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The Sonnect Sound Bullet Story
Why do we need the Sound Bullet? Personally, I don’t like carrying cable testers. They are bulky and don’t really include tools I need very often. When was the last time you needed to test a midi cable on a gig? Some models (the DBX CT-3 comes to mind) can be really handy to keep in a bigger workbox tool kit. Lugging one around in your personal kit however, is a bit much. Many of the cable testers on the market currently also require one or even two 9 volt batteries. I like carrying those even less. On the job, being able to generate and monitor signals with a portable tool is much more useful. Testing cables is helpful at times, but it’s often faster to just try a different cable or tie-line.
I do like to carry the SoundTools Sniffer/Sender however. It is a great & simple solution for quickly testing the most common cables (XLR & NL-4). It is also often necessary to carry a Whirlwind Q-box for testing audio coming down a line. The Q-box allows you to generate tone & inspect signals easily using headphones too, which is great. These two tools work well together and offer some features that the Sound Bullet does not.
That ability to test a cable in situ is a big deal on real jobs. That is, testing XLR runs where the ends are not near each other. Sniffer / sender type testers can save a ton of time when dealing with long cable runs. Testing cables this way is easily the second most common test I do on jobs after spot checking signals.
Currently, the SoundBullet is not compatible with the RAT Sniffer / Sender. However, creator David Scorteccia said he would like to explore making them work together in the future. More to come on that when I send this Sound Bullet to a friend for a closer look.
(After this was originally published, we sent our original Sound Bullter to Dave RAT & they now sell them in their store! Dave has since visited Sonnect & made a fun bts video at the Sound Bullet shop. Sonnect sent us another to continue using in the shop. Legends!)
For folks who use every feature of their Q-Box, again you may find the simplicity a welcome addition to your tool belt, rather then a replacement for the Q-Box outright. For my needs, the rechargeable battery and smaller size of the Sound Bullet means it will be more likely to be charged up and on my belt when I need it. If you are interested in what’s inside the Sound Bullet, watch our teardown video instead of taking yours apart!
Being able to quickly test direct boxes properly is a huge addition to anyone’s kit and probably worth buying for that alone. Ultimately though, it’s a product made by a fellow technician that feels like something modern that’s been built just for us. Time will tell how you feel though & I look forward to hearing your comments.
At the time of filming, the Sound Bullet is available for pre-order. We do not have any affiliation with Sound Bullet or the ordering process, so please consult The Sound Bullet website directly for any information regarding orders, pricing, availability etc. There is also a ton more information about the unit and how it all works on their site. Don’t hesitate to ask a question if you have one & I’ll get an answer for you from David.
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