The Patchbay Blog

Adding a Patch Bay


On Jun 13, 2012, at 6:50 PM, Joshua wrote:

Hi Mister Patchbay,
 
I'm not sure if adding a patch bay to my studio is the right move, but I'm about to make some changes and can see how having a patch bay might make things easier.

Alright.

 
In a nutshell, I have a Digidesign 003R and use very little outboard gear, but would like to get a summing amp and a new mic pre, maybe two. I only use one mic at any time, and perhaps two direct inputs in tandem. That's it. The probability of expanding and buying new gear in the near future isn't great (I just don't use that much outboard gear), but I do like the idea of having room to grow. I think the thing that's got me most interested in a patchbay is that I'd like to start running stems of my mixes through my mixer and back into my interface to open them up a little bit. I guess I could leave those cables plugged in but I'm not sure if I'll be able to do that. Do you think a patchbay would be right for me?

Well the patchbay give you the ability to make changes very quickly without getting up from the control room chair. It also prevents wear and tear on your gear that must be plugged & unplugged. Although depending on the gear, the second statement makes no difference. Happy 

 
And, are there any differences in quality between punch-down bays and soldering bays? I've never soldered on a regular basis, but would be willing to try my hand at it again if there was a difference in sonic quality. I saw on your website that punch-downs are more expensive, but if there aren't any differences in quality I would just suck up my pride and order the punch-down type!

In fact, not that I can hear it, but the punch-down looks better at the high-end on a scope. The punch-down never has a "cold" solder joint, and in the future when a change is needed, the punch is a ton easier to change. 

 
Also, I read your post on phantom power and TT patchbays, but I just want to make sure I understood it correctly. So, as long as the patchbay's wiring is correct I wouldn't have to worry about power surges and potentially short-circuiting anything?

That is correct sir. 

 
Thanks for your time.

No problem.

Sincerely,
Bobby Hickey
phone: 817-926-9535
Visit Bob Land Below
Mr. Patchbay Website: http://www.misterpatchbay.com/
Mix resume: http://www.misterpatchbay.com/mix-resume/mix-resume.html
GaugeCraft: http://www.gaugecraft.com/

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