The Radial Catapult Mini RX converts four channels of audio carried over a single Cat5 cable back to individual XLR outputs, making it the receive end of a lightweight analog snake solution. This approach replaces heavy multi-pair audio cables with inexpensive and readily available Cat5 cable, dramatically reducing cable weight and bulk for stage runs. Pair it with a Catapult Mini TX at the other end for a complete four-channel analog snake.
UnverifiedPower requirement is not verified in the catalog
Catalog estimate
~$125Current listings stay in the price tracker
01 · What it does—and what that changes in your rig.
Product overview
Start with the payoff, then work through how it functions, where it fits, and the details that change a real build.
The payoff
4 channels. 1 cable runs. Outside rack.
The Catapult Mini RX is the stage end of a passive analog snakeA multicore cable bundling many channels into one stage-to-console run. A sub-snake collects one corner of the stage into a drop box. built on Cat5Standard network cable grades. In an audio rig one cheap Cat5e run can replace a 48-channel copper snake; AES50 wants it shielded. cable. You run a single Cat5 from your rack-side transmitter — the Catapult Mini TX — and this box converts those four channels back to individual XLRThe standard 3-pin locking connector for mics and balanced line signals — pin 1 is the shield, pins 2 and 3 carry the balanced pair. outputs at the source. The idea is straightforward: Cat5 is cheap, light, and available at any hardware store in any length, which makes it a genuinely practical replacement for a traditional multi-pair snake on runs where you're sending a handful of channels and don't want to drag a heavy loomSeveral cables bundled and run as one — keeps rack interconnects tidy and makes load-in one grab instead of eight. across the stage.
Because it draws zero power and has no active circuitry, there's nothing to fail electrically, nothing to patch into your power distribution, and no rack space consumed — the unit is not rack-mounted in the traditional 1UThe standard slice of rack height: 1U = 1.75″. A 3U box takes three slices; half-rack gear pairs two units side by side in one. sense. At load-in that means one less thing to troubleshoot. The four male XLRThe standard 3-pin locking connector for mics and balanced line signals — pin 1 is the shield, pins 2 and 3 carry the balanced pair. outputs feed directly into whatever is at that end of the run: in-ear transmitters, playback gear, a wedgeA floor monitor speaker angled up at the performer — the thing IEMs replace, and the thing you fall back on when they die. amp, whatever you need signal at. The single RJ45 input takes standard Cat5Standard network cable grades. In an audio rig one cheap Cat5e run can replace a 48-channel copper snake; AES50 wants it shielded. or Cat5e, and because the cable is passive, signal quality lives and dies on the quality of your terminations and cable run length, so use properly made, tested cable.
Best fit
Where it earns its place in the system
This belongs in a fly rig or a compact IEMIn-Ear Monitor — earpieces that replace floor wedges, feeding each player their own mix. The reason this whole rack exists. rig where you're trying to minimize cable weight and bulk for a short-to-medium stage run. Touring engineers who already carry a TX unit will find the RX an inexpensive and reliable second end. It is not a replacement for a full analog snakeA multicore cable bundling many channels into one stage-to-console run. A sub-snake collects one corner of the stage into a drop box. on a complex show with many channels, and it won't help you if you need more than four channels through a single run — for that you need multiple pairs or a different solution entirely. If you're working in digital and already running Ethernet for audio, you don't need this at all.
Radial Catapult Mini — etherCON connector endPhoto: Radial Engineering
In the rack
Details worth deciding before load-in.
Test every Cat5Standard network cable grades. In an audio rig one cheap Cat5e run can replace a 48-channel copper snake; AES50 wants it shielded. run with a proper cable tester before the show — a miswired pair means a missing channel, and passive boxes like this will tell you nothing about why signal isn't arriving.
Velcro or zip-tie the RX to the back of a monitor wedgeA floor monitor speaker angled up at the performer — the thing IEMs replace, and the thing you fall back on when they die., a transmitter rack, or a drum riser leg rather than leaving it loose on the floor where it becomes a trip hazard and a connector stress point.
Label your Cat5Standard network cable grades. In an audio rig one cheap Cat5e run can replace a 48-channel copper snake; AES50 wants it shielded. runs at both ends with the channel map (e.g., 'L/R mix + click + guide') so any sub or local crew can trace a signal problem without you.
Keep a spare pre-made Cat5Standard network cable grades. In an audio rig one cheap Cat5e run can replace a 48-channel copper snake; AES50 wants it shielded. run of the same length in your bag — at $125 for the RX and a few dollars for cable, the whole snakeA multicore cable bundling many channels into one stage-to-console run. A sub-snake collects one corner of the stage into a drop box. is cheap enough to carry a backup without guilt.
02 · Know the whole path before you buy.
Signal path
Learn the route as a block diagram: source, product function, transport, and destination. Select any block to see what enters, what changes, and what leaves.
Interactive block diagramAuto-looping · hover, focus, or tap to hold a stage
Port-type signalProduct functionSystem boundary
Follow one signal from source to destination
Each block answers the same three questions: what arrives, what changes here, and what leaves.
01 · Source · selected
1 bank · 4 ch each
Analog over Cat cable
4 × XLR male
01 · Source
Compatible analog-snake transmitter
The matching send end accepts separate analog sources and assigns them to repeatable cable banks.
Required
Compatible transmitter or breakout
Groups
4 source channels
Verify
Matching bank labels
03 · What this product asks of the rest of the system.
Compatibility
Treat connector names as the start of the check—not the answer. These are the boundaries that determine a complete working path.
Best fit · Analog Snake
Use it as analog snake tracked outside rack rails; follow the manufacturer’s mounting and form-factor guidance.
Plan the companion path
Complete both ends with a compatible sender, receiver, or breakout. Match connector, channel wiring, direction, and shielded-cable requirements.
Connector boundary
Documented connectors: RJ45, XLR male. Match connector, direction, and signal type—not shape alone.
04 · Every connector, grouped by job.
I/O ports
Switch the product view and the documented port inventory updates with it—hardware and data stay side by side.
Every connector, grouped by job.
Switch panels to keep the hardware view and the documented port list in sync.
Front panelRear panel
All documented ports for Radial Catapult Mini RX
Port
Panel
Connector
Direction
Signal
Channels
Cat5 In
rear
RJ45
input
analog audio
—
XLR Out 1
rear
XLR male
output
analog audio
—
XLR Out 2
rear
XLR male
output
analog audio
—
XLR Out 3
rear
XLR male
output
analog audio
—
XLR Out 4
rear
XLR male
output
analog audio
—
Showing 5 of 5 documented physical ports.
05 · Compare the decision, not just the price.
Alternatives
The rows are organized around fit, power, I/O, and system role so a cheaper unit cannot hide a more expensive workflow.
Catapult Mini RXThe Radial Catapult Mini RX converts four channels of audio carried over a single Cat5 cable back to individual XLR outputs, making it the receive end of a lightweight analog snake solution. This approach replaces heavy multi-pair audio cables with inexpensive and readily available Cat5 cable, dramatically reducing cable weight and bulk for stage runs. Pair it with a Catapult Mini TX at the other end for a complete four-channel analog snake.View gear →
Catapult Rack RXThe Radial Catapult Rack RX is a 1U passive receiver that carries 12 channels of analog audio from three shielded Cat 5/6 cable runs to 12 XLR outputs. It is the rack end of a lightweight analog snake for IEM, monitor, playback, and touring systems. The signal remains analog end to end, with per-bank ground lift and no AC power required.View gear →
Catapult RX4The Radial Catapult RX4 is the receive end of Radial's modular Cat5 snake system, breaking one shielded Cat5 run back out to four XLR outputs in a rugged floor-box format. Male and female XLRs on every channel let it feed a console while passing signal through to a second destination, and it pairs with any Catapult transmit module. It is the standard stage-side drop for IEM sends and playback feeds without hauling copper multicore.View gear →
Catapult TX4The Radial Catapult TX4 is the transmit end of Radial's modular Cat5 snake system, collecting four XLR feeds onto a single shielded Cat5 run in a rugged floor-box format. Both male and female XLRs on each channel mean it works for sends or returns, and the thru connectors can split a feed to a monitor console at the same time. Pair it with an RX4 or Catapult Rack RX and you have a four-channel analog snake over cable you can buy anywhere.View gear →
06 · Resolve the questions that can change the purchase or build plan.
Planning questions
Short, source-backed answers surface rack fit, power, cabling, and connection details before they become surprises.
Where does the Radial Catapult Mini RX live in a complete rig?
The catalog assigns it no rack units. Builder tracks it as non-rack gear; follow the manufacturer’s mounting, case, and form-factor guidance.
How much power does the Radial Catapult Mini RX draw?
Its power requirement is not yet verified in the catalog.
What connections does the Radial Catapult Mini RX have?
5 documented physical ports, including Cat5 In, XLR Out 1, XLR Out 2, XLR Out 3, XLR Out 4.
07 · See this gear inside a complete system plan.
Builder preview
Builder keeps non-rack gear in the same bill of materials, budget, dependency, and connection plan as the rack-mounted system around it.Open in Builder
