Cranborne Audio C.A.S.T. Intro Bundle

What’s In The Box

N8 - C.A.S.T. Distribution Hub and Audio Over Cat 5 System
19” Rackmount Kit for N8
N22H - Reference-Grade Headphone Amplifier, Cat 5 Snake, and C.A.S.T. Breakout Box
N22H 9v power supply
N22 - Cat 5 Snake and C.A.S.T. Breakout Box
2x 10m Cat 6e Cable with custom Cranborne Audio Velcro cable ties

Key Features

Bundle with 4 Cranborne Audio products and 2x 10m C.A.S.T cables for instant C.A.S.T. connectivity

N8 - C.A.S.T. Distribution Hub and Audio Over Cat 5 System
19” Rackmount Kit for N8
N22H - Reference-Grade Headphone Amplifier, Cat 5 Snake, and C.A.S.T. Breakout Box
N22H 9v power supply
N22 - Cat 5 Snake and C.A.S.T. Breakout Box
2x 10m Cat 6e Cable with custom Cranborne Audio Velcro cable ties
Cranborne Audio Sticker

Connectivity for up to 4 C.A.S.T. breakout boxes with 2 breakout boxes included in the bundle
Completely passive operation*
Fully-balanced, high-quality audio paths
8 Inputs and 8 outputs over DB25 (Tascam wiring) (sold separately)
C.A.S.T. IN A, B, C, and D ports on RH45 with 2 dedicated Input and output paths each
Compatible with any shielded Cat 5e/Cat 6/Cat 7 cable with distances up to 100m/330ft
Improved crosstalk performance with high-performance Cat 6 and Cat 7 (recommended)
Ruggedised metal enclosure
Compatible with all Cranborne Audio C.A.S.T.-enabled devices including N22, N22H, Camden EC1, and Camden EC2
Fully-support of 48v phantom power
N8 Rack-mountable with supplied Half Rack Kit

*N22H Needs power supply for headphone amplifier operation (included)

N8 Quick Start Guide [PDF]

N22H Quick Start Guide [PDF]

The diagram above details the steps required in order to connect N8 to your recording system and C.A.S.T.-enabled devices.

Connect the DB25 Output Connector to the Mic/Line Inputs 1-8 of your audio interface.
Connect the DB25 Input Connector to the Line Outputs 1-8 of your audio interface.
Connect the C.A.S.T. Output of N22 or N22H to the C.A.S.T. A Input of N8 using the supplied Cat 6 cable.
Connect your Mics or Line sources into the Inputs of the N22 or N22H.
Connect the Outputs of N22 or N22H to the desired destination such as a speaker, monitor, or recording device.

Once set up, mic/line sources connected to the Inputs of the N22/N22H are sent through C.A.S.T., through N8, and directly to Inputs 1-2 on your audio interface.

At the same time, Outputs 1/2 from your audio interface are sent into N8, through the same C.A.S.T. cable, and to outputs 1/2 of the N22/N22H. Up to 4 devices can be connected to a single N8 for a maximum of 8 inputs and 8 outputs.

Do you think Cat 5 is for networking only and shouldn't be used for analogue audio? Well, networking cable is actually perfectly suited for analogue audio - here's why!

Networking cable isn't only designed for networking, it's still an analogue cable that transports signals and voltage along a copper line - just like an audio cable.
Cat 5 is manufactured to a rigorous high-standard to reliably transmit data across buildings (which is very important to make the world go round!) whereas XLR cables come in varying quality and aren't designed to perform to a specific technical standard.
Network cables transfer huge amounts of data at very high bandwidths (1000mHz on Cat 7.... which is 1,000,000,000kHz) so comparatively speaking, transporting audio which is 20Hz to 20kHz is pretty easy and can be done with minimal crosstalk and without signal degradation.
One Cat 5 cable can also be used to transport up to 4 channels of fully-balanced analogue audio. It does this in the same was as analogue multicore as there are 4 twisted pairs of cables each with their own shield - they just happen to be packaged into a single cable.
Finally, as networking cable is ordered by the trillions, it's music more affordable than XLR cable which comparatively, is manufactured in much lower quantities. That means a 10m Cat 7 cable (which transports 4 channels of audio) can be bought at any retailer for the fraction of a price of a single XLR cable.