Digital Snakes and Audio Distribution

Traditionally microphones have been connected to mixing consoles by long multi-core cables. Over time, as sound systems have grown, the number of cores required and the number of cables needed to connect all parts of the sound system together (FOH, Monitors, Remote Truck etc.) have increased. This results in ever higher costs and lower performance. Midas digital snakes provide a solution to these problems.

Microphones tend to be reactive devices, that is, their sound is altered by load impedance. Long cable and multiple console connections load microphone outputs such that level is reduced and especially high frequency content is lost. Digital snakes eliminate the need for long analogue connections and Midas snakes have especially high input impedance to minimise losses at all frequencies. As a result microphones develop their full natural character and typically sound superbly smooth and open.

Midas Snakes have been created using I/O components developed for the Midas digital console range and as such feature all the sonic benefits produced by this latest generation of Midas mic preamplifiers. These are real world designs featuring RFI protection, high common mode rejection, high dynamic range and overload tolerance; and of course they sound fantastic, as Midas pre-amps always have.

High quality, oversampling A/Ds and D/As are carefully protected from digital overload (so you can drive them hard without the sound breaking up). They feed multichannel data streams that conform to the AES50 standard and provide bi-directional connectivity between I/O boxes. The physical cable connection only requires light weight, but rugged, CAT-5e cable rather than the bulky multi-core traditionally used in the past. Neutrik Ethercon connectors provide rugged locking connections. System latency is extremely low and the connections feature feed forward error correction and recovery systems plus the option of adding n+1 redundancy to protect from damage to any single cable. Additionally the digital signals are immune to the crosstalk and noise issues that plague passive multi-core systems.

All components use a default unity gain structure and analogue inputs readily accept line level signals with headroom and metering identical to Midas Analogue consoles. The mic pre’s are controlled by an application on your PC that provides direct access to 24 channels at a time with all settings automatically stored to the snake hardware boxes (so you can disconnect or reconnect the controlling PC at any time while the system continues to operate normally). Full metering is available for inputs (and outputs) so to all intents and purposes using the digital snake is just like remoting your console mic pre directly to the stage, except now it’s a Midas mic pre.

Models range from a 16in / 8 out system up to 64 in / 64 out channels with up to 3,000 metres range, and include an inexpensive 48 in / 16 out model. There is a choice of five road-rugged hardware options including the DL431 24-channel, 5-way active digital/ analogue input splitter. Each of its 24 inputs features three Midas mic pres, completely isolated from each other to prevent any audio interaction. The DL351 64 channel and DL451 24 channel units support a range of five different I/O modules providing huge configuration flexibility. Options include the Midas remote controlled mic pres, line in/ out on various connectors and AES3 digital audio with sample rate conversion and local synchronisation capability. The DL251 and DL252 provide a fixed-format, 48 in / 16 out, all-analogue remote stage box which feature Midas mic pre’s and dual-redundant power supplies and snakes. Remote control of mic amp functions is achieved from any Midas digital system, or via a PC computer running the appropriate Midas software.

All the components are connected using standard CAT-5e cables carrying the AES50 multichannel audio and control protocol and provide a standard 100m range. This can be extended up to 3,000m with the new Klark Teknik DN9650 network bridge in MADI mode.

• DL351 64 audio inputs / 64 audio outputs depending on card configuration
• DL451 24 audio inputs / 24 audio outputs depending on card configuration
• DL251 48 audio inputs / 16 audio outputs fixed configuration
• DL252 48 audio outputs / 16 audio inputs fixed configuration
• DL431 24 audio inputs 5 way active split
• Software remote mic amp control
• Up to 3000m range

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