Warning: I'm just as much of a newb as you are so if I don't get it all right don't bitch at me for it.
Do I even need a patchbay in a small project studio?
IMO it will keep you from constanly plugging and unplugging wires every time you want to use something like outboard compresser, FX box on a differant channel...
I just read through another thread, and there were all of these terms (normalized, etc...) that for the most part I understand in any other context than patchbays and optimal signals.
I think
and this is a big one cause I'm not absolutely sure but i think normalled means the signal goes directly from the line out to the line in of whatever box you are using on that channel. Like AUX 1 & AUX 2 are normalled to the headphones.
Half breaking means to can plug into the Top Row of the patchbay and the signal will still pass through patchbay on to the next spot in your signal chain. If you plug into the bottom row the signal breaks.
Full breaking means the signal breaks on the top and bottom row of the patchbay.
There are some other terms like paralell and mult<--- which means the signal is split into multiple signals. I was half asleep in class when my teacher went over most of this.
Let's just say (theoretically) that I record my guitar through a pod. I also own a behri V-amp, a boss gt-6, and a boss GX-700. would a patchbay enable me to record all of these at the same time on their own seperate channels?
If you set the patchbay up and had enough inputs on whatever ever you are using as a recorder you probably could...
I guess the bottom line question, since there are so many different tangents to run off on, is would a patchbay do me any good recording into a PC based DAW? Any help is appreciated.
IMO it depends on you and how much outboard gear you are going to use with your DAW. I mean if I had 3 or 4 differant compressors 2 or 3 outboard pres and a analog mixing console I would consider one with a DAW because I wouldn't want to crawl around in the back of my computer and hardware plugging and unplugging wires everytime I wanted to try a differant compressor or something on channel 1.
The patchbay saves you from having to do that because all the ins and outs of the studio are there and with a couple of cables you can rewire the studio anyway you want to.
Hope that helped out instead of just confusing you more.
