Snake cable
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A snake cable (often just "snake") or medusa is an electrical signal cable with multiple insulated wires or even other cables within it. They are often used in sound reinforcement, as they are far simpler to work with, and also far less likely to cause tripping and other entanglements. Each cable within the snake is independent of the others, having its own insulation and shielding. The name comes from its resemblance in thickness and colour to a black snake.
Basic snakes are simple, having all of the same connectors on one end, and their companions on the other, just like single cables. Some with XLR connectors have up to half of the channels swapped to opposite ends — that is, some channels might run male-to-female, others from female-to-male. This provides a path for return audio to the stage or other similar area. TS or TRS connectors are almost always male plugs on both ends, eliminating this issue altogether.
Many high-end snakes have up to 64 channels of balanced audio, and are permanently attached at one end to a large reel or spool which has the connectors on its side panel, rather than just dangling loose as on the other end of the cable. Some snakes have integrated DI Boxes.
A snake cable may also function as a breakout cable, if it has a compound connector on one end and component connectors on the other. This is more common in short snakes meant for in-studio connections, such as audio engines. Snake cables may also connect to either the front or back of patch panels, when the patch panel is used as an access point or breakout box for connecting external inputs and outputs.
Snake cables can be replaced by using audio over Ethernet, and similar multichannel digital audio technologies such as AES10 (MADI).
Aside from audio, an electrical snake can mean any cable with many conductors for carrying separate signals with modular plugs at either end. Snakes are used for lighting, computers, and industrial controllers, in addition to audio signals.
