Help with patchbays

[starvingartist]

So i have a rather newbie question about patchbays. Im pretty new to to idea of introducing a patchbay into my small home recording setup. I would like to keep my setup neat and im tired of turning my rack around to reach the back of my gear. Haha.. ive spent the last week researching, watching videos and drawing up signal flow diagrams and i cant quite seem to wrap my head around the concept of patchbays.

First off this is my setup:

-PreSonus firestudio project
-Line 6 Pod Pro x
-AP audio re'an 48 balanced patchbay
-PreSonus digitube tube preamp.
-condenser mic

1) So im wondering if anyone has any idea of how i could start by cleaning things up a bit. Or possibly have some kind of diagram of a similar set up involving patchbays.

2)Also, im confused about normalized and half-normal patchbay connections. I really dont want to harm any of my gear connecting things incorrectly haha..


Thanks in advance for taking time to read this post regardless of how uneducated i might sound haha.. if i left out any important details, let me know!

 

[starvingartist]

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=49816&stc=1&d=1455169666

 

[domsch1988]

It's rather easy:
The Patchbay has corresponding Inputs on the Back and Outputs on the Front.

So for Example: Pod Input to the back of the patchbay. On the corresponding front input you can put your guitar, which is then send to your pod.
Now the Pod's outputs to the back of the patchbay, the Interface's Inputs to the back of the patchbay. The Connections on the bay are straight through, so you can use patch cables on the front to connect the Pod's outputs to the interfaces Inputs... Ill try to add to your drawing to make it more clear...

 

[domsch1988]

So, not really pretty, but it should make it a bit clearer...



Remember: I'm not sure if the in/out on your Patchbay are stereo. If they are you'll need xlr to stereo 6.3mm cables. If they are not, you can use xlr to mono 6.3 for the Mic. For any balanced xlr out you'd need to split the xlr to two mono 6.3 jacks. So yeah, to connect it all, some adapters will be required...

 

[tedtan]

1. You'll want to connect those inputs/outputs on the back of your interface that you have o turn the interface around to access on the patchbay. Not sure which ones you're regularly accessing, so I can't offer more help here except to say that you want to use TT or XLR patchbay if you are running phantom power for any mics (running phantom power over a TS or TRS patchbay can cause issue while plugin in or unplugging a cable if the phantom power is on).

2. If you have a complex setup, you can wire your patchbay so that it defaults to a given signal flow (for example, the output of a mic preamp goes to the input of an EQ), but can be interrupted by plugging into the front jacks on the patchbay (if, for example, you want to have the preamp go to a compressor before it goes to the EQ). This isn't something to spend too much time on until you're using outboard preamps, EQs, compressors, etc. on a regular basis.

 

[starvingartist]

So, not really pretty, but it should make it a bit clearer...

View attachment 49820

Remember: I'm not sure if the in/out on your Patchbay are stereo. If they are you'll need xlr to stereo 6.3mm cables. If they are not, you can use xlr to mono 6.3 for the Mic. For any balanced xlr out you'd need to split the xlr to two mono 6.3 jacks. So yeah, to connect it all, some adapters will be required...

Thanks for the picture! Definitely going to spend some more time tonight and check it out!

Just making sure, you have the Digitube Mic Preamp set to flow with inuput 3 of my FireStudio?

And also, to answer your question, The in/outs of the patchbay are stereo. I picked up a pack of TRS balanced Patchcables!

 

[starvingartist]

1. You'll want to connect those inputs/outputs on the back of your interface that you have o turn the interface around to access on the patchbay. Not sure which ones you're regularly accessing, so I can't offer more help here except to say that you want to use TT or XLR patchbay if you are running phantom power for any mics (running phantom power over a TS or TRS patchbay can cause issue while plugin in or unplugging a cable if the phantom power is on).

2. If you have a complex setup, you can wire your patchbay so that it defaults to a given signal flow (for example, the output of a mic preamp goes to the input of an EQ), but can be interrupted by plugging into the front jacks on the patchbay (if, for example, you want to have the preamp go to a compressor before it goes to the EQ). This isn't something to spend too much time on until you're using outboard preamps, EQs, compressors, etc. on a regular basis.

I regularly access only the front of my Interface. (Being that the inputs are all in the front, its easy to just plug in.)

What i turn my rack around for is mainly to plug in the Balanced output of my Line 6 POD, and also the output of my preamp.

Thanks for the reply by the way!!

 

[starvingartist]

If i plug the PreAmp in and out into the patchbay, would there be anyway of being able to access the PreAmp with a condenser Mic one day, and the next day possibly use it with my Line 6?

(side point.. ive been looking at flow diagrams and keepin up with different i/o connections for the past week straight so my mind might be trying to take on too much right now hahaha.. sorry if i seem to be getting ahead of myself or asking irrelevant questions haha..)

 

[domsch1988]

If i plug the PreAmp in and out into the patchbay, would there be anyway of being able to access the PreAmp with a condenser Mic one day, and the next day possibly use it with my Line 6?

(side point.. ive been looking at flow diagrams and keepin up with different i/o connections for the past week straight so my mind might be trying to take on too much right now hahaha.. sorry if i seem to be getting ahead of myself or asking irrelevant questions haha..)

Sure, but why would you wan't to use a mic pre with the pod?

 

[starvingartist]

Sure, but why would you wan't to use a mic pre with the pod?

i thought maybe it would help bring out some overall warmth in clean tones of the POD. maybe it doesn't make too much sense now that I've put more thought into it.. haha.. i might scrap the idea of introducing a MIC preamp into the equation until i grasp this patchbay concept more..


As for The POD and the FireStudio go, would it make sense to somehow loop the POD into the Interface? plug the guitar into the pod, but send it to the interface to record?

 

[domsch1988]

i thought maybe it would help bring out some overall warmth in clean tones of the POD. maybe it doesn't make too much sense now that I've put more thought into it.. haha.. i might scrap the idea of introducing a MIC preamp into the equation until i grasp this patchbay concept more..


As for The POD and the FireStudio go, would it make sense to somehow loop the POD into the Interface? plug the guitar into the pod, but send it to the interface to record?

Yeah sure, with my drawing i tried to make the general concept of the patchbay clearer.
Since it's stereo, you can route the balanced outs from the pod to the back of the Patchbay. From the picture i get, that your interface only has inputs on the front. You could than use patch cables from the patchbay where your pod is connected direct to the front of the interface. No need to route the guitar through the patchbay, you can just plug in to the front of the pod.
Wait, you want the guitar to be recorded di (without the pods tone) but hear it play back with the tone? Since the bay is stereo, guitar signal is mono, you can split. So plug the guitar to a input on the bay. Use a split cable on the back to route on way to the pod's input and one to an Interfaces input. The Interface will record direct guitar and your pods output can do whatever (Headphones, recording the final tone additionally...) Hope thats somehow clear...

 

[starvingartist]

Yeah sure, with my drawing i tried to make the general concept of the patchbay clearer.
Since it's stereo, you can route the balanced outs from the pod to the back of the Patchbay. From the picture i get, that your interface only has inputs on the front. You could than use patch cables from the patchbay where your pod is connected direct to the front of the interface. No need to route the guitar through the patchbay, you can just plug in to the front of the pod.
Wait, you want the guitar to be recorded di (without the pods tone) but hear it play back with the tone? Since the bay is stereo, guitar signal is mono, you can split. So plug the guitar to a input on the bay. Use a split cable on the back to route on way to the pod's input and one to an Interfaces input. The Interface will record direct guitar and your pods output can do whatever (Headphones, recording the final tone additionally...) Hope thats somehow clear...

Well The only outputs from my pod are balanced-XLR outputs..i would need an XLR to TRS cable right?


I just want to be able to plug the guitar into the Interface or pod and record from the interface. I would want the pods tone.

 

[domsch1988]

Well The only outputs from my pod are balanced-XLR outputs..i would need an XLR to TRS cable right?


I just want to be able to plug the guitar into the Interface or pod and record from the interface. I would want the pods tone.

If you want the pods tone, guitar to pod, pod with xlr to trs cable into patchbay and patchbay into Interface with either trs or trs to xlr cable. But really, since guitar in and all Interfaces in's are on the front, i find the patchbay solution a bit overkill. Just two xlr to trs cables from pod to Interface will be fine...

 

[starvingartist]

If you want the pods tone, guitar to pod, pod with xlr to trs cable into patchbay and patchbay into Interface with either trs or trs to xlr cable. But really, since guitar in and all Interfaces in's are on the front, i find the patchbay solution a bit overkill. Just two xlr to trs cables from pod to Interface will be fine...

okay! well i really appreciate you helping me clear things up!

Ill probably just stick with my normal setup i guess, probably more hassle than its worth. Atlas until i can better understand my setup and what i want out of it haha..

but thanks man!

 

[tedtan]

But really, since guitar in and all Interfaces in's are on the front, i find the patchbay solution a bit overkill.

I agree. A patchbay is a useful tool when you have a lot of hardware, but otherwise it can be a pain; skip it until you actually need it.