Hey jack. Just wanted to say thank you for uploading again! I had a pretty bad day at school and when i was biking home i was thinking about your channel. When i got home i saw that you had uploaded, and my day became better instantly.
No way man! That means so much that you were thinking about the channel! I'm sorry you had a bad day at school! I hope the next one is better! Thanks for all your support Max, I mean it man - the channel wouldn't be the same without you! 👊😎
This is great man, thanks for sharing. Almost done with my first studio build at our new(ish) house in Nashville, & the time has come for the patchbay to be set up. Cheers
So glad to hear that! Quick note, I'm going to be announcing a new home studio setup feedback series. If you want feedback on your home studio setup and tips on how to improve it, send photos to me on Instagram @jackthemurray!
Thank you very much for the explanation. I am about to hook up my rack of components and needed a little clarification on what each function (N,HN, and T) clearly meant and how to use them appropriately. Another hassle this will help alleviate is having to set up I/Os in the AI software and/or DAW then jumping back and forth from screen to screen having forgotten which component is assigned to which I/O in the box. Now I can just reach over and route/insert/remove whatever component I want to use or not use without all of the second guessing. Mega appreciation!
My studio is growing up friends! :'''( I remember when it was just a little baby studio. Is your studio growing? What's next on your wishlist?! Comment below!! 👊😎
Its funny that I just decided to make an excel table for my patchbay the other day, but maybe feeling a bit nerdy for it... Coincidentally you did the same thing and also this awesome tutorial. Thanks for the template you patchbay nerd ;) liked!
I've got a Signex patch bay that I've had for about 15 years. It's getting a bit sucky now. Some of the inputs are borking out a bit. Time to buy a Samson S I think ;-)
Thank you. I do have a question though. Where do I plug my mics into when I introduce a patchbay? I just got one, and I’m kind of stumped on where I actually plug my mics into now. Before my patchbay I just had my xlr cables going straight into my SSL12. I have all my SSL12 inputs and outputs hooked up into the patchbay, along with my outboard gear. But now I don’t know where to plug my mics into. Am I missing something? Thanks!
Thanks for the comment! While you could convert your mic cables to XLR-TRS and have them routed through the patch. A lot of people recommend not running XLR mic inputs through your patch bay. There is some disagreement on this though. One of the reasons not to is that phantom power becomes more dangerous (more likely to short) when using TRS plugs due to the fact that the contacts pass over each other when being plugged/unplugged. Unlike an XLR cable where all the contacts are insulated and connect at exactly the same time. For that reason, any. XLR mic channels I have, aren’t ran through the patch bay. But my TRS line level inputs are. What some people will do is build an XLR Jack panel to relocate their mic inputs to the front rack panel above the patch bay to make it easier. You can also buy an XLR patch bay to manage your mic inputs. Up to you, but you’re on the right path and asking good questions. Hope that helps.
About to buy it but there's one big thing missing for me (on other patchbays as well) is a place to put markers on what is what... Was wondering how you've resolved that in the end. Would probably need some tape to remember what is what...
Hey man quick Question. Where are you plugging your mics into? For my set up I have a snake with all of my drum mics connected to it. would I get a Female XLR to TRS and plug each Snake cable into the Patch bay? This always confuses me. I heard you aren't supposed to run phantom into a try patchbay
Hey man, all my mics go directly to my preamps. So no routing through the patch bay for those. Main reason was the TRS/phantom issue you mentioned. Some people say it’s fine, but I didn’t feel I needed to risk it. I’d say the safe route is to get a separate xlr patch bay for your pre amp inputs. I might do that eventually but don’t feel the need right now. Hope that helps
@@jackthemurray Gotcha man. Thanks for the feedback. So I'm STILL confused because for my set up, I have a cranborne 500r8 interface (8 XLR Ins/Outs) and my Scarlett 18i20 is connected to the 500r8 via ADAT. I have an 1176 comp and a 2 Channel Neve 1073 1U Rack. I want to plug the INs/OUTs Of the 500r8, 18i20, 1176, and 1083 into a TRS Samson patchbay So I can have the flexibility of using the outboard gear on whichever channel of my 500r8/18i20. With this desired setup, My IN's and Out's for My interface and Outboard gear are connected to the patch bay. which means, There isn't anywhere to plug my mics into other than the patch bay. And an XLR patch bay seems like it would only work if I had a bunch of external pre amps but I only have 2. Sorry for the long message, I've just been trying to figure this out for weeks and its puzzled me.
Cool thanks for the info. This is definitely a confusing topic and there really isn't a set "right" answer. Given that I think it's generally a decent idea to avoid MIC/Phantom patching (especially on cheaper patch bays) - this is how I would do it (and how my setup is). Maybe this isn't ideal, but I think the eventual goal is to have enough pre's to justify an XLR patch bay: 18i20 - Patch whichever inputs you want to use as LINE INs to patch bay. 18i20 - Patch all LINE OUTs to patch bay. 18i20 - Leave any desired channels unpatched if you wish to use them as MIC IN channels or patch those channels as a LINE IN. Plug in mics directly. (Not familiar with this device so bear with me). 500r8 - Patch whichever inputs you want to use as LINE INs to patch bay. 500r8 - Patch all LINE OUTs to patch bay. 500r8 - Leave any desired channels unpatched if you wish to use them as MIC IN channels or patch those channels as a LINE IN. Plug in mics directly. (if theres separate line in jacks for each channel, patch all either way). Neve 1073 (x2) - Plug mics directly into the MIC INs when you want to use this device for recording. Neve 1073 (x2) - Patch LINE INs and LINE OUTs to patch bay. Normal LINE OUTs to whatever interface LINE INs you choose. (see above) 1176 - Patch LINE IN and LINE OUT to patch bay. I wouldn't use the mic in/out in this setup. This way you can patch from any preamp LINE OUT or route audio through from an interface DAW LINE OUT. For me, my mics go directly into my preamps (WA73EQ, 511) via an XLR snake. The WA73 LINE OUT goes to patch., Patch normalled to 18i20 LINE IN 5, and my Neve 511 LINE OUT goes to patch, Patch normalled to 18i20 LINE IN 6. The LINE INs of my 500 rack and WA73EQ are also patched into the patch bay for line level use and routing from DAW (18i20) LINE outs. Hopefully that helps in some way. That's what I think the best setup would be for now. Happy to talk further or walk you through my setup. Feel free to hit me up on IG if desired. JM
@@jackthemurray Thank you so much for the detailed info man. This all helps a lot. The only thing is with the cranborne 500r8 it is a 500 series chasis and audio interface all in one. I decided to put pre amps in all of my slots for recording. and that goes directly to my daw since its an interface. My issue is still mainly with this device it has 8XLR In's and out on the back and an insert point for each channel. I just want to be able to chain a comp to one of the channels that already has a preamp in the chasis. Issue is my mics need to be plugged into the 500r8 inputs to run through the pre amp (Therefore I won't be able to plug the inputs into the Input jacks of the patch bay since they aren't external preamps) I can plug my outputs to the patch bay but not the inputs. Does that make sense? Basically I want be able to use my condenser mic to record on any desired channel of the 500r8 (Which has the pre amp integrated already) > run through a 1176 on the way in > back to the interface > to My DAW.
No worries, hoping we can get this sorted out for you. I see what you’re saying. What if you just got an 8 channel 1U XLR relocation panel to relocate all the 500r8 XLR INS to the front of the rack? If you’re handy with soldering you could build one yourself pretty cheap. (If not I’d be willing to make something for you at a low cost). Then just plug your condenser into whatever channel you choose? Then patch the inserts and outputs to the patch bay. Would that solve the issue?
Thanks for your video. Question, could I use a patch bay to route a different stereo signals inside my mixer according to what I want to record? This because my mixer has got only 1 stereo input left for me, but I have plenty synths stereo still to use and record. I reckon with a patch I could route and use whatever I want without pluggin in out every time the mixer itself…. Rightttt?
Hi, looks like you need to buy some DB25 to TRS cables. Those screw into the back of the x8p and the other end can be patched into the Samson. Hope that helps!
It depends on what you’re patching! For most rack gear, TRS is best as that’s a balanced connection. For anything instrument, or synthesizers, TS can be used. It’s best to check the manual or the back panel of your gear to see if it uses a TRS (balanced) or TS (unbalanced) connection.
I'm still confused 😖 :,c all I want to do is have everything connected the way I have it now, but into the patch bay, that way if I ever want to change things up I can reroute from the front. I have pre amp - compressor - exciter - distressor - limiter - audio interface. So this is the chain I always want. But sometimes I want to rearrange the order, so like pre amp - apex - limiter and so on. Idk how to do it :,c. That's my only use case is to just change the order of the signal chain. No adding new gear. Pre amp will always be first and interface will always be last just want to change the in between gear without going to the back of my rack :,c
No problem at all! I was confused at first too, patch bays can be complex! There's actually atleast two easy ways to setup your patch bay. Feel free to shoot me a message on Instagram @jackthemurray and I'll walk you through it!
Hey Jack, I have an Alesis 3630 compressor with a sidechain option that can split a 1/4 Jack into two separate mono 1/4 Jacks, how would that be set up in the Patchbay and should that then be Half-normaled or just normaled?
Yeah just use the TRS 1/4 to dual TS 1/4 y cable and patch the "send" to the rear top of the patch bay and the "return" to the rear bottom. Then it just depends what you device you want to patch it to. Once you know that you can decide if it makes the most sense to normal it or not. Hope that helps
So it is not suitable to bring all the sound from the hardware together and send it to the audio interface with 1 cable. So I need a mixer with a mixbus for that?
Hey Antonio, I'm not sure if I correctly understand your question. If you have multiple sound sources feeding to 1 set of inputs on your interface, you will need a mixer to sum everything to 1 set of outputs. Or a patchbay to manually route channels, or you would need to manually connect/disconnect each device that you want to use directly to your audio interface. Feel free to share more info on the gear you're using and I might be able to over better advice.
@@jackthemurray Thank you for your message. I had been googling what I needed for a week and many others too have the same problem.. Finally found! A Behringer RX1602 V2 line mixer! The problem of a normal mixer is far too few stereo inputs and always 10 microphone, which nobody needs. With the Behringer, you're done with $ 80. Very strange, that the patchbay does not have this option, so that everything comes together..
Glad you were able to find a solution! A line mixer sounds like it'll be great for your setup! You're right that I patch bay won't do the same thing. I have a line mixer as well for my synths but a patch bay for the other things I want to route to my inputs. Hope that helps!
Hey jack. Just wanted to say thank you for uploading again! I had a pretty bad day at school and when i was biking home i was thinking about your channel. When i got home i saw that you had uploaded, and my day became better instantly.
No way man! That means so much that you were thinking about the channel! I'm sorry you had a bad day at school! I hope the next one is better! Thanks for all your support Max, I mean it man - the channel wouldn't be the same without you! 👊😎
Very well thought out and explained. The Google Sheets template is a great addition, as well! Thank you for sharing it, and for making the video!
Thanks for the thoughtful feedback… I’m glad you found value in the video!
All these years and I finally understand a patch bay...
Glad I could help 👌🏼🤓
Jack making a video about a patchbay. I never thought I would see the day... That's pretty funny. 😂
Great video!!😊
Thanks for the comment!
So far the easiest and best explanation I could find about Patch Bay. Thanks man.
Glad to hear it! Thanks for the feedback!
This is great man, thanks for sharing. Almost done with my first studio build at our new(ish) house in Nashville, & the time has come for the patchbay to be set up. Cheers
That’s exciting! Best of luck on the setup! Glad the video helped!
Template was a huge help for me, thanks.
Glad to hear it!
Thanks for the video. Really helpful.
You’re very welcome!
Thanks man, I just got mine yesterday so this video is crazy helpful!
So glad to hear that! Quick note, I'm going to be announcing a new home studio setup feedback series. If you want feedback on your home studio setup and tips on how to improve it, send photos to me on Instagram @jackthemurray!
Thank you very much for the explanation. I am about to hook up my rack of components and needed a little clarification on what each function (N,HN, and T) clearly meant and how to use them appropriately. Another hassle this will help alleviate is having to set up I/Os in the AI software and/or DAW then jumping back and forth from screen to screen having forgotten which component is assigned to which I/O in the box. Now I can just reach over and route/insert/remove whatever component I want to use or not use without all of the second guessing. Mega appreciation!
So glad to hear that the video was helpful for you! I was in the same spot for quite some time. Best of luck on your setup!!
Best explanation on RUclips!
You too kind, thanks!
My studio is growing up friends! :'''( I remember when it was just a little baby studio. Is your studio growing? What's next on your wishlist?! Comment below!! 👊😎
Definitely a better microphone.
Great explanation about How patches work.
Thanks Yaniv! I appreciate the feedback!
Its funny that I just decided to make an excel table for my patchbay the other day, but maybe feeling a bit nerdy for it... Coincidentally you did the same thing and also this awesome tutorial. Thanks for the template you patchbay nerd ;) liked!
I wear that title like a badge of honor! Ha, thanks and goodluck!
I've got a Signex patch bay that I've had for about 15 years. It's getting a bit sucky now. Some of the inputs are borking out a bit. Time to buy a Samson S I think ;-)
Good luck! I’ve used samsons in many studio setups and have always been pleased!
Great explanation while I was calculating how many weights I need for leg squats peace from Sweden! ;)
Get those gains! Glad to help!
@@jackthemurray mega lol have a good weekend :)
Thank you. I do have a question though. Where do I plug my mics into when I introduce a patchbay?
I just got one, and I’m kind of stumped on where I actually plug my mics into now.
Before my patchbay I just had my xlr cables going straight into my SSL12. I have all my SSL12 inputs and outputs hooked up into the patchbay, along with my outboard gear. But now I don’t know where to plug my mics into. Am I missing something?
Thanks!
Thanks for the comment! While you could convert your mic cables to XLR-TRS and have them routed through the patch. A lot of people recommend not running XLR mic inputs through your patch bay. There is some disagreement on this though. One of the reasons not to is that phantom power becomes more dangerous (more likely to short) when using TRS plugs due to the fact that the contacts pass over each other when being plugged/unplugged. Unlike an XLR cable where all the contacts are insulated and connect at exactly the same time. For that reason, any. XLR mic channels I have, aren’t ran through the patch bay. But my TRS line level inputs are. What some people will do is build an XLR Jack panel to relocate their mic inputs to the front rack panel above the patch bay to make it easier. You can also buy an XLR patch bay to manage your mic inputs. Up to you, but you’re on the right path and asking good questions. Hope that helps.
About to buy it but there's one big thing missing for me (on other patchbays as well) is a place to put markers on what is what... Was wondering how you've resolved that in the end. Would probably need some tape to remember what is what...
This is what I bought. It took awhile for delivery but it works and looks great! www.ebay.com/itm/283875493204?hash=item42184c4554:g:96sAAOSwLnBX80Q0
Very well explained, thank you!
You’re welcome!
Super informative! Thanks for the upload 💪🏼
No prob! Glad you enjoyed it!
Awesome video. Do you have updated link for your template by chance? Thank you
I seem to have accidentally deleted it. I’ll try to track it down best I can and re-link it. I’ll keep you posted!
Got it!
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16ZY_plWObBmJA2lqwHeYT-PkgYjbdruiN-i3D8MpJBk/edit?usp=sharing
Hey man quick Question. Where are you plugging your mics into? For my set up I have a snake with all of my drum mics connected to it. would I get a Female XLR to TRS and plug each Snake cable into the Patch bay? This always confuses me. I heard you aren't supposed to run phantom into a try patchbay
Hey man, all my mics go directly to my preamps. So no routing through the patch bay for those. Main reason was the TRS/phantom issue you mentioned. Some people say it’s fine, but I didn’t feel I needed to risk it. I’d say the safe route is to get a separate xlr patch bay for your pre amp inputs. I might do that eventually but don’t feel the need right now. Hope that helps
@@jackthemurray Gotcha man. Thanks for the feedback. So I'm STILL confused because for my set up, I have a cranborne 500r8 interface (8 XLR Ins/Outs) and my Scarlett 18i20 is connected to the 500r8 via ADAT. I have an 1176 comp and a 2 Channel Neve 1073 1U Rack. I want to plug the INs/OUTs Of the 500r8, 18i20, 1176, and 1083 into a TRS Samson patchbay So I can have the flexibility of using the outboard gear on whichever channel of my 500r8/18i20. With this desired setup, My IN's and Out's for My interface and Outboard gear are connected to the patch bay. which means, There isn't anywhere to plug my mics into other than the patch bay. And an XLR patch bay seems like it would only work if I had a bunch of external pre amps but I only have 2. Sorry for the long message, I've just been trying to figure this out for weeks and its puzzled me.
Cool thanks for the info. This is definitely a confusing topic and there really isn't a set "right" answer. Given that I think it's generally a decent idea to avoid MIC/Phantom patching (especially on cheaper patch bays) - this is how I would do it (and how my setup is). Maybe this isn't ideal, but I think the eventual goal is to have enough pre's to justify an XLR patch bay:
18i20 - Patch whichever inputs you want to use as LINE INs to patch bay.
18i20 - Patch all LINE OUTs to patch bay.
18i20 - Leave any desired channels unpatched if you wish to use them as MIC IN channels or patch those channels as a LINE IN. Plug in mics directly.
(Not familiar with this device so bear with me).
500r8 - Patch whichever inputs you want to use as LINE INs to patch bay.
500r8 - Patch all LINE OUTs to patch bay.
500r8 - Leave any desired channels unpatched if you wish to use them as MIC IN channels or patch those channels as a LINE IN. Plug in mics directly. (if theres separate line in jacks for each channel, patch all either way).
Neve 1073 (x2) - Plug mics directly into the MIC INs when you want to use this device for recording. Neve 1073 (x2) - Patch LINE INs and LINE OUTs to patch bay. Normal LINE OUTs to whatever interface LINE INs you choose. (see above)
1176 - Patch LINE IN and LINE OUT to patch bay. I wouldn't use the mic in/out in this setup. This way you can patch from any preamp LINE OUT or route audio through from an interface DAW LINE OUT.
For me, my mics go directly into my preamps (WA73EQ, 511) via an XLR snake. The WA73 LINE OUT goes to patch., Patch normalled to 18i20 LINE IN 5, and my Neve 511 LINE OUT goes to patch, Patch normalled to 18i20 LINE IN 6. The LINE INs of my 500 rack and WA73EQ are also patched into the patch bay for line level use and routing from DAW (18i20) LINE outs.
Hopefully that helps in some way. That's what I think the best setup would be for now. Happy to talk further or walk you through my setup. Feel free to hit me up on IG if desired. JM
@@jackthemurray Thank you so much for the detailed info man. This all helps a lot. The only thing is with the cranborne 500r8 it is a 500 series chasis and audio interface all in one. I decided to put pre amps in all of my slots for recording. and that goes directly to my daw since its an interface. My issue is still mainly with this device it has 8XLR In's and out on the back and an insert point for each channel. I just want to be able to chain a comp to one of the channels that already has a preamp in the chasis. Issue is my mics need to be plugged into the 500r8 inputs to run through the pre amp (Therefore I won't be able to plug the inputs into the Input jacks of the patch bay since they aren't external preamps) I can plug my outputs to the patch bay but not the inputs. Does that make sense? Basically I want be able to use my condenser mic to record on any desired channel of the 500r8 (Which has the pre amp integrated already) > run through a 1176 on the way in > back to the interface > to My DAW.
No worries, hoping we can get this sorted out for you.
I see what you’re saying. What if you just got an 8 channel 1U XLR relocation panel to relocate all the 500r8 XLR INS to the front of the rack? If you’re handy with soldering you could build one yourself pretty cheap. (If not I’d be willing to make something for you at a low cost).
Then just plug your condenser into whatever channel you choose? Then patch the inserts and outputs to the patch bay. Would that solve the issue?
Hello Jack I would like to have some info on templates and labels for the S-Patch Thank you.
Hi, did you see the link to my template in the video description?
I may have overlooked it the link is possible that I did overlooked it
Excellent explanation!
Thank you!! Glad it helped!
GREAT VIDEO ! THANK YOU
Thanks for your feedback!
Thanks for your video. Question, could I use a patch bay to route a different stereo signals inside my mixer according to what I want to record? This because my mixer has got only 1 stereo input left for me, but I have plenty synths stereo still to use and record. I reckon with a patch I could route and use whatever I want without pluggin in out every time the mixer itself…. Rightttt?
Yes you definitely could use a patch bay this way!
@@jackthemurray thanks! Yours is the best video I have found about by the way…. Without having to spend an hour to grasp the concept.
@matteomelfa thank you! That means a lot! I appreciate it!
I use apollo x8p finding it difficult to use it with the Samson patch-bay. Can you help?
Hi, looks like you need to buy some DB25 to TRS cables. Those screw into the back of the x8p and the other end can be patched into the Samson. Hope that helps!
Great vid!
Is TS cable good enough to patch? or is TRS better?
It depends on what you’re patching! For most rack gear, TRS is best as that’s a balanced connection. For anything instrument, or synthesizers, TS can be used. It’s best to check the manual or the back panel of your gear to see if it uses a TRS (balanced) or TS (unbalanced) connection.
@@jackthemurray thank you for taking the time to reply! Makes sense!
I'm still confused 😖 :,c all I want to do is have everything connected the way I have it now, but into the patch bay, that way if I ever want to change things up I can reroute from the front. I have pre amp - compressor - exciter - distressor - limiter - audio interface. So this is the chain I always want. But sometimes I want to rearrange the order, so like pre amp - apex - limiter and so on. Idk how to do it :,c. That's my only use case is to just change the order of the signal chain. No adding new gear. Pre amp will always be first and interface will always be last just want to change the in between gear without going to the back of my rack :,c
No problem at all! I was confused at first too, patch bays can be complex! There's actually atleast two easy ways to setup your patch bay. Feel free to shoot me a message on Instagram @jackthemurray and I'll walk you through it!
Redco IS41 is what you need
Thank! You! Very helpful
Happy to help, thanks for the feedback!
Hi! Where can we buy It in Spain?
I’m sorry but I do not know. Are there any music retailers that you can speak with to see if they can order it for you?
Hey Jack, I have an Alesis 3630 compressor with a sidechain option that can split a 1/4 Jack into two separate mono 1/4 Jacks, how would that be set up in the Patchbay and should that then be Half-normaled or just normaled?
Yeah just use the TRS 1/4 to dual TS 1/4 y cable and patch the "send" to the rear top of the patch bay and the "return" to the rear bottom. Then it just depends what you device you want to patch it to. Once you know that you can decide if it makes the most sense to normal it or not. Hope that helps
So it is not suitable to bring all the sound from the hardware together and send it to the audio interface with 1 cable. So I need a mixer with a mixbus for that?
Hey Antonio, I'm not sure if I correctly understand your question. If you have multiple sound sources feeding to 1 set of inputs on your interface, you will need a mixer to sum everything to 1 set of outputs. Or a patchbay to manually route channels, or you would need to manually connect/disconnect each device that you want to use directly to your audio interface. Feel free to share more info on the gear you're using and I might be able to over better advice.
@@jackthemurray Thank you for your message. I had been googling what I needed for a week and many others too have the same problem.. Finally found! A Behringer RX1602 V2 line mixer! The problem of a normal mixer is far too few stereo inputs and always 10 microphone, which nobody needs. With the Behringer, you're done with $ 80. Very strange, that the patchbay does not have this option, so that everything comes together..
Glad you were able to find a solution! A line mixer sounds like it'll be great for your setup! You're right that I patch bay won't do the same thing. I have a line mixer as well for my synths but a patch bay for the other things I want to route to my inputs. Hope that helps!
@@jackthemurray Thanks, I will learn a lot from you.
Please let me know if you have any specific video requests!
i never seen this thing until now
Haha it's an important part of big studios!
@@jackthemurray yeah i know there are lot of things which i dont even know exist
That's alright! Come to the US and I'll show you everything!
@@jackthemurray hope soon brother
Kill the music. Find it distracting.
Thanks for the feedback