Routing question

[Will_R]

Hey guys,

Possibly a silly question, but ive got a new desk ("fancy" thing with some rack U's on it).

I only have a few rack unit things, so right now its not a problem, but is there any easy way to have a link that connects to a rear input at the front of the rack?

ive got a presonus eureka and the only mic input is on the rear.

Is the only easy way to have a port just sitting infront of me using something like this :

http://www.thomann.de/index.html?partner_id=97926&page=gb/thon_rackblende_1he_8xlr.htm

With an XLR socket, and i'd just hardwire an XLR cable (leading to the eureka) onto the socket ?

Or would it be worthwhile looking at investing in some sort of patchbay?

 

[Adam P]

You could do either, though I wouldn't want to be plugging a mic into a TRS patchbay and running phantom power through it unless I was absolutely sure that everything was in order. It can be done, but you have to exercise caution that that +48v doesn't wind up somewhere it doesn't belong.

I would go with the panel and wire up a Neutrik XLR, and then add in other connections as needed. You can just about any connection under the sun in Neutrik's D format.

 

[Will_R]

As of right now i dont have any mics requiring phantom power, but dont worry, i'd make sure it was wired together right

I've got a fair bit of experience with wiring bits and bobs like that together, so, should be alright

 

[Ironklad Audio]

some sort of patchbay

you said it

 

[Roguetitan]

you said it

+1 You said it

 

[Will_R]

Was going to say the problem was i wasnt wanting to dedicate a whole strip to just passing XLR's through.

However, i discovered the Hosa modular patchbays, and that looks like it could be a winner!

Going to have to mod-in my own part a bit, as im wanting to bring the Midi In-Outs to a front panel just for ease of changing from keyboard to e-drum. Im lazy, so what!

 

[Kevin Deschwazi]

If you need to be able to interconnect and re-route signals to and from different pieces of hardware then you need a patchbay.

If you just want easy access to the inputs on your gear (which is what it seems like to me) then the XLR strip would be fine. Funnily enough I built one for my pres just yesterday.

https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=252921

It might take up 1u of rack space but believe me it's worth it!

Maybe I'm being pedantic but to me a panel with some inputs which are all hardwired to another set of inputs elsewhere isn't really a 'patch' panel as such. A patched connection is temporary and removeable (AFAIK).