Radial Engineering Catapult Mini TRS User's Guide

FEATURES

®

True to the Music

True to the Music

1

2

Catapult Mini TX

1. RJ45 OUTPUT: Sends analog audio over Cat 5 or Cat 6 Ethernet cable.

2. FEMALE XLR INPUTS: Connect to balanced mic or line level sources.

3

4

Catapult Mini RX

3. RJ45 INPUT: Receives four channels of analog audio over Cat 5 or

Cat 6 Ethernet cable.

4. MALE XLR OUTPUTS: Allow you to plug directly into the inputs of a
mixer or recording interface.

5

6

Catapult Mini TRS

5. RJ45 INPUT/OUTPUT: Can be used to send or receive four channels

of analog audio over Cat 5 or Cat 6 Ethernet cable.

6. MALE TRS CONNECTORS: Allow you to plug directly into the
balanced 1/4” TRS connections of a mixer or recording interface.

7

8

All Catapult Mini versions

7. STEEL CHASSIS: 16-gauge powder-coated steel housing to handle

any touring environment.

8. EXPANDO MESH SHEATHING: Provides extra durability and protects
cables from damage. Heatshrink labels are color-coded to identify

channels at a glance.

Radial Engineering Ltd.

SPECIFICATIONS

Audio circuit type: .............................................................. Passive RJ45 to XLR/TRS

Frequency response: .............................................................................. 7Hz - 20KHz

Total harmonic distortion (THD+N): .................................................... 0.0005% 1KHz

Dynamic range: ................................................................................................. 140dB

Maximum input: ...............................................................................................+35dBu

Minimum load impedance: ..................................................................................100Ω

Common mode rejection: ................................................................................ >103dB

Construction: ......................................................16 gauge steel chassis & outer shell

Chassis size: ........................................ 4.2” x 1.32” x 1.6” (107mm x 34mm x 41mm)

Cable length: ................................................................................................ 2ft (0.6m)

Warranty: .......................................................................... Radial 3-year, transferable

To meet the requirements of California Proposition 65, it is our responsibility to inform you of the following:

WARNING: This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer,
birth defects or other reproductive harm.

Please take proper care when handling and consult local government regulations before discarding.

RADIAL ENGINEERING 3 YEAR

TRANSFERABLE LIMITED WARRANTY

RADIAL ENGINEERING LTD. (“Radial”) warrants this product to be free from defects in material and
workmanship and will remedy any such defects free of charge according to the terms of this warranty.

Radial will repair or replace (at its option) any defective component(s) of this product (excluding nish and

wear and tear on components under normal use) for a period of three (3) years from the original date of
purchase. In the event that a particular product is no longer available, Radial reserves the right to replace
the product with a similar product of equal or greater value. In the unlikely event that a defect is uncovered,
please call 604-942-1001 or email [e-mail] to obtain a RA number (Return Authorization
number) before the 3 year warranty period expires. The product must be returned prepaid in the original
shipping container (or equivalent) to Radial or to an authorized Radial repair center and you must assume
the risk of loss or damage. A copy of the original invoice showing date of purchase and the dealer name
must accompany any request for work to be performed under this limited and transferable warranty.
This warranty shall not apply if the product has been damaged due to abuse, misuse, misapplication,

accident or as a result of service or modication by any other than an authorized Radial repair center.

THERE ARE NO EXPRESSED WARRANTIES OTHER THAN THOSE ON THE FACE HEREOF
AND DESCRIBED ABOVE. NO WARRANTIES WHETHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING
BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR
A PARTICULAR PURPOSE SHALL EXTEND BEYOND THE RESPECTIVE WARRANTY PERIOD
DESCRIBED ABOVE OF THREE YEARS. RADIAL SHALL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR
ANY SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR LOSS ARISING FROM THE USE
OF THIS PRODUCT. THIS WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS, AND YOU MAY ALSO
HAVE OTHER RIGHTS, WHICH MAY VARY DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU LIVE AND WHERE THE
PRODUCT WAS PURCHASED.

Radial Engineering Ltd.

Catapult Mini

USER GUIDE

Radial Engineering Ltd.

1588 Kebet Way, Port Coquitlam BC V3C 5M5

tel: [phone] • fax: [phone]

[e-mail] • www.radialeng.com

Catapult Mini™ User Guide - Part No. R870 1043 10 - 4/2/2019 • © Copyright 2019 all

Catapult Mini™

™

www.radialeng.com

rights reserved.

Specications and appearance are subject to change without notice.

Thank you for purchasing the Radial Catapult Mini™ modular snake, a Cat
5 analog audio snake system that is designed to clean up the stage, simplify
setups and take advantage of pre-existing wire infrastructure. Although these
devices are designed to be easy to use, please take a minute to read through
this short manual in order to take full advantage of their functionality. If you
have any questions not answered within, please visit the Catapult Mini FAQ
page as this is where we post questions and answers from users along with
updates. If you still nd yourself with more questions, you can always reach
us by email at [e-mail].

OVERVIEW

The Catapult Mini RX, TX, and TRS all act like a typical four-channel analog
audio snake; they allow you to send mic or line-level signals from one location
to another without signal loss, noise, or interference, and without any digital
audio conversion needed. The di󰀨erence is that instead of using bulky and
expensive multi-channel audio cable, the Catapult system makes use of Cat 5
Ethernet cable, which is widely available, lightweight, and economical. Simply
connect a shielded Cat 5 cable between any two Catapult modules and they
will use the cable’s analog conductors to deliver four balanced audio lines to
any destination. As many buildings are already pre-wired for Cat 5, you can
take advantage of this to transmit audio between distant rooms without the
need to install or supply new cable. And since the Catapult system is modular,
you can mix and match di󰀨erent transmit and receive boxes to best suit your
application. The Catapult Mini RX and TX both feature XLR connectors, while
the Mini TRS allows you to connect to devices using 1/4” TRS plugs.

USING THE MINI TX WITH THE MINI RX

To use the Catapult Minis in their simplest form, connect the Mini TX and the Mini
RX together using a Cat 5 cable. As the twisted pairs within an Ethernet cable
are tightly wound together in a compact jacket, it’s a good idea to send signals
of a similar level together over the same wire as this will reduce crosstalk from
higher signal levels (such as +4dB line levels) bleeding into lower volume signals
(such as -30dB mic levels).

Cat 5

Catapult Mini TX Catapult Mini RX

USING THE MINI RX WITH THE CATAPULT TX4/TX4M/TX4L

You can use the Catapult TX4 with the Mini RX to send audio signals from a
live stage to the FOH console. The Catapult TX4 provides a robust stage box to
plug your microphones into, while the Mini RX is small enough to t in the dog
house of a mixer case, with the XLR outputs plugged directly into the mixer. To
split the mic signals to a monitor mixer located beside the stage, the TX4M can
be employed, as it features isolation transformers optimized for mic-level that will
eliminate hum and buzz from ground loops between the two mixers. For splitting
line-level signals at the source, the TX4L is also available.

USING THE MINI TX WITH THE CATAPULT RX4/RX4M/RX4L

The Mini TX can be paired with the Catapult RX4 to feed the outputs of a
console to a distant rack of power amps. To block stray DC voltages and
avoid noise through the system, the RX4L has line-level isolation transformers
to eliminate hum and buzz, as well as four direct XLR outputs to also feed
another device such as a recording interface. If microphone splitting is
required at the destination, the RX4M has transformers optimized for this task.

FOH

Power Amp
to Speakers

Isolated

Cat 5

Catapult Mini TX

Recording interface

Direct

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF PRE-EXISTING CAT 5 WIRING

Use the Ethernet cables already wired throughout a building to send audio
from one room to the other without additional installation or messy cables.

Note that the signals between two Catapult modules cannot pass through a
network switch, as it will block the analog audio signal.

Catapult Mini RX

Cat 5

Room 1 Room 2

MAKING CONNECTIONS

As with all audio systems, it is good to turn volume levels down or audio
systems o󰀨 before making connections. This will avoid connection or power-

Isolated

up transients from damaging more sensitive components such as tweeters.

You can use any standard Cat 5 or Cat 6 Ethernet cable to connect Catapult
modules to each other. In order to pass 48V phantom power to feed your
condenser mics or active direct boxes, the cable and terminating connections
must have a shield. If you are transmitting line level signals, the shield is not
required due to the twisted pair conguration, but it will still be benecial as
shielded cables are less susceptible to noise.

Radial Engineering Ltd. Radial Engineering Ltd. Radial Engineering Ltd.

Catapult Mini

Catapult Mini™ Catapult Mini™

™

Monitors FOH

Catapult Mini TX

Cat 5 Wall Plate

Catapult Mini RX