One-Stop Stage Box & Snake Cable Solutions | Sinbosen
Stage boxes and multicore snake cables are the indispensable "nerve center" of professional live performance setups — they dramatically simplify complex cabling and improve overall system reliability.
Stage Box
A stage box is a rugged metal junction box with multiple XLR (Cannon) input/output connectors on its panel. Its core function is to concentrate the scattered microphone, DI box, and instrument signals from across the stage into a single point, then transmit them to the mixing console or backstage through the multicore aviation connector (or snake cable) on its side. Some stage boxes also feature color-coded connectors, which help the sound engineer quickly identify different channels under the dim lighting conditions of a live stage.
Models differ according to their signal input/output channel configuration.
Sinbosen offers a range of stage boxes to choose from, and custom connector configurations are also supported.
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Name / Concept
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XLR Connector Configuration
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Primary Application
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16-Channel Signal Box (Fig. 1)
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16 pure inputs (all female)
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Connecting multiple microphone/instrument signals to the mixing console; centralized wiring for the stage audio system
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16-Channel Signal Box, 12 Female + 4 Male (Fig. 2)
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12 inputs (female) + 4 returns (male)
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Applications requiring both microphone/instrument inputs and stage monitor return feeds
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16-Channel Signal Box (Fig. 3)
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16 pure inputs (all female)
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Connecting multiple microphone/instrument signals to the mixing console; centralized wiring for the stage audio system
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Stage Multicore — The Signal Pathway Between the Stage Box and the Mixing Console / Rack
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Built from heavy-duty multicore cable, internally composed of multiple groups of individually shielded audio lines to effectively prevent crosstalk between channels. The end that connects to the stage box is a heavy-duty multipin aviation plug with a locking mechanism, inserted into the circular multicore socket on the side of the stage box. The other end is available in two types of breakout XLR tails, depending on the model: the male tail plugs into the input connectors (Channel IN) on the rear of the mixing console or the ANALOG INPUT sockets on the amplifier rack patch panel; the female tail connects to the outputs of microphones and other audio sources. |
How to Read Multicore Cable Model Codes?
- CH = number of channels
- M = length (meters)
- FXLR = XLR female (connects to sources with male outputs)
- MXLR = XLR male (plugs into device input sockets)
- VFS = multicore aviation female (with locking sleeve)
- VMS = multicore aviation male (with pins)
Sinbosen's Multicore Cable Options
12CH 1.5M-12FXLR-VFS, 12CH 1.5M-12FXLR-VMS, 12CH 1.5M-12MXLR-VFS, 12CH 3.5M-12FXLR-VMS, 16CH 1.5M-12MXLR and 4FXLR-VFS, 16CH 15M VFS-VMS — what do these names mean?1. 12CH 1.5M-12FXLR-VFS — 12-channel, 1.5 m input-fan patch cable. The VFS female end mates with a male output socket (stage box / patch panel), while the 12 XLR female connectors take microphone, DI, and other audio source inputs. Application: Consolidating 12 channels of source signal into the stage box link inside the rack or at the stage end, or serving as a signal input adapter/patch cable.
2. 12CH 1.5M-12FXLR-VMS — 12-channel, 1.5 m. Identical to No. 1 in having female breakout tails; the difference is the VMS male multicore end, used to plug into a patch panel / stage box interface fitted with a multicore female socket, feeding 12 channels of source signal into that panel.
3. 12CH 1.5M-12MXLR-VFS — 12-channel, 1.5 m input wiring. The VFS female end mates with the stage box's male output socket, and the 12 XLR male connectors plug into the mixing console's Channel IN or the amplifier rack's ANALOG INPUT connector block. Application: The standard short-distance wiring from stage box to mixing console / rack input.
4. 12CH 3.5M-12FXLR-VMS — Same construction as No. 2, with length increased to 3.5 m. Application: For when physical distance needs to be opened up between the mixing console / rack and the microphones or signal access points.
5. 16CH 1.5M-12MXLR+4FXLR-VFS — 16-channel composite snake (12 in + 4 return). The 12 XLR male connectors plug into the mixing console inputs to carry microphone/line signals; the 4 XLR female connectors connect to the outputs of the console or a processor, sending the return signal back to the stage box end through the same multicore cable. Application: A single cable carrying both the outbound multiple signal channels and the inbound returns — ideal for systems with monitor sends or processor returns.
6. 16CH 15M VFS-VMS — 16-channel, 15 m main trunk extension. Both ends are multicore aviation connectors (female on one end, male on the other), with no XLR breakout tails. Application: The long-distance trunk segment between the stage box and the mixing console / rack. The male/female pairing allows connection to a male output socket and a female input panel respectively, and can also be chained with the breakout patch cables above to form a complete signal chain.
One-Stop Cable Solutions
SINBOSEN provides cabling and flight case customization built to professional acoustic standards — ensuring your equipment performs at its best and eliminating the interference and overload risks caused by mismatched, cobbled-together cabling on site.
①Industrial-Grade Power Distribution (Mains Supply)
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| Harting heavy-duty cable / HB01 consolidation line: multiple 220V circuits bundled and transmitted together for rapid deployment. |
Schuko 2.5 m power cable:
clean power for individual devices inside the rack (switches / amplifiers / receivers). |
②OEM-Grade Audio and Power Distribution System (Strict Signal / Power Separation)
- Low voltage (signal): stage box + high-shielding multicore main cable + breakout tails — responsible for interference-free collection and return of faint microphone and instrument signals.
- High voltage (speakers): heavy-gauge oxygen-free copper speaker main cable + Speakon breakout box + short patch cables — dedicated to safely distributing the high voltage and high current coming from the rack amplifiers, precisely driving each line array cabinet.
③Millisecond-Level Networked Control System (The Digital Nervous System)
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CAT6A etherCON aviation network cable: locking metal connectors for connecting switches to DSP amplifiers, guaranteeing zero packet loss for Dante/AVB audio and remote console commands.
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④Broadcast-Grade Ultra-HD Video System (Visual Integration)
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| HDMI 4K AOC active optical cable: loss-free transmission over 30 m to the stage LED screen. |
12G-SDI coax patch cable: short-distance, ultra-high-bandwidth broadcast-grade video processing.
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⑤Professional Custom Cable Flight Cases (Touring Transport & Storage)
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Don't Mix Up These Lookalike Boxes
Stage Box vs. Speaker Breakout Box — The Core Differences
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| Speaker Box | Signal Box |
Although both are hubs of audio transmission, they differ fundamentally in physical construction and electrical characteristics:
Transmission level and signal nature: A stage box primarily carries faint microphone/line-level signals (low voltage, low current), which are highly susceptible to external electromagnetic interference. A speaker breakout box, by contrast, carries speaker-level signal after amplification (high voltage, high current), used to drive speakers directly.
Cable and connector standards: To protect faint signals, stage box cabling must have tight metallic shielding and universally adopts balanced XLR connectors. Speaker cabling, on the other hand, requires no shielding, but needs extremely heavy-gauge oxygen-free copper conductors to minimize resistive loss — typically terminated with high-power Speakon connectors.
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Comparison Dimension
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Stage Box
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Speaker Breakout Box
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Signal carried
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Faint audio signal of a few tens of millivolts (low level)
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Amplified power at very high voltage and high current (high level)
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Panel connectors
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XLR connectors (male/female differentiated)
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Speakon power connectors (black/green circular body with latch)
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Core function
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Collects scattered microphone signals and consolidates them for the mixing console
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Receives the enormous electrical power delivered by the amplifier and distributes it to drive each speaker
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