Specifications
A basic network setup consists of one MASTER and one SLAVE I/O unit, between which two-way communication is
possible. If you want to split the signal, connect a splitter to the MASTER unit and then connect the additional I/O
units to the splitter and set their mode switch to SPLIT. The MASTER to SPLIT transmission is one way.
Each I/O unit has a switch for setting the mode. With
REAC, there is no need to set an IP address. Simply
set the mode switch to construct the network.
MASTER
Splitter
I /O
SPLIT
I /O
SLAVE
I /O
SPLIT
I /O
Two-way
communication
（100m）
One-way
communication (100m)
Two-way
communication
(100m)
One-way
communication
(100m)
Part2
Perfect for Your Environment
The Digital Snake is perfect for all live
sound venues including performance
theatres, churches, conference halls,
school auditoriums, and large stadiums.
The convenience and professional sound
quality of the Digital Snake also make
it popular for use in many TV and radio
production studios, remote sporting
broadcasts, and film sets.
REAC Technology
The Digital Snake uses REAC (Roland
Ethernet Audio Communication) to send
audio over a Cat5e Ethernet cable. Since
Cat5e cable is very lightweight and
inexpensive it is much easier and more
cost effective to place in permanent
installations. For staging/rental and
touring sound companies, the advantages
of carrying a 7lb (3kg) 80-channel snake
over the typical weight of an analog snake
are easy to imagine!
Improvements in Intelligibility and Sound Quality
In a typical analog sound system audio
is sent over cables that are susceptible
to sound quality degradation including
loss of high frequencies. There is also the
possibility of ground loop hums and other
electrical interference.
The longer the wire or the more
connections made, the higher the chance
of sound quality problems on any analog
connection.
The digital audio signal sent by REAC
over Cat5 Ethernet cables avoids signal
quality losses, ground hum, or other
interference common on analog snake
connections. REAC delivers clean sound,
either at the FOH position or even when
the audio is split to multiple locations.
This improvement in audio quality is
significant, especially when the distances
are over 200 feet (60m).
Remote Preamps with High Quality Sound
The superior sound quality of RSS Digital
Snake starts by capturing the sound right
from the source. The RSS Digital Snake
puts pristine Mic/Line preamps on the
stage, close to the original sound source.
The sound is immediately converted to a
24bit/96KHz signal to be sent by REAC.
The preamps gain, PAD and phantom
power can be controlled from either end
of the snake using an S-4000 Remote
Controller, a PC/Mac, or an RSS V-Mixer.
Expansion, Splits, & Recording
Sometimes sound sources are split - sent
to multiple locations besides just the Front
of House Mixer - to a monitor position,
a recording system, a personal mixing
system, a webcast and/or a broadcast
system. The Digital Snake system inputs
can be split using standard Ethernet
hardware switches providing for multiple
transformerless audio splits to multiple
positions. Since the audio is in the digital
domain there is no loss of audio quality
when creating a split.
One popular Split is to the REAC
Recording System, to enable multi-channel
recording. Simply connect a Cat5e cable
as a split from the Digital Snake to the
Ethernet port on a PC and capture 40
channels of live audio anywhere the
Digital Snake is used.
If you need to send audio over a long
distance, the RSS S-OPT converts the
REAC signal to a fiber optical link for a
REAC connection up to 1.2 miles (2km).
Flexibility to Match Your Requirements
The Digital Snake is perfectly matched to
the RSS V-Mixing System, RSS V-Mixer
Digital Consoles, and the RSS Personal
Mixing System. But it also brings great
sound improvements and convenience
when used with other sound systems.
RSS offers a full line of Digital Snake
components to build a system that
is customized to your needs. See the
equipment details in the mini catalog on
the facing page.
RSS Digital Snake -
Flexible Audio Transmission & High Sound Quality
The RSS Digital Snake improves sound quality and adds convenience in various audio
environments, including fixed installations and portable applications.
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