Seismic Audio, anyone try them yet?

[Bobby1Note]

I'm looking for a 16ch 1/4" TRS-TRS patch snake. Just wondering if the Seismic Audio snakes are for real. Has anyone here, dealt with these guys?

 

http://www.equipmentaudio.com/shoppingcart.asp

[Shaster]

I see that the Canadian distributor of EWI.... has various snakes http://splproaudio.com/store/index.php?main_page=products_all&disp_order=1&page=6

 

If they're of the same quality as Mark's then by all acounts they should be good. As we both know, we can't order from the stateside Audiopile.

[Bobby1Note]

One little problem Shaster, have you checked out SPL's pricing lately? I don't know what's going on there, but a 16ch 15' TRS patch snake, is almost double the price compared to the States. $155. vs $85. WTF ???? I've bought a lot of stuff there; a 16x8 reel snake, an 8x4 stage snake, all sorts of mic and instrument cables, and the service was great. I bought those items a few years ago, and prices were very reasonable back then. That said, I'll be damned if I'm going to pay double for the same product just because I'm in Canada. Pisses me off royally.

[monkeyland]

i bought a few things from Seismic before i found Audiopile. I have some short TRS patches with switchcraft type ends that work great, I even ordered a second batch of those. I also have a 4 channel insert snake with neutrik knock off plugs on it that I am not fond of at all. The TRS end of that snake always seem like they want to get stuck in the jacks on my Mixwiz.

[Craig Vecchione]

 

One little problem Shaster, have you checked out SPL's pricing lately? I don't know what's going on there, but a 16ch 15' TRS patch snake, is almost double the price compared to the States. $155. vs $85. WTF ???? I've bought a lot of stuff there; a 16x8 reel snake, an 8x4 stage snake, all sorts of mic and instrument cables, and the service was great. I bought those items a few years ago, and prices were very reasonable back then. That said, I'll be damned if I'm going to pay double for the same product just because I'm in Canada. Pisses me off royally.

 

 

The linked website has no prices. Hmmm.

[scarecrowbob]

I needed a very short 24-ch TRS snake for a project and bought one for cheap from them.

 

The connectors and wire suck. It worked, but I wouldn't rely on one to work out of the box or use one in any sort of mobile application. I wouldn't buy it again, either.

[Rezrover]

Bought a 20ft 6 channel sub-snake, the XLR connectors on the box fell out.

 

Now I use it for home defense.

 

[Bobby1Note]

 

The linked website has no prices. Hmmm.

 

 

That's odd. The page I see when I click that link shows $39.95 for an 8 foot 16ch. TRS/TRS.

 

The 15' 16ch patch snake is $48.99. Free delivery too.

 

http://www.equipmentaudio.com/16-Channel-1-4-TRS-Snake-Cable-15-Feet-p/satr-16x15.htm

 

product description;

# Model #: SATR-16x15

# Channels: 16 1/4" TRS on each end

# Length: 15 Feet

# Conductor: 22ga high purity copper

 

List Price: $79.99

Our Price: $48.99

You save $31.00!

 

Here's a Youtube video for a 24ch stage snake.

 

 

[samkokajko]

I bought a 24x8 100' snake of eBay a couple years ago that was made by Seismic. After a nightmare of dealing with the seller I ended up getting shipped an OSP that looked identical to the pictures except for the logo. It didn't fail on me but I didnt use it very much before selling it.

[Bobby1Note]

I'm probably gonna go with the EWI patch snake anyway, but I'll buy it in the U.S. and have it shipped to a U.S. address, then have it re-shipped to me. Sure would be nice to have it shipped to upstate New York, Vermont, or New Hampshire. My girl-friend is in Florida at the moment, so I could do that too.

[beerguy156]

I have used two of their snakes for the last five years with no failures...gigging about once every three weeks. A 100 foot 16 channel four return XLR and a 75 foot 24 CH 8 return XLR. They have worked very well. I have also purchased several patch cables and microphone cables. I have had no failures with any of their products.

[W. M. Hellinger]

Right now pricing cable that contains copper is tough. If the price of the cable is based on purchase price of a couple years ago... the pricing probably seems reasonable. If the price of the cable is based on today's replacment costs, or possibly some near day in the future's replacement cost... then hang on to your shorts as you'll probably be in-for sticker shock... as there's about a 3X difference between the copper price of a couple years ago and today's copper price... it's like mid 2008 commodity pricing and going to new highs concerning copper.

 

http://www.mongabay.com/images/commodities/charts/copper.html

 

Of-course, it's easy to quote low, low, low prices on copper cabling if you're back-ordered indefinately... as was the seeming case of many suppliers during the mid 2008 peaks.

[stix 518]

Have one of their 50' 16 xlr X 8 1/4" snakes that has been used approx. 2X per month for the past couple of years or so. No issues, no problems. Pretty happy with it for the price actually. Have used it indoors and outdoors both damp (real humid) and dry. Kinda like a Timex, it keeps on ticking.

 

Stix

[saxcop2]

I have a 50' snake and have had no problems

[agedhorse]

Gotta love folks endorsing bottom of the quality barrel stuff. IMO, money spent on junk is money spent foolishly. But, there are indeed folks who are entirely happy with junk.

[stix 518]

Let's see... approx 2X/Month for 24 months. That's roughly 48 or so gigs with absolutely no issues. Now, I believe I paid roughly $180. for the snake delivered (it probably was a little less as it was two years ago and that is today's price). Let's do the math, shall we? Hmmm... $180. / 48 = $3.75 per gig AND, there is no problem currently with the snake so therefore I probably can expect at least another 10, 20, 50, maybe even 100 gigs out of it before it even begins to show signs of wear or causes a problem as I do take care of my stuff... pack it correctly, use a pig bag, wipe it down after a particularly humid gig, use the stress relief, test it after each gig, etc. SO, that being said, let's conservatively assume another 48 gigs before I have to effect repairs and/or replace. NOW, the cost per gig for this item becomes $1.88. And even then, the chances of the whole snake going south is highly unlikely. I currently don't use all the channels at any one time and, should something happen, can always switch channels and play on, making the necessary repairs post-gig at home. I am getting better at soldering!

 

My comments were not an "endorsement" so to speak. It was a truthful statement of my experience with the product. Nothing more, nothing less. The item works as advertised and expected for a reasonable price. It has worked over time and I expect it to continue to work similarly in the future barring any unforeseen circumstances. I know we're not supposed to take anything personal, but your comments were just that, personal. You called me and saxcop out for "endorsing" "junk" and then compounded the insult by insinuating that we are happy with junk. That's not cool.

 

AH, I respect your opinions; seek your advice; and heed your counsel. I have followed your recommendations on far more than one occasion and upgraded my equipment to a recommended brand of your suggestion. Given the opportunity, I will probably upgrade this snake to a preferred brand as well. But these upgrades have all been done over time when the funds were available. I understand the concept of buy once, cry once; but sometimes one has to make due with the best one can afford at the time of the need. In those instances we must always keep in mind that one mans junk is another mans treasure.

:poke:

 

Stix

[NUSound]

I have a 48x8 175' Whirlwind Medusa snake that's been through no fewer than 1600 shows over the 15 years of its life (and expect it to last for another 1600). Cost right around $2500, I believe. Not a single failure of any kind. So as long as we're throwing numbers around, that's $1.56 per show for a product that has a reputation 10 times better than Seismic. There are just too many maybe's to offer a solid recommendation on a product like this.

 

Now, I'm not endorsing Whirlwind and I'm not bashing Seismic... oh wait, that's exactly what I'm doing.

[boomerweps]

One item to take into account is a the care or lack thereof you take with a snake based on it's actual or perceived build quality. The ones I currently have are treated a little less gently than the first sub-snake I bought from MF, an AV Link 50 foot 8 xlr unit. It had a simple plastic compression fitting for box strain relief, and a VERY soft outer sheathing on the cable. I babied it and it's worked great for 4 or 5 years and then I sold it. I now have a 50x6 Proco, a 25x6 Whirlwind Mini-6, and a custom built heavy duty 30x4 for sub-snakes ALL bought used and they get tossed (gently) into the snake box. The snake box also contains a 100x16x4 Whirlwind Medusa that I did a few repairs on when I got it (20 years old at the time) and have had for a good 10-12 years with one other repair to a connector.

 

Boomerweps

[stix 518]

Yet again I say... my original post was not a recommendation or an endorsement. It was a statement of fact. To date, I have had no problem with the snake I purchased from SA. It has withstood approx. 48 gigs with no problems. Do I expect a $180. snake to last 1,600 shows and be around after 15 years? No, that would be totally unrealistic. Would I expect a $2,500. snake to last 1,600 shows and 15 years of service? For that kind of money, you better believe it... and many more than that. I am not disputing that, in general, you get what you pay for. But what (and how much) you pay for something is also a function of the need. At roughly 2X per month, this snake meets my current requirements - whether its perceived as junk by others or not. Should my needs change (increased level of shows, more channels required, increased funds available, etc.), this particular brand may or may not continue to meet my needs. At that point, I will reasses and (hopefully) make an informed decision.

 

As an example, I have a 1986 MB 560sl with 170k miles on it that runs almost as good now as it did new and has provided me many miles of great, trouble free driving. However, the car was well in excess of $60k new (which was a great deal of money back in '86) and has been well cared for. Today, prices range from a low of $6k or $7k up to well into the $20k's for this car. I wouldn't even consider buying a 1986 Ford or Chevy and expect the same level of quality but the price new of one of those brands was far, far less (sub $10k). Today used, around $1k in superior shape, probably less if you can even find one. However, if I had a need for basic transportation and had limited resources, I probably would consider it knowing full well that I am going to have to invest in repairs to keep it running. I will endorse the MB. Wouldn't even think about endorsing the Ford or Chevy.

 

Similar situation here. I am not endorsing the SA brand. Simply stating fact. I bought it when funds were tight and I had a definate need. It has worked to my expectations to date. Would I have preferred purchasing a better brand? Of course... and probably will in the future. I want a Rolex someday, too. But for now, my Fossil Speedway keeps time just fine for a fraction of the price.

 

Stix

 

ps. @ Nusound: bashing the brand is one thing and I accept that.

[agedhorse]

In lieu of the seemingly constant number of threads recently about folks praising the wonderful qualities of junk, and the same people being happy with a product that lasts a few years and then fails, or is unreliable but that's ok because it was a great deal, etc, I am merely pointing out that there is a great divide between the bottom of the barrel ankle-biter sound guys and those who have long ago moved up the food chain after seeing what a waste it is to buy junk. My comments were not directed at anyone in particular.

 

I also have some older snakes, I have a Rapco snake that's probably 15 years old, 16x4x150' that I paid maybe $600 for that till works perfectly after maybe 1000 shows and I expect it to continue in much the same way. That's $0.60 per show. I could have found a $300 snake with similar specs but it would not have held up nearly as long but even if I could have nursed it with repairs, bailing wire and duct tape, it would have cost me $0.30/show. Is it worth saving 0.30/show for something that has a greatly increased potential for failures? Not even worth pondering IMO. Now if I could only get 500 shows out of the cheap snake, still dealing with the failure potential, the cost per show is the same but with all the downside of a cheap, unreliable snake.

 

My experience with cheap snakes is that the weak links are the boxes, strain relief, and connectors. Many use IDC style connections which are unreliable and unrepairable.

[boomerweps]

 

I want a Rolex someday, too. But for now, my Fossil Speedway keeps time just fine for a fraction of the price. Stix ps. @ Nusound: bashing the brand is one thing and I accept that.

 

 

Why buy a wristwatch at all? Don't you normally carry a cell phone? That's my pocket watch. One less thing irritating my wrist and strectching sweater sleeves. ;>)

 

Boomerweps

[Unalaska]

The other side of the arguement is that is you're gonna buy a cheap snake then you'll have to use the cheap snake. It isn't about how many channels get used (really having a bit of signal flow thru the snake is the easiest thing that snake has to do), it's about construction. Whether you use 2 or 24 channels it still has to be unwrapped, laid out, plugged in, wrapped up and transported miles to home. I've actually seen the seismic stuff up close, I know what I'm looking at and I'd never ever use it. When it falls apart and become intermittent on a high profile event it could end up costing me thousands in future work. So no, no crap cables and especially for a choke point like a snake where there is no immediate alternative.

[agedhorse]

It's not the channels that work that are the problem, it's the channels that don't work.

[Bobby1Note]

Well, I've finally made arrangements for having stuff shipped to my girlfriend, who is now in Florida, then having her re-ship the items to me. We're just checking into final details on prices at the post-office, to see if it's viable.

 

I'll be placing an order with Mark (EWI) very shortly, but in the meantime, I also ordered a 5' 24ch 1/4" TRS-TRS patch-snake from Seismic last week. It should be here within the next few days, so we'll see first hand whether this item is junk, or not. Frankly, I don't really care, because it's something like $56. delivered here. This will at least give me the opportunity to test/check out my new Alesis HD24 multi-track recorder over the Xmas holidays. When the EWI shipment arrives, I'll probably resell the Seismic easily if need be.

[stix 518]

Not to beat a dead horse (no pun intended AH ), I never claimed that SA snake are the best or even a good product nor did I attempt to defend the brand. I said it works and I was happy with its performance to date for a weekend warrior application. However, if my life (i.e. job, income, reputation, etc.) depended on the equipment (like Unalaska, AH, et. al.), I wouldn't hesitate to spend whatever it takes to insure that what I purchased was absolute, drop-dead, top of the line - the long-term and short-term "need" fully justifies the expense. If that was the case, I probably wouldn't even have considered the SA product (much like the position Unalaska & AH have stated).

 

Look, if I was a mechanic, I'd probably own all Snap-on and Mac tools. But I'm not, so I get by on Husky, Craftsman and Kobalt (and sometimes even cheaper tools I get at local flea markets or "one-day sales" at the local VFW). My tools will do the same job as the Mac/Snap on tools will on a case by case basis (wrench will turn a nut; screwdriver will turn a screw, etc.). The difference is that I don't beat on my tools like a mechanic does and even so, I certainly don't expect them to last as long as M/SO. By the same token, I don't have to finance my tools with a guy who comes by the shop once a week in a big truck to collect either.

 

cost vs. benefit/need/application. Simple business decision.

EWI, Whirlwind, etc. are far superior to the SA and that's a fact. If I could afford one, I would have one (and someday will).

 

Stix