Question: Working on a new product line... What kind of custom pedal snake would you use?

[baimun]

I posted a while back about some custom stage looms like the one below where all of our drummers mics run back to the mixer in one mesh-covered snake with heat shrunk splits and custom labels on each end.

The reason I'm posting in the pedal board area is that we were approached about making some custom looms between guitar pedal boards and amps. From pedalboard to amp, effects send from loop and then back to the return, add in a cable for channel switch. Power from the backline up to power the pedal board.

Of course, all of this stuff is custom so the cable can be as long or short as needed, anything from 4, 5, 6, 8, 12... how ever many breakouts as one might need, MIDI, TRS, include vocal mic or stage monitor, whatever.

What would you look for in a custom stage loom like this? The supplies aren't cheap but we're using high end shielded cabling, Neutrik connectors, but ultimately is cheaper than a stage full of separate cables and ends up being faster and cleaner to set up and tear down each night.

Thoughts? Any crazy connections that you think we'll run into that we haven't thought of yet?

Looking forward to your discussion on this.

 

[Mark Wein]

I'd be good with a 2 1/4" and one power. I think a lot of folks would like something like that but with 4 1/4" for their amps with effects loops.

 

[Mark Wein]

Actually, now I that reread your post, doing 2 1/4", 2 power and 2 XLR would make my stage setup sweet.

 

[baimun]

So @Mark Wein in your case, how many feet of "breakout" would you need on each end, assuming that some of the cables would need to be a little longer like your vocal mic.... Would you give me some lengths so I can plug them into our calculations and see if it falls in a price range that's marketable for gigging musicians? Thanks.

What would the two 1/4" go to? One for input and one for reverb on/off?

Power cable out to the board with two outlets, one for board and one for your monitor?

XLR for vocal mic and a second the other direction for monitor?

 

[Mark Wein]

actually for my setup I guess it would just be one 1/4". I'd figure 3' at both ends...then I'd chain the XLR's to the mixer.

 

[baimun]

@Mark Wein do you ever set up two amps and then AB to them?

The way we measure stuff, you wouldn't need to daisy chain... we'd include from your mic to where the board sits on stage (unless you want it shorter)

 

[Mark Wein]

@Mark Wein do you ever set up two amps and then AB to them?

The way we measure stuff, you wouldn't need to daisy chain... we'd include from your mic to where the board sits on stage (unless you want it shorter)

I can but I usually don't because I play on small stages.

 

[Gorgon90]

@baimun - there are so many permutations to this! One thing I can think of that might need further thought is MIDI, in that there are both 5 pin and 7 pin devices out there. I've got 5 pin stuff and have got it wired to provide phantom power to my pedal board through pins 2 and 4, necessitating all pins being connected. Some Midi cable only comes with pins 1, 3 and 5 as 2 and 4 aren't used in the MIDI data spec.

My ultimate do anything snake today would look like:

2 x XLR for Mic and Acoustic DI
Return XLR for wedge monitor
Return 1/4" for wedge monitor (if it doesn't have XLR in)
5 pin Midi, all wires connected to allow phantom power to my foot controller
4 way strip for power options
4 x 1/4" male to male for 4 cable method
1 x 1/4" male (front of stage) to female (amp end) for when I run a second amp on the other side of the stage to spread the sound/run in stereo.
2 x 1/4" TRS male to male to control my amp's switches if not using my MIDI switcher
1 x 1/4" TRS (front of stage) to female (amp end) for second amp

messedup0

 

[baimun]

@Gorgon90 draw out a stage plot and you'll probably see that could be handled with two looms going in different directions but its exactly the kind of project that led to us designing these.

I can tell you first hand that laying out one of these snakes and plugging in the marked ends is so much faster setup and teardown. The stage also looks cleaner and the cables are more protected.

 

[parrotheada1a]

@Gorgon90
I can tell you first hand that laying out one of these snakes and plugging in the marked ends is so much faster setup and teardown. The stage also looks cleaner and the cables are more protected.

I don't gig, but all this is very important. I've been to club shows and seen a total spaghetti bowl onstage. I wouldn't want to move on a darkened stage simply because I know I would snag something.

 

[baimun]

A simple 25 footer with power for Mark would probably be in the $130 range.... while the same length in a configuration for @Gorgon90 would be more like 350-370.

While some of you may get sticker shock from a loom like that... keep in mind that is cheaper than if you bought all of those cables individually (quality Canare shielded cable and Neutrik ends, not guitar center cables) and then factor in the time and neatness factor.

Once we finish a couple more prototypes, we will do both a photo shoot and timelapse videos of showing a band setup with individual cables vs looms.