# quick connect snake



## musictom (Jan 31, 2008)

Hi all,

At our church, we are building a platform for our drum kit. It's enclosed in a Clearsonics Iso kit, and we have to move the entire kit quite often. Needless to say, it's quite a hassle: disassemble the Iso kit, unmic the drums, move the kit, reverse the process. That's why we're building a platform on casters, so we can simply roll the entire kit around.

The biggest challenge we're facing is with the audio cables. We've got about 8 mics on the kit, which we'll (obviously) have to disconnect and reconnect. I'm wondering if there's some type of quick-connect snake that we could install, which would make moving much more convenient.

Any ideas are more than welcome. Thanks!

Tom


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## musictom (Jan 31, 2008)

Guess maybe I'm looking for something like this


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## Chris15 (Jan 31, 2008)

That looks like it would work for you. The low budget option would not involve the multipins, but if you can afford them, they will definitely make your life easier. Otherwise, if worst were to come to worst, take your 8 mic leads and loom them together with electrical tape every 500mm or so and then just unplug your XLRs and coil your leads as one.


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## musictom (Jan 31, 2008)

Chris15 said:


> That looks like it would work for you. The low budget option would not involve the multipins, but if you can afford them, they will definitely make your life easier. Otherwise, if worst were to come to worst, take your 8 mic leads and loom them together with electrical tape every 500mm or so and then just unplug your XLRs and coil your leads as one.



Hmmm, tape and cables??? I can see my sound tech running at me right now with his 5 D cell Mag light ready to crack my skull. LOL 

Seriously, that's not a bad idea, and one we may consider. 

Thanks,
Tom


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## museav (Jan 31, 2008)

For permanent installs you can get get a wall mount version of multipin connectors and then a stage box terminated with the mating multipin, this is quite common. Whirlwind makes versions with their MASS connectors but you might also want to look at the Wireworks and Ramtech offerings, some people feel their connectors are more durable.

Before you get too far with this project, you might want to see what happens when the drummer plays on a wagon. They may be fine with it, but you might want to verify the stiffness of the structure and any resonances between the wagon floor and the actual floor. Also look carefully at the casters, you probably want to be sure that they don't damage any surfaces, that they're easy to roll and that they securely lock when the wagon is set.


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## museav (Jan 31, 2008)

For permanent installs you can get get a wall mount version of multipin connectors and then a stage box terminated with the mating multipin, this is quite common. Whirlwind makes versions with their MASS connectors but you might also want to look at the Wireworks and Ramtech offerings, some people feel their connectors are more durable.

Before you get too far with this project, you might want to see what happens when the drummer plays on a wagon. They may be fine with it, but you might want to verify the stiffness of the structure and any resonances between the wagon floor and the actual floor. Also look carefully at the casters, you probably want to be sure that they don't damage any surfaces, that they're easy to roll and that they securely lock when the wagon is set.


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## musictom (Feb 1, 2008)

Thanks for the advice, Brad. Since it was my primary drummer who came up with the idea, I'm hoping it will work. We'll probably beta test it before soaking too much money into it. 

Tom


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## derekleffew (Feb 1, 2008)

Take a cue from the lampies and use Friction Tape when bundling your XLR cables if you don't use a snake (and as has been said, multi-pin disconnects are nice, but not totally necessary and add significantly to the cost).


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## mbenonis (Feb 1, 2008)

If all you have are 8 channels, you might want to consider just installing 8 male XLR ports on the base of the drum structure and hard-wiring them to 8 XLR leads inside. Not as efficient as a MASS connector, but much cheaper.


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## avkid (Feb 1, 2008)

derekleffew said:


> Take a cue from the lampies and use Friction Tape when bundling your XLR cables


We've been doing that for years.


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## Chris15 (Feb 2, 2008)

museav said:


> For permanent installs you can get get a wall mount version of multipin connectors and then a stage box terminated with the mating multipin, this is quite common. Whirlwind makes versions with their MASS connectors but you might also want to look at the Wireworks and Ramtech offerings, some people feel their connectors are more durable.
> 
> Before you get too far with this project, you might want to see what happens when the drummer plays on a wagon. They may be fine with it, but you might want to verify the stiffness of the structure and any resonances between the wagon floor and the actual floor. Also look carefully at the casters, you probably want to be sure that they don't damage any surfaces, that they're easy to roll and that they securely lock when the wagon is set.



I'm partial to L&K multipins. Made in Italy. I've been assembling and disassembling them (they were miswired with channel 14 polarity reversed) at work and tend to find they aren't bad to work with. They also feel solid to work with. I'm not aware of us having encountered any issues with them and they get a fair whack of use and abuse. Now I don't see the bills, but I have to guess they aren't cheap though...

Ok, a couple of thoughts. You have factored in the need to carpet this wagon? Else the drums will jump quite nicely. Now you'll want good locking casters whereever it needs wheels. Even so, expect that the whole wagon ill jump and move when your drummer gets going.


derekleffew said:


> Take a cue from the lampies and use Friction Tape when bundling your XLR cables if you don't use a snake (and as has been said, multi-pin disconnects are nice, but not totally necessary and add significantly to the cost).



Anyone mind telling me more about this friction tape? I'm not sure we see much of it down here and that website you linked to really didn't tell me what I wanted to know.

Derek, you naughty boy. You shouldn't be taking your cues from the lampies; all cues should be taken from the SM or show caller


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## soundlight (Feb 2, 2008)

Going back to the first few posts, the DrumDrop is what you want. It's great, and it's designed to do exactly what you want to do. It's also great for festivals - you buy two of the units that go on the drum riser, and one tail that goes to the main snake, and use two rolling risers. You can then pre-wire one of the snakes on a the drumkit that's over on the side while the other band is playing. It's really nice.


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## derekleffew (Feb 2, 2008)

Chris15 said:


> ...Anyone mind telling me more about this friction tape? I'm not sure we see much of it down here and that website you linked to really didn't tell me what I wanted to know...


What more do you want to know? Broadway lighting shops and others have been using friction tape, sometimes erroneously called cloth electrical tape to bundle cables since the 1930s. It sticks only to itself, leaves no residue, and needs to be stretched to activate its adhesive. Generally less expensive, but more difficult to find, than Scotch 33 or 35 Electrical tape. Here's another link, sorry not terribly helpful, but check with your gaffer's tape supplier. Any other questions?


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## Chris15 (Feb 2, 2008)

Hmm... We all use PVC electrical tape for this and everything else down here. And EVERYONE who is anyone uses Nashua 357 Gaffer.


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## museav (Feb 2, 2008)

soundlight said:


> Going back to the first few posts, the DrumDrop is what you want. It's great, and it's designed to do exactly what you want to do. It's also great for festivals - you buy two of the units that go on the drum riser, and one tail that goes to the main snake, and use two rolling risers. You can then pre-wire one of the snakes on a the drumkit that's over on the side while the other band is playing. It's really nice.


It is nice - for touring and portable sound. However, it's might not really be appropriate for installed systems with the cable run in walls or above ceilings or in conduit and where you might even have to use plenum rated cable.


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## Chris15 (Feb 2, 2008)

museav said:


> It is nice - for touring and portable sound. However, it's might not really be appropriate for installed systems with the cable run in walls or above ceilings or in conduit and where you might even have to use plenum rated cable.



But in this case I thought the request was for something to go on the stage and then connect to installed cabling at a wall plate or the like... In which case it would be appropriate...


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## tomed101 (Feb 3, 2008)

Chris15 said:


> .... the drums will jump quite nicely. Now you'll want good locking casters whereever it needs wheels. Even so, expect that the whole wagon ill jump and move when your drummer gets going.....


So very very true. Slightly off topic:
One of the percussion ensembles at out school often get paid, gigs for private functions (and out crew turn into the road crew), anyway, at a recent gig they were playing on a portable stage which seemed fairly sturdy. Directly behind the players (on the back of the stage) were vertical 12" box truss sections on individual 2'x2' bases which were sandbagged, and had a MAC 250, 5 PAR64's and some crowd blinders on each. Well when the percussionists really got going in one of the more energetic pieces one of the truss sections, complete with all lights "jumped" right off the back of the stage. Needless to say the production company was not happy. 
Here's a promotional photo which was taken in 2006: and yes, they are over 1m off the ground from a single flat-footed jump 


And back to your regularly scheduled program...


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## derekleffew (Feb 3, 2008)

tomed101 said:


> ...were vertical 12" box truss sections on individual 2'x2' bases ... "jumped" right off the back of the stage. Needless to say the production company was not happy...


Serves them right for providing bases too small for the application. I would not use these again if I were you.

_ And back to your regularly scheduled program..._


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## tomed101 (Feb 3, 2008)

derekleffew said:


> Serves them right for providing bases too small for the application. I would not use these again if I were you.
> _ And back to your regularly scheduled program..._



It's got nothing to do with me, they provide the stage, lighting and sound gear, and quite frankly, I don't care if they do. If it happens a second time they might learn a lesson. And I don't want to be one of the people who drive the lighting guys insane, telling them how to do their job. If they screw it up, well it's their loss, literally (the MAC 250 etc...)


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## museav (Feb 3, 2008)

Chris15 said:


> But in this case I thought the request was for something to go on the stage and then connect to installed cabling at a wall plate or the like... In which case it would be appropriate...


It will work, but point of the DrumDrop seems to be that you can leave the 'snake' portion connected and then easily change connections to multiple boxes at the kits. In this case, the situation appears to be the opposite, the connections at the kit would be static while the connections at the wall would be 'active'. Thus having a separate box and snake with a MASS connection between them seems unnecessary and a standard stage box, perhaps with a return for a drum monitor, would appear to serve the purpose and might cost less. And if you're going to pay for a multipin connection in the line, it seems to make sense in this case to have it at the wall rather than at the drum kit. Just my take on the situation.


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## derekleffew (Feb 3, 2008)

As a lower-cost alternative, use a snake with a male fanout and a female stagebox of 6-12 lines. Unplug the XLRs from the wall or FOH/MON split and coil the cable on the drum riser (preferably around the "throne") before rolling into storage. The phrase "drum loom" is often used to describe this practice, as miking drums and running (AND labeling!) all the cables of differing lengths, as the OP has found, is tedious.


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## musictom (Feb 4, 2008)

Wow, I don't read the thread for a day, and it takes off. 

We are definitely carpeting the wagon, and it may not jump too much, since our stage area is carpeted (ugh, but then again, almost all churches have carpeted stages).

I'm thinking we may just bundle cables together at the base; the DrumDrop would be nice, but I probably can't justify the cost. Especially as that money could buy me another Source 4, some lamps, gel, etc. 

Thanks again for all the great input!

Tom


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## derekleffew (Feb 4, 2008)

One more thing, now that you mention the rolling drum platform. Use TWO layers, of 3/4" plywood opposing each other, for the top, under the carpet. Even so, don't scrimp on material understructure, maybe 2x6. And the use of "wagon brakes" will keep it from rolling when you don't want it to; OR build it something like this, which takes the casters out of the equation when not needed. This thread, for a table instead of a platform, but same basic, Norm Abram, idea.


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