Splitter Snake Question

[Tone Laborer]

Yeah, I hear you, I would think you'd have to be busting it to get it done in 4hr.

Thanks for the pictures. I don't know about eye candy, some of that stuff can make your head spin, like working a jigsaw puzzle. The large pink and black racks? Not sure what those are. Splitters as well?

The ones you reefered to as XTA splitters, in the 4 space racks, very custom. That's kinda what I was envisoning for a small 8 way setup, at least, that general size.

Thanks again for uploading the pics, that's a very pro rig.

Here's a place I heard about either here or at the REP, seem to have decent prices on switchcraft and cable by the ft. FYI

http://www.gepco.com/

[Remoteness]

Nah, not too much "busting it" to get it done in 4 hours. Four hours is usually plenty of time. Most of the time we even have time to break for lunch.

Yeah, maybe all those cables turned that "eye candy" into a head spining jigsaw puzzle or sorts.

I'm not sure what you meant when you said, "The large pink and black racks?" I don't see any pink and black cases. Which picture are you refering to?

The XTA splitters are installed in 8 space racks. The only thing custom about the system is the wiring we did ourselves. Maybe you're refering to the wiring panels? That picture shows the XTA wiring panels before we installed them into the 8 space XTA rack.

FYI, the XTA setup is an active splitter system designed and manufactured by some of the folks that originally were at Klark Teknik. They started XTA sometime ago. Their active splitter is one of the many products they manufacture.

[Jim vanBergen]

BSS, XTA, and Midas (their preamp is based on the H3000 console mic pre) are the best in the market for a three or four-way splitter system, especially in 8-12 channel blocks. I have been using a 36-channel four-way BSS split for live use a lot, I prefer the XTA but the BSS works nicely and was cheaper.

Whirlwind (under their Universal Audio brand, I think) also has a four-channel unit that is OK-sounding and a lot less expensive. BUT: most people with good ears swear by Jensen Xformers and I agree they rock, but are VERY pricey. I have used Lundahls (I once purchased a Whirlwind 52 ch 3-way split that I was told, believed, and told others were Lundahl Xformers but ended up being WW's own model, CAVEAT EMPTOR!!! Open up the damn thing and confirm before you buy, this I learned from Steve Remote!) Anyway, just because I got screwed on that XFRMR I met Lars Lundahl and got some of HIS stuff, which are an excellent sounding XFRMR- not quite a Jensen, but priced very competitively. Like a Lexus if you will, versus the Whirlwind Hyundai and the Jensen Rolls-Royce. You may wish to consider Lundahl; if I were to build a custom passive split I sure would!

About a year ago I got raw XFRMRs from Jensen, Lundahl, and WW and put them in project boxes with a ground lift switch so I could compare. They became part of my regular workbox until the Lundahl and WW were stolen from my case, I still have the Jensen. But most people thought the Lundahl sounded MUCH better than the WW and only slightly less good than the Jensen. YMMV. But a cool project none the less!

Jim vB

[Tone Laborer]

Thanks , I'm learning something on this thread. To continue your auto analogy, I'd have to add a Used Behringer Cavalier. On ebay there's a Behringer Multi-link ,it was at $99 last I checked, and it claims to do 8 xlr splits.

Lol, to mention that with the above units. I just can't go for a Bear-Ringer, not that desperate.

Just out of curiousity, do you remember about how much the raw Jensen and Lundahl xformers run?

On the pics, I should have said the black rackmount with purple trim and redish/pink connectors. I've had more of a chance to look at the pics and I thinkI see what you mean. Those should be the XTA?

Did you have to chop a faceplate, is that the mod you were talking about, to make it fit.

[Remoteness]

I believe we all have different color settings on our monitors. Those connectors are red and the trim is blue but, they are the XTAs.

No, we didn't have to chop a faceplate. It was a pretty simple mod. We had to swap the panel plates (with the red XLRs) with the blank panel plates. Check the pictures again. In the exposed photos the red XLRs are next to the Edison inlet. The pic of the completed XTAs have the blank plates next to the inlets.

[joaquin]

Hi, just want to quote Jimivan's experience with Radial V12 system...thought this answer from another thread belong here.

Originally Posted by Jimivan

I cannot say enough good things about the guys up in Canada at Radial. Their latest systems are what they call "convertable", meaning you can add or subtract channels in the split as you need. They come out in 8 channel single space modules. The advantage is that you can start off with a smaller system and then easily add channels as your needs grow.

You can take a look at the Convertable V12 system here:
http://www.radialeng.com/rcs/snakes_v12.htm

There are lots of options and choices of transformers as well. Their pricing is comparable to a Whirlwind system, maybe a little lower even, but you have to factor in the shipping costs as these things get pretty heavy. The quality of the system though has a much more solid look and feel than other name brand systems I looked at and their customer service has been really good. It was around 6.5K for a 48x2 system with 100' main snake and a 20' fan out on the split side using VEAM connectors for all.

I also got a few of their JDI direct boxes which use the Jenson transformer. They are solid as a rock and sound fantastic!

Bye the way, I'm not associated with them in any way other than being a customer and I'm not a "gear pusher"......... I hope this helps someone in thier splitter choices.

Regards,

Jim

Hope this helps.........Joaquin.

[Remoteness]

Let's have a mic splitter shootout at the Aura Sonic field shop?
We had one with mic pres with great results. Any takers out there?
We could setup active and passive splitters from a variety of manufactures.

Active: BSS, XTA, Aphex, Klark Teknik and such...
Passive: Jensen, Lundahl, Whirlwind, Radial, UTC, et cetera, etc.

[Tone Laborer]

I'll bring the Behringer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Remoteness]

Now you're talking...