Patch bay layout

Modern patch bays are user configurable and naturally signal flows out from the top row the to bottom in. Keep this in mind when placing your equipment on the bay. For instance, put your 1 mic panel connection on the first jack of the top row, and 1 mic input of your console on the first jack of the bottom row directly below it. This way your 1 mic panel always is connected to input 1 of your console without having to ever patch it, since this is likely the configuration you want most of the time.

Remember, outputs on the top, inputs on the bottom. If this is too much to deal with, there is always a professional willing to show you how to plan your patchbay!

Step 1: Make a list of all of the available inputs and outputs you want to have patchable. Step 2: Using an Excel patchbay layout template, these can be found on the internet, such as the link below this article fill in the names for your equipment. Most commercial studios use a patchbay — especially those with a console. Everything is connected to the patchbay. It allows you to quickly connect different pieces of gear together without having to crawl behind them and physically run cables from one unit to the other.

But the more gear you have, the bigger your patch bay needs to be. You know those old movies where people would make phone calls and speak to an operator? There were usually a bunch of women sitting in front of a wall of cables , smoking cigarettes and patching calls to Albuquerque.

Even hybrid studios with only a few pieces of outboard gear can benefit from a patchbay. Typically, patchbays have 24 channels per unit. Most modern patchbays use tiny telephone TT , or bantam connectors on the front.

DB or D-sub cables are multi-pin connectors that can carry 8 analog audio signals simultaneously. One end of the D-sub cable has a single DB connector.

This is a huge space-saver. For instance, console channel outputs connect to the patch bay using a single cable, instead of 8 separate TRS cables. Patchbays are organized based on the needs of the studio, so none of them are laid out the same way. The whole point is to speed up your workflow by allowing you to make common connections quickly. If your studio is set up for recording, you might set up patches for cue headphone sends or synthesizers.

Generally, patchbays are organized in order of signal flow. Outputs are almost always on the top row, with inputs on the bottom row. Simple enough, right? Signal from the top jacks runs down to the bottom jacks beneath them by default, and you can choose to create customizable signal processing chains using patch bay cables.

This lets you plug in microphones and manipulate where their signal gets routed quite easily. My last piece of advice is to label your patch bay. Join the Black Ghost Audio group on Facebook to connect with musicians and producers looking to network and pay for your freelance services.

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Disclosure: This post may contain "affiliate links," which means that if you click on the link and make a purchase, Black Ghost Audio makes a commission. Learn how to set up and use a patch bay to create customizable signal processing chains using hardware like mic preamps, EQs, compressors, reverbs, and delays. The Ultimate Guide to Reverb Learn what reverb is and how you can use this creative effect to manipulate the perception of space in your mixes.

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