The workings and organizational layout of an audio mixer sound simple enough at first. Connect your mics, instruments, devices, and monitoring speakers directly to your mixer and you’re ready for a show, right?
Well… not quite. Sure, it’s all well and good for just a mic or two. But what about a full band that’s spread across the entire stage?
When you work with more than just a couple of sound sources and need to cover the distance, you’ll quickly realize that you need lots of long cables. While having plenty of extra cables on hand is always a good thing, do you really need to invest in hundreds and hundreds of feet of them just to get up and going?
Enter the audio snake and stage box: convenient intermediaries that rest comfortably on stage to bridge the gap between a mixer and all of the equipment and its sound generating goodness! So what’s the difference between audio snakes and stage boxes, and when is the best time to use each? I’m glad you asked!
What Are Audio Snakes and Stage Boxes?
An audio snake is a portable enclosure with balanced input jacks (most commonly XLR) and balanced output jacks (either XLR or TRS 1/4") connected to one large, durable cable that houses all the individual corresponding cables together. That single main cable then stretches back to your mixing console where everything can then be connected.
A digital stage box serves the same function as an analog audio snake but is reserved specifically for digital mixers. Instead of a group of audio cables, a stage box works with a network cable to create a simple connection. Think of the same ethernet cable used for your internet connection, and you’ll get the idea!
Allen And Heath AB-168 16 x 8 Remote Stage Box
Special Price $1,499.00
When to Use a Stage Box vs. Audio Snake
Not sure whether you need a stage box or an audio snake? Well, the first question to ask yourself is what kind of mixer you have (or would like) and how many channels does it have?
Analog Mixer – Get Yourself an Audio Snake
Analog mixers need to be controlled physically and do not have any sort of network connection option for wireless control from a laptop or tablet. That means you’ll need an audio snake.
Audio snakes come in all sizes and channel counts. There are small “sub” snakes with 6-8 inputs, a couple of outputs, and 25 feet of cable all the way up to the largest ones with 24-32 inputs, 4-8 outputs, and hundreds of feet of cable.
Having a snake is especially important, since you’ll need to position your analog mixer in a place that is far enough away from the stage so you can hear the accurate front-of-house sound from the main PA speakers. Don’t worry, we’ll talk about what you can do to prepare for this in an upcoming section!
Digital Mixer – Dealer’s Choice
Digital Mixers, both console and rackmount models, often have a separate network connection port for a Cat5 or Cat6 cable. This all goes with a stage box. Run a single network cable from console to stage box and you’re set. Your digital mixer will send and receive all the information from the attached input and output devices. One cable to rule them all! A handy tip is to buy a spool with a crank, much like you see for long extension cords and electrical wire. You can wind up hundreds of feet of network cable for easy storage or transport and then unwind it to the desired length for a show.
Unlike audio snakes however, digital stage boxes are brand specific, so you’ll need to double-check that you get a model that’s compatible with your mixer. A stage box for a certain family of Allen and Heath mixer isn’t going to work with a Yamaha console. While brands are experimenting more and more with cross-compatibility, it’s isn’t the norm yet. You should be absolutely sure to double-check which models fit in the same ecosystem.
Of course, can always use an audio snake directly with a digital mixer as well. Models like the Allen and Heath SQ series have controls for “Local” (directly into the console) and “S-Link” (their name for a digital network connection to a compatible stage box) for up to 48 input channels. That means you could use both an analog snake and a digital stage box at the same time!
In addition to the stage box network port, digital mixers often have a LAN (local area network) port to connect to a wireless router. You can then sync a phone, tablet, or laptop to the network, open the appropriate mixer software or app, and control the functions of your mixer remotely. This frees you up to move around the venue space to check levels for front-of-house as well as giving you the flexibility to place your console setup
**NOTE** Not all digital mixers have these network ports for use with stage boxes and wireless routers. Smaller offerings, certain mixers meant for podcasting and portable digital recording, and models that act like a cross between a mixer and audio interface may not be able to connect to a stage box. You’ll have to connect directly or use an analog audio snake instead.
How Far Do You Have to Run?
Audio snakes and stage boxes have cables that run from ten feet to hundreds of feet in length. It’s important to have the right length cable to suit your needs. You definitely don’t want to be short when setting up your next gig!
CBI CAT5E-ULT-300 Sheilded Locking CAT5 Ethercon Reel 300 Foot
Special Price $599.99
When I was first making the decision on which model to go with, I visited some stages at different venues — indoor, outdoor, small, and large — and had my trusty tape measure handy. I made sure to measure distances from various vantage points. Going from the front of the stage straight out into the audience; going from one part of the stage to the other – both side to side and front to back; and also snaking your way out to different spots where you could see yourself setting up a table for front-of-house operation. It’s easy to assume we can guess how long 25 feet, 50 feet, or 100 feet is, but you’d be surprised when you actually measure it out.
In my experience, it’s always better to have extra cable to work with than to have too little.
“Snakes on a Stage” – The Sequel to Snakes on a Plane?
Audio snakes and stage boxes are the ultimate way to minimize stage clutter, allow you to use shorter, more direct cables for your equipment on stage, and easily set up your mixer where you want to be. They’re an audio engineer’s best friend!
AMS is stocked with a wide variety of both audio snakes and stage boxes to cover your needs. And if you’re looking to build an entire fully modern system from scratch, our gear experts at AMS can help you assemble the whole thing — including a digital mixer, stage box, cables, power adapters, and essentials so you can hit the ground running! Find all your live sound and recording needs right here at AMS.
