patch bays
Home > Home Recording Forum > Recording Techniques > patch bays
Posted on Oct 03, 2003 07:50 pm
Indy Dave
Member Since: Sep 27, 2003
could someone explain, or point me somewhere that explains exactly what you use a patch bay for and how it would be set up. it's kind of lost on me=\
Dave
[ Back to Top ]
juesContributor
Since: Dec 30, 2002
Oct 03, 2003 07:58 pm A patch bay is used in larger studios to gather all your Analouge (1/4" Jack) Inputs and Outputs together into a single 1u Rack Space.
This system allows you to use short calbes 1/4" jack cables (aka Patch Leads) to route the outputs of things to the inputs of others.
eg:
In your studio you have a drum machine (stereo) and a keyboard (stereo) and the pc's Input (stereo) and output (stereo).
You would connect the 2 outputs from the drum machine (left and right) to 2 inputs on the patchbay (eg: 1 & 2).
Next you would connect the Keyboard's 2 outputs to another 2 channels on the patchbay (they'd be 3 & 4 on the bay).
Finally hook your PC's Soundcard outputs to channels 5 & 6 on the patchbay.
You would then attach the INPUTS of your PC's Soundcard to a point on the patchbay (in this example, we'll just continue to channels 7 & 8)
Now, if you wanted to record your Drum Machine, you would simply "patch" channels 1 & 2 to channels 7 & 8 using patch leads. Likewise, you would patch 3 & 4 to 7 & 8 if you wanted to record the keyboard.
As you can probably gather, this isn't amazing useful to small home studio owners, but in a large studio, it's a god send :D
jues.
Oct 03, 2003 07:58 pm patch bays just make life easier. they save you the trouble of crawling behind your rack everytime you want to reroute your signal path. I don't yet own one as all my outboard gear is just a mixer and a compressor so far. By the time you have enough equipment to need a patchbay, you'll know what it's for.
sorry i can't think of any tutorials on the subject.
-j
Oct 03, 2003 07:58 pm ha, jues beat me to the count ;O) you're too fast man
Oct 03, 2003 08:16 pm you both were FAST hehe, thanks a lot both of you=)
MinkusMazBane of All ExistenceMember
Since: Mar 27, 2003
Oct 03, 2003 08:33 pm you forgot to mention that patchbays can serve as excellent cigarette or incense holders if you don't mind equipment that has a short life! you could also probably use it for drawing straws. any other ideas?
juesContributor
Since: Dec 30, 2002
Oct 03, 2003 08:39 pm well, if you are really lonley in the studio one night...
... I'll stop right there.
Oct 03, 2003 08:51 pm remember.. those are only 1/4" inputs.
juesContributor
Since: Dec 30, 2002
Oct 03, 2003 08:56 pm .... some irrelevant joke about 1/8" inputs... :|
Oct 03, 2003 08:59 pm i wonder who else is on the boards right now refreshing the page every couple of minutes..
juesContributor
Since: Dec 30, 2002
Oct 03, 2003 09:12 pm just killing time before I should get some sleep
Oct 03, 2003 09:47 pm /me does not comment....
W.
Oct 03, 2003 10:04 pm ooohhhhh insense and cigarettes... i get it. i was lost for a minute...
Oct 03, 2003 10:05 pm jues, what is it like 4am over there? that's how i usually am.... i'm usually goign to sleep around the time dB's getting up!
Oct 03, 2003 10:09 pm hey this is as good a place as any to spend some time at night. no shame in cruising the board=]
Oct 03, 2003 10:30 pm yeah too bad it's not active like this every night.
::getting sleepy::
LokiCone PokerMember
Since: Apr 07, 2002
Oct 05, 2003 03:51 am I'm know I'm late but lets keep this clean... "if you're lonley in the studio one night..." jesus man ;)
