

I was searching and came across a couple Whirlwinds that looked close to what I want, but neither was exact.

http://www.tri-tones.net/p-1746-medusa-multisnakes-audio-snake-with-built-in-di-boxes.aspx

The multi-snake 10 is almost exactly what I want.  I love that the input uses a combo jack so it could be XLR or 1/4 DI input.  However, it is missing the through connection that the regular multi-snake has.

What I'd love to have is an 8 channel snake, 8 dual jacks with ground lift on each, and a through connection on the 1/4"

Does this exist?

Some of the Roland digital snake boxes have DI inputs on the last two channels, I believe.

For me, the only way a drop snake with a couple of built-in DIs would make sense is if the snake had all regular XLR runs, and then also had the DI inputs at the bottom next to the DI outputs on XLR chassis connectors.  That way I could just use every input of the snake without the DIs and I could have the DIs on any of the inputs I might wish just by using short XLR patch cords.

An arragement like this would probably have saved me a few times in the past when I have forgotten to bring enough DIs, etc. 

But for regular use, I much prefer ordinary DI-boxes.  Musicians want the DIs in the strangest of locations sometimes, and sometimes one player needs two adjacent-channeled DIs very far apart. 

Also, on a stage with changeovers, I prefer to label and use separate DI's for each band (just like with mics, if I can).  The subsnakes might be repatched and used for different things through the day, and the DIs typically stay "attached" with the backline.

It just makes more sense to run XLRs from the DIs to the subsnake.

[kristianjohnsen]

Plus, with DIs built into the stage boxes, what am I gonna use to prop up monitor wedges? 

[kristianjohnsen]

I've yet to find anything that the adhesive-backed Velcro will stay stuck to.

Almost anything.......................as long as you use pop rivets 


Adhesive-backed velcro might as well be permanently removed from the face of the Earth (and it would come off really easily, too     ):  I have yet to experience a case where the velcro for all practical functionality was, in fact, just a piece of double-sided tape.  First use, and one side comes off!  The Velcro always seems to be stronger than the glue!

[David Kaiser]

Almost anything.......................as long as you use pop rivets 


Adhesive-backed velcro might as well be permanently removed from the face of the Earth (and it would come off really easily, too     ):  I have yet to experience a case where the velcro for all practical functionality was, in fact, just a piece of double-sided tape.  First use, and one side comes off!  The Velcro always seems to be stronger than the glue!

I do have to take minor exception to this. I have a Mackie 1202 VLZ4 mounted to a raxxess sliding rack shelf in my 6 space case and it often goes vertical during transport. I have been doing this  for 6 years now and the mixer has never fallen off of the shelf. I have mounted it with both Industrial Velcro, in the past, and currently with 3M Dual Lock adhesive strips. I switched because the 3M was more readily available. The velcro worked very well for me on my old Mackie 1202VLZ. It took some decent pull to remove the mixer off of the shelf when I needed to adjust position or repatch. I also use Industrial Velcro to Mount the Studiomaster 42DCXLR compact mixer to my Anchor speakers. It has done very well there also.

[Mark McFarlane]

...!  The Velcro always seems to be stronger than the glue!

This has generally been my experience also if you use something like 4 sq inches of the industrial velcro the velcro bond is very strong. 

It doesn't mean the glue is not strong, it is strong also.  I have gotten around this problem sometimes by making one side (usually the loop side of velcro) about 1/3 of the surface area of the other soft side, and keep the pieces small so you don't have too much velcro touching velcro. This has worked well for low weight setups, for example, temporarily sticking a WAP on top of a rack case where the weight is carried by the rack, the velcro is just there to keep the WAP from falling off or rotating when bumped.

[ProSoundWeb Community]