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[Mark Scrivener]

Solutions to send 4 XLR audio signals over a shielded CAT 5e/6/7 are east to find or even DIY....but how durable is ethercon cable when using this for sub snakes in live productions?

I'm sure many folks use sub snakes to clean up the stage wiring and to reduce setup and strike time. But even 4/6/8 ch analog snakes are bulky and take time to build. The ethercon adapters seem like a nice solution - the cable is much smaller and easy to terminate so you can quickly create 4ch sub snakes for any length you need. But is it as durable as a traditional analog snake? Seems like most folks are using these to take advantage of installed wiring in facilities. Does the stranded, shielded, heavy duty stuff hold up to repeated deployments? Obviously it does in digital applications, but what about analog use?

[Erik Jerde]

Solutions to send 4 XLR audio signals over a shielded CAT 5e/6/7 are east to find or even DIY....but how durable is ethercon cable when using this for sub snakes in live productions?

I'm sure many folks use sub snakes to clean up the stage wiring and to reduce setup and strike time. But even 4/6/8 ch analog snakes are bulky and take time to build. The ethercon adapters seem like a nice solution - the cable is much smaller and easy to terminate so you can quickly create 4ch sub snakes for any length you need. But is it as durable as a traditional analog snake? Seems like most folks are using these to take advantage of installed wiring in facilities. Does the stranded, shielded, heavy duty stuff hold up to repeated deployments? Obviously it does in digital applications, but what about analog use?

The physical durability will be the same in analog as in digital usage.  However, unlike digital, analog is likely to get something through if the cable is compromised where digital will do nothing (if you’re lucky) or blow up your PA with terrible noise (if you’re unlucky).  I’d actually be less concerned in an analog setup with quality stage-ready tactical catx cable than I would with a digital snake application.  The worst is you loose a channel and have to work around it.  Everyone old enough is familiar with that on analog setups.  You also don’t have the distance issues that a digital snake has.  If having a real soft supple cable is important you can run stranded for distances that you wouldn’t with a digital snake.

[Al Rettich]

On one of my rigs, I’m using two of the CAT systems to feed my PA. One system carries AES, the other analogue back up.  It’s been stable for the four and a half months I’ve been using them.  I also, have some that I use as return snakes for hardwired in ear monitors. 

Solutions to send 4 XLR audio signals over a shielded CAT 5e/6/7 are east to find or even DIY....but how durable is ethercon cable when using this for sub snakes in live productions?

I'm sure many folks use sub snakes to clean up the stage wiring and to reduce setup and strike time. But even 4/6/8 ch analog snakes are bulky and take time to build. The ethercon adapters seem like a nice solution - the cable is much smaller and easy to terminate so you can quickly create 4ch sub snakes for any length you need. But is it as durable as a traditional analog snake? Seems like most folks are using these to take advantage of installed wiring in facilities. Does the stranded, shielded, heavy duty stuff hold up to repeated deployments? Obviously it does in digital applications, but what about analog use?

[Dan Richardson]

Solutions to send 4 XLR audio signals over a shielded CAT 5e/6/7 are east to find or even DIY....but how durable is ethercon cable when using this for sub snakes in live productions?

Beware the discount versions. I ended up replacing the jacks on 2 sets with actual Neutrik ethercons, because the knockoffs were all intermittent. Fortunately they'd gotten the pinout spacing correctly.

[Matthias McCready]

Solutions to send 4 XLR audio signals over a shielded CAT 5e/6/7 are east to find or even DIY....but how durable is ethercon cable when using this for sub snakes in live productions?

I'm sure many folks use sub snakes to clean up the stage wiring and to reduce setup and strike time. But even 4/6/8 ch analog snakes are bulky and take time to build. The ethercon adapters seem like a nice solution - the cable is much smaller and easy to terminate so you can quickly create 4ch sub snakes for any length you need. But is it as durable as a traditional analog snake? Seems like most folks are using these to take advantage of installed wiring in facilities. Does the stranded, shielded, heavy duty stuff hold up to repeated deployments? Obviously it does in digital applications, but what about analog use?

I have Dave Rat's breakouts. Have had them for about 2 years, and they work great. Have been able to take advantage of installed cable, or have been able to get multiple channels some place with minimal cabling.

As far as cable durability is concerned; I think that comes down to a good quality cable. All of my cables are "tactical grade" with neutrik connectors. Same quality cable I use for the stage boxes etc. By any means it is not cheap, but haven't had any problems yet.

[Jason Raboin]

We don't use them for subsnakes, but we have moved our return systems to cat. 6 with Link "Widgets".
They're very convenient but I don't love that in the end it's a plastic connector.  We always have spare lines.

[Luke Geis]

I built a couple myself and so far ( two years ) they have been an absolute godsend. I was able to make my own for about $35 each with stuff you can find readily on eBay. You can probably buy a pre-made one and exchange the ends for real stuff for almost the same cost these days? I already had a stash of Neutrik ends so that cost was sort or already absorbed.

[Brian Jojade]

I’ve had a few for several years. No issues so far. The key though is keeping the RJ45 in good shape and clean and dry. It’s nowhere near as rugged as an XLR.

[Martin Morris]

Solutions to send 4 XLR audio signals over a shielded CAT 5e/6/7 are east to find or even DIY....but how durable is ethercon cable when using this for sub snakes in live productions?

I'm sure many folks use sub snakes to clean up the stage wiring and to reduce setup and strike time. But even 4/6/8 ch analog snakes are bulky and take time to build. The ethercon adapters seem like a nice solution - the cable is much smaller and easy to terminate so you can quickly create 4ch sub snakes for any length you need. But is it as durable as a traditional analog snake? Seems like most folks are using these to take advantage of installed wiring in facilities. Does the stranded, shielded, heavy duty stuff hold up to repeated deployments? Obviously it does in digital applications, but what about analog use?

I've been using the Ratsnake boxes for 5 years with no issues. Best purchase in a while.

I'm using a solid-core cat6A cable from Dynamix - Chinese stuff with and overall braided sheath plus individually foil shielded pairs plus a ground wire - it's got a fairly rugged outer sheath. Most of the cat6A is very durable !!

I also purchased the Lyx Pro version from Amazon to check them out and I'm happy so far. They're a lot cheaper too.

Never any issues using them with a common ground with bi-directional line level - send - return.

Cheers
Martin

[Russell Ault]

Solutions to send 4 XLR audio signals over a shielded CAT 5e/6/7 are east to find or even DIY....but how durable is ethercon cable when using this for sub snakes in live productions?

I'm sure many folks use sub snakes to clean up the stage wiring and to reduce setup and strike time. But even 4/6/8 ch analog snakes are bulky and take time to build. The ethercon adapters seem like a nice solution - the cable is much smaller and easy to terminate so you can quickly create 4ch sub snakes for any length you need. But is it as durable as a traditional analog snake? Seems like most folks are using these to take advantage of installed wiring in facilities. Does the stranded, shielded, heavy duty stuff hold up to repeated deployments? Obviously it does in digital applications, but what about analog use?

The only application I've heard of where someone is using Category cable for sub-snakes is a Broadway designer who uses them in the orchestra pit (I believe he even had a box custom-designed with 3 XLRs and a BNC connector for three channels of analogue audio and one channel of baseband video on a balun), but that's in a situation where the Category cable is bundled with other cables (I believe the typical pit bundle in his designs is three Cat5e cables with EtherCONs and two 14/3 with PowerCONs), and I believe the Broadway sound shops are only sending out tactical cable.

Almost regardless of build quality, it's very rare (although not impossible) to find a Category-type cable that has good handling characteristics. If you're looming it together with other cables (especially something heavy like power) then that particular negative can be diminished somewhat, but on its own it's typically not fun stuff to be dealing with, so its usefulness for sub-snakes is probably a bit limited (unless you're always running power with it, anyway).

-Russ

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