IEMs and Wireless XLR and MIDI

[JackTheRipper]

I have an IEM system and it works great. I have a rack that has a Behringer X32 rack, Sennheiser IEM G3, etc. Everything works well.

One area that I'm looking for improvement is with all the cables that connect the instruments/gear to the rack. For example, my guitarist has a processor that has L/R XLR outputs as well as an acoustic. He's on stage right and the rack is by me on stage left. I run 3 30-foot XLR cables and a 30-foot MIDI cable from him to the rack. We also have a synth and other MIDI gear. So there's a lot of cables.

I'm looking at replacing at least some of the cables with wireless, both XLR and MIDI. Any experience with good, quality wireless XLR/MIDI gear is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

--jack

 

[s0c9]

AFAIK… drop snakes are the cheapest solution. You’d need a custom built one to include MIDI.. but not useful if MIDI is on opposite side of the stage.
You could go with an SD8 or S16 and run a single CAT5/6 cable across the stage…but that won’t address the MIDI problem.

 

[DonaldR]

I run midi no problem over Cat5 cables. You can:

1. replace both RJ45 connectors on the Cat5 cable with 5-pin DIN connectors
2. build two RJ45/DIN adapter cables if you want direct to MIDI
3. build two XLR/DIN adapter cables if you want to use a drop snake

 

[Mike Caldwell]

Don't use wireless just for the sake of eliminating a cable run on the stage. Get or make up some drop snakes/sub snakes, personally I would go with true audio snake cable for the audio snakes, not the CAT break out boxes.

Keep in mind most MIDI interfaces only use pins 2, 4, 5, 2 is the ground.
MIDI will work over mic cable, so you could make adapters XLR to the MIDI din plug.

 

[JackTheRipper]

Thanks for all the suggestions. One of the reasons that I'm thinking of going wireless is to reduce setup and teardown time. I usually have gigs where there are 2-4 bands on the bill and need to setup and teardown quickly. Since I play bass, synth, bass pedals, and run the IEMs, there's a lot of gear. I usually don't have help so it can be stressful.

Thanks,

--jack

 

[DonaldR]

This should covert your need (but not cheap). One at the source and one at the rack, permanently plugged. One cat5 to unroll at the gig: Catapult Mini - Radial Engineering

 

[JackTheRipper]

This should covert your need (but not cheap). One at the source and one at the rack, permanently plugged. One cat5 to unroll at the gig: Catapult Mini - Radial Engineering

I've looked at those. I would need 3 of them to cover the gear that I'm concerned with. Here's the gear:

From stage right (guitarist):

• Guitar out - Left (XLR)
• Guitar out - Right (XLR)
• Acoustic Guitar (XLR)
• MIDI controller (MIDI out)

From me (stage left):

• Synth (MIDI in/out)
• Synth Audio (XLR)
• MIDI controller (MIDI in/out)

From singer (center stage):

• Microphone (XLR)

So a total of 10 lines.

--jack

 

[DonaldR]

Dont't forget you need the same at the rack...

 

[Mike Caldwell]

Here is a 12 channel stringer snake I built a few years ago, one box at the end the other is in the middle. Something like that could pick up the needed inputs in one snake.

 

[DonaldR]

A snake can be use for sure, but the beauty of using a cat5 based snake is the weight and the size of the cable compared to regular XLR snakes. You can fit a 4x4 50' foot cat5 snake in your pedalboard bag.

 

[s0c9]

A snake can be use for sure, but the beauty of using a cat5 based snake is the weight and the size of the cable compared to regular XLR snakes. You can fit a 4x4 50' foot cat5 snake in your pedalboard bag.

I agree in principle, but they have one larger problem that XLR's don't.
The RJ45 connectors are never designed for that kind of use!! They fail!!

 

[DonaldR]

@s0c9 I agree with regular cat5 cables, but they are cheap to replace.

You can buy commercial cat5 cables with Neutrik plugs but they are getting bulky (as it's not your regular cheap cat5 cables anymore) and more oriented for very long runs, like 250' and up, which are still cheaper/lighter than their XLR counterparts.

Or you can simply put Neutrik plugs on your cat5 cable if you have the tools (I don't).

I'm not saying that cat5 snakes are better, just a different tool for cheap *ss like me

 

[Mike Caldwell]

@s0c9 I agree with regular cat5 cables, but they are cheap to replace.

You can buy commercial cat5 cables with Neutrik plugs but they are getting bulky (as it's not your regular cheap cat5 cables anymore) and more oriented for very long runs, like 250' and up, which are still cheaper/lighter than their XLR counterparts.

Or you can simply put Neutrik plugs on your cat5 cable if you have the tools (I don't).

I'm not saying that cat5 snakes are better, just a different tool for cheap *ss like me

The Neutrik Ethercon's for CAT5e and some versions of CAT6 are just the outer shell that goes over an existing RJ45 connector already on the cable.
They are all still an RJ45, the outer shell does protect it somewhat and your not relying on the plastic clip to keep the connector plugged in.

 

[s0c9]

@s0c9 I agree with regular cat5 cables, but they are cheap to replace.

You can buy commercial cat5 cables with Neutrik plugs but they are getting bulky (as it's not your regular cheap cat5 cables anymore) and more oriented for very long runs, like 250' and up, which are still cheaper/lighter than their XLR counterparts.

Or you can simply put Neutrik plugs on your cat5 cable if you have the tools (I don't).

I'm not saying that cat5 snakes are better, just a different tool for cheap *ss like me

It's NOT the cables. It's the RJ45 connectors. They were never designed for multi-connects, but like the old phone jacks.. connect cable to socket and leave them there!
The whole connection design is flawed even tho as @Mike Caldwell mentioned, the Ethercon's DO help.
Issue is this..
You have 6 to 8 thin connecting strips in BOTH male and female ends - depending on CAT5/6/E type. Those (over time) get worn, can be bent, can short out across each other, etc.
Plus, the plastic locking "clip" on top ALWAYS break and they don't stay put. THAT's mostly when the problems start. I've dealt with this for years!
XLR's are far more robust and will LAST much longer.

 

[DonaldR]

I totally agree with you all that XLR connectors are just better. And I don't understand why we are still using 1/4" connectors either?!?!?

RJ45 are not meant to replace XRL Just a different tool for a different purpose.