Radial Catapult Mini TRS 4-Channel Cat 5 Audio Snake, 1/4-Inch TRS Tails

Radial Catapult Mini TRS: A Four-Channel TRS Snake That Rides on Cat 5

The Radial Catapult Mini TRS is a compact, passive four-channel analog audio snake that carries four balanced signals over a single shielded Cat 5 or Cat 6 cable and connects to gear through four 1/4-inch TRS tails. Its RJ45 port works in both directions, so a single unit can serve as either the send or the receive end of a run. For the keyboard tech, the DJ, the AV installer, or the engineer who needs to move four channels of 1/4-inch audio across a stage or a building without dragging a heavy multicore, the Mini TRS turns ordinary Ethernet cable into a rugged, flexible snake.

Four Balanced Channels Through One Ethernet Cable

A Cat 5 or Cat 6 cable is built from four twisted pairs of copper, and a single balanced audio channel needs exactly one pair. The Catapult system maps four balanced channels onto those four pairs, so one thin Ethernet cable does the job of a four-channel snake. Each twisted pair keeps its channel's signal tight and rejects noise along the way, which is what lets the audio travel a long distance and still arrive clean. Because Cat 5 is inexpensive, lightweight, and frequently already run through a venue, it makes an ideal path for multichannel audio.

Why TRS, and Why It Works Both Ways

The Mini TRS uses four balanced 1/4-inch TRS connectors, the format that dominates keyboards, submixers, powered speakers, and outboard processors, so it drops straight into that world without adapters. Just as useful, its RJ45 connection is bidirectional: the same box can send audio down the Cat 5 or receive it, depending on which end of the run you place it. That means a pair of Mini TRS units can form a complete four-channel link, or a Mini TRS can pair with an XLR-equipped Catapult Mini end when the two sides of the system use different connectors.

Analog by Design

Everything about the Mini TRS stays in the analog domain. There is no analog-to-digital conversion, no clocking, and no network protocol, so the snake adds zero latency and none of the artifacts a digital audio network can bring. It is entirely passive, drawing no power at either end, which means there is no adapter to carry and nothing that can fail partway through a show. The signal that enters one end is the same analog signal that leaves the other, simply routed over a different kind of cable.

Long Runs, Low Noise

The Catapult Mini system can move audio up to roughly 300 feet over shielded Cat 5, and the balanced signal path rejects common-mode noise by more than 103 dB, keeping hum and interference out across the distance. The Mini TRS is built in 16-gauge powder-coated steel with its cable tails wrapped in tough Expando mesh sheathing, and color-coded heatshrink labels mark each of the four channels so patching stays fast under stage lights. It is compact enough to disappear into a rack or gig bag yet built to survive the road.

Where the Mini TRS Fits

The Mini TRS goes to work wherever four channels of 1/4-inch audio need to travel. A keyboard player uses it to send four outputs from the rig to the console over one tidy cable. A DJ or a corporate AV tech links a submixer or media source to the main system across the room. An installer runs backline and playback audio between rooms on the building's existing Ethernet. A stage tech ties a sidefill or monitor feed into a remote position without a bulky snake. Wherever 1/4-inch TRS gear has to reach across a distance, the Mini TRS makes the run on cable anyone can source.

Who the Radial Catapult Mini TRS Is For

The Mini TRS is for the keyboard tech, DJ, and AV professional who work in a 1/4-inch TRS world and need to move four channels cleanly and lightly. If you want a rugged, passive, bidirectional four-channel analog snake that carries balanced audio over shielded Cat 5 and connects through 1/4-inch TRS, the Catapult Mini TRS is the compact snake end built for the job.