To patch bay or not to patch bay post...

To patch bay or not to patch bay

Posted on Jan 04, 2005 01:54 pm
whosyourdaddy00
Hold 'Em Czar
Member Since: Dec 30, 2004

ok i've just aquired my first two pieces of outboard signal processors, (Alesis 2ch compressor/gate, and a DXT (not sure if that's right) 2ch graphic eq, both previously my fathers, i'm pretty sure they are both better off in live applications, but i can't resist having two channels of outboard eq and dynamics!
so i hook them up as inserts, and in doing some testing i notice a definite difference in sound when i run through them in bypass. mostly just transient loss, but also loss in overall gain (And this is in bypass!!). So i decided maybe i didn't want them permanitly connected to my first two pres on my Q-10 as inserts, and i'd just hook 'em up as needed...some quick memory checkin' resulted in an rather ruff looking Signal Flex PB-32, i'm not sure if it's normaled or not (net serch hasn't helped much) but i think i can help my situation with it....or can i?? i'm afraid that the patchbay itself will add more noise than it's worth or will it? there's not much electronics involved in them so maybe the self noise will be minimal (atleast that's what i'm hoping for) i donno, but i do know that my rack looks real cool with it jamed full of 6 spaces of gear!!!

peace

wyd

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Walt
Chief Cook and Bottle Washer
Member
Since: May 10, 2002

Jan 04, 2005 02:48 pm

I love my patchbay, and it does not add any noise. No electronics at all. Not even passive. Simply wire traces on a circuit board.

Now, to qualify my 'love' for the patchbay, I must say I use oppisite the configuration of most. I do a lot of recording 'on site'. Take my equipment to the 'studio' so to speak. My recorder (HD24) and rack gear is in a 12 space rack. All of my rack gear is plugged into the back of the patch bay. I have modified the Ckt boards in the patch bay so that out of the front of the bay I can use a simple TRS cord to patch my gear into the inserts of my mixer. No 'Y' cords. No diggin around the back of the rack. Access to the back of the board is always easy as the board sits in open space for the most part.