Radial Catapult TX4 4-Channel Cat 5/6 Analog Snake Transmitter Module

Radial Catapult TX4: Run Four Balanced Channels Down One Cat Cable

The Radial Catapult TX4 is the send module of the Catapult analog snake system, a passive four-channel transmitter that carries four balanced audio signals down a single shielded Cat 5 or Cat 6 cable to a matching Catapult receiver. In place of a heavy, expensive multicore snake, it lets you push four channels across a run of ordinary Ethernet cable and land them cleanly at the other end. For anyone who has coiled and dragged a stiff analog snake through a venue, that swap feels less like a product and more like a reprieve.

How Four Balanced Channels Fit Down One Cat Cable

The trick is baked into the cable itself. A Cat 5 or Cat 6 cable contains four twisted pairs of copper conductors, and the TX4 assigns one balanced audio channel to each pair, sending the hot signal on one conductor and the cold on the other. Four pairs equals four channels, no conversion or multiplexing required. The TX4 simply presents four XLR inputs on one end and hands them to an RJ45 (Ethercon) jack on the other, so a single lightweight cable does the work of four separate mic lines.

Why Twisted Pairs and High CMRR Kill Noise Over Distance

Balanced audio survives long runs because of how twisted pairs reject interference. Any hum or radio-frequency noise the cable picks up lands almost equally on both conductors of a pair, and because the two are tightly twisted together, the receiver sees that noise as common to both wires and cancels it while keeping the audio. The TX4 pushes this rejection hard, with a common-mode rejection ratio greater than 103 dB. That is why you can run a Catapult snake across a stage or down a hallway and still arrive with a quiet, full-bodied signal.

Passive Means Zero Latency and No A/D Conversion

The TX4 is fully passive, so there is nothing to power and nothing to convert. Your audio stays analog from XLR to XLR, which means zero digital latency, no analog-to-digital stage, and no clocking to worry about. The specs reflect that purity: a frequency response of 7 Hz to 20 kHz, a 140 dB dynamic range, total harmonic distortion of just 0.0005%, and a maximum input level of +35 dBu that shrugs off hot sources. What goes in is what comes out, only further away.

Built to Take a Beating on Connectors and Chassis

Every jack on the TX4 is chosen for real-world touring and install use. Four XLR-F inputs accept your microphones or line sources, and each input is mirrored by an XLR-M direct thru, so you can split a signal locally without a separate box. The RJ45 output ships as a rugged Ethercon-compatible jack, and an RJ45 thru lets you feed additional gear down the line. A ground lift switch breaks hum loops between rooms, and the whole module is folded from 14-gauge steel that weighs just 2.6 pounds, small enough to gaff-tape anywhere.

What You Need to Build a Catapult Link

The TX4 is the transmit half of a two-piece system, so it is worth knowing what it pairs with. On its own it ships as the module only; to complete a snake you add a Catapult RX-series receiver at the far end and a shielded Cat 5 or Cat 6 cable of whatever length your run demands. Because the signal is balanced analog, the same TX4 can also carry AES digital audio, letting you route four channels of AES down the identical cabling when your workflow calls for it.

Where the Catapult TX4 Earns Its Keep

The most common job is a four-channel sub-snake: a drum submix, a corner of the stage, or a set of wireless receivers that needs to reach the console over one cheap, easy-to-source cable instead of a costly multicore. Installers love that it lets them reuse Cat 5 already pulled through a building's walls to move real analog audio between rooms. It slots just as neatly into AES digital routing and into any live-sound rig where a lighter, faster cable run saves setup time.

Who the Catapult TX4 Is For

The Catapult TX4 is for the front-of-house engineer who wants to shrink a four-channel run down to a single Ethercon line; for the AV installer looking to carry analog or AES audio over existing structured cabling; and for the studio or broadcast tech who values a passive, latency-free path with touring-grade connectors. Send four channels, lose the multicore, and keep your signal clean all the way to the console.