Given the typically much lighter use in a semi‑pro context this less robust format isn’t usually problematic, and it’s often more convenient, too, as most A‑gauge patchbays also have A‑gauge sockets at the rear, for simple plug‑and‑play installation/reconfiguration. Most amateur or semi‑pro project studios, therefore, tend to use A‑gauge patchbays, which employ the domestic quarter‑inch ‘headphone’ TRS plugs.
#MIDI PATCHBAY PCI PROFESSIONAL#
Some TT/Bantam patchbays require professional wiring, but others are available pre‑wired with multi‑pin connectors at the rear (such as AES59 D‑subs) to make installation neater and more practical. TT patchbays aren’t quite as robust as B‑gauge types but still more so than A‑gauge jacks, and double the number of sockets can be squeezed into a given rack space. The TT/Bantam plugs share the PO316 design but are smaller in diameter (4.4mm). Where space is at a premium, notably when the setup involves a large‑format console and lots of analogue hardware, a reduced‑scale alternative is often employed: the TT (Tiny Telephone) or Bantam format. Professional‑quality longframe patchbays are expensive, though, and usually have to be professionally hand‑wired into the studio installation. headphone jack) by its small‑diameter rounded tip. It’s easily distinguishable from the more common but less robust A‑gauge TRS jack (ie.
#MIDI PATCHBAY PCI MANUAL#
This extremely robust design was developed for manual telephone exchanges, and uses a distinctive ‘PO316’ quarter‑inch (6.35mm) brass plug with three contacts (tip, ring and sleeve). They’re also a much more robust option, so can be good if you plan on doing lots of patching regularly.For patching balanced analogue audio, professional studios have traditionally employed B‑gauge or ‘longframe’ patchbays. The professional Bantam (pictured) and larger B‑gauge plugs are rounded at the end, unlike the consumer TRS jacks most of us are now more familiar with. But this is not an absolute rule: if a situation requires a different arrangement just make sure it’s clearly identified so that everyone can see what’s going on.
Usually, sources (equipment outputs) are presented along the top row, and destinations (equipment inputs) are on the bottom row. A complete studio installation might involve several separate patchbays, but each unit typically comprises two rows of sockets.
#MIDI PATCHBAY PCI PATCH#
You insert patch cables in sockets on the front, to route signals between the different devices you’ve connected at the rear. But a patchbay is actually really simple: it’s nothing more than a manual routing matrix.
EssentialsĬhoosing and configuring a patchbay might seem daunting to anyone who’s not done it before, given the various physical formats and the notion that ‘normalling’ might be complicated. I’ll also consider some of the possibilities and benefits of using them in a modern project studio. And they save you having to scrabble around in the dark, under a desk or at the back of a rack! In this article, I’ll take you through the essentials of planning and setting up a patchbay. They come into their own whenever there’s a disparity between the numbers of sources and destinations, and they’re also helpful when you want to establish a default signal path that you’ll only need to change from time to time. It’s understandable: many of us now don’t use mixing desks, we use a fraction of the outboard gear we once did, and audio interfaces can now offer enough connectivity that dedicating inputs and outputs to different hardware devices - so they can be accessed directly from your DAW - is possible for all of us.īut patchbays remain very useful. With so much of what we do today carried out ‘in the box’, the humble patchbay is growing rarer outside of professional studios. Even in today’s computer‑based studios, a patchbay can change your life.
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