Inserts Normalized at Patch Bay?

M

MOFO Pro

Opinions are like SM-57s
Just curious...

I've got all of my inserts on the mixing desk routed to the patch bay and normized there. What is the general rule?

I like the convenience of having the insert points right at the bay, but am concerned about the addition connectors and cable in the signal path when no equipment is patched in.

Do most of you just insert right on the desk?

And...

It's always bothered me that the insert jack is unbalanced. A lot of times I'll avoid the insert and just patch the balanced chain to the line input of the channel. Anyone else do this... is this standard pratice?

Thanks,

Steve
 
It's pretty standard to have the inserts brought up and normalled through a patch bay (that's the way mine are set up). No problem with the extra connections as long as you use decent components and don't make the patchbay snake excessively long. And my inserts are unbalanced as most consoles in its league are and connecting to balanced devices has never been a problem for me.
 
That is pretty much what patchbays are for and how they are used. If you have a console housing (like argosy makes) it is a pain to get to the back of the board, so you install patchbays.
 
thats what i do,
I use one row of the patch bay for the sends and another for the insert returns.
My mixer is a soundcraft and even though the inserts aren't in the back, i use the patch bay because its way more convenient for patching, and inserting effects and/or to rout all my signals.
And since a patchbay doesn't cost a fortune, its a cheap and great thing to have.
Anyway, just my .02¢ on the patchbay use question!
 
i'm a little confused here,

i thought that most of the time people do this;

you connect all your outboard fx to the patchbay

and whenever you want to use that FX on a channel,
you take an insert cable and connect it to the patchbay

(indeed, i have extremely little expierience in patchbays, but working on it, its not even in my rack cause i have to hold it in my hands once every week and say to my patchbay: "damn, sometimes you seem more difficult than my girlfriend")

sounds like you guys do it the other way,

you connect all the inserts of your mixer to the patchbay,
and when you wanna use an FX you start hooking up the compressors (or whatever)?
 
I have just about every line connection hooked up to my patchbay - mixer, soundcards and outboard gear alike. Saves time and is way convenient. What's also nice about a patchbay is you can create mults if you need to do any signal splitting.
 
earworm said:
i'm a little confused here,

i thought that most of the time people do this;

you connect all your outboard fx to the patchbay

and whenever you want to use that FX on a channel,
you take an insert cable and connect it to the patchbay
?
Click to expand...

You hook the outboard and the inserts to patchbays so you just have a 1 foot cord to connect the two. You had it half right, now you just have to do the other half (inserts to patchbay)
 
While we're on the patch bay subject...

How about normalizing a frequently used signal chain... I've got a dbx 376 channel strip, dbx quantum multiband dynamics prossesor, TC Helicon Voice One, and Lexicon MPX 550 which I usually employ for all vocal tracks. These are normalized at the bay. Of course this means that the inputs and outputs for the nomalized chain aren't directly in line with each other (top & bottom), this can make for a bit of confusion when patching out of this configuration. Anyone else do this, or are your bays primarily straight thru with the exception of the normalized inserts...
 
It depends on your gear. For example, before the computer took over my studio, I recorded on a Tascam 38 (1/2" 8-track reel-to-reel). I had the outputs of the 38 normalized to line inputs 9-16 on my Mackie 1604. Right now I have aux sends 1-4 normalized to the 1/4" returns on my snake box so I can send monitor mixes from the control room to the studio easily.

That's the beauty of patchbays. You can design your set-up to suit your particular needs. Never mind that the more gear you have, the more cables you'll need to buy or make, and that it takes ages to set up! :D
 
Track Rat said:
It's pretty standard to have the inserts brought up and normalled through a patch bay (that's the way mine are set up). No problem with the extra connections as long as you use decent components and don't make the patchbay snake excessively long. And my inserts are unbalanced as most consoles in its league are and connecting to balanced devices has never been a problem for me.
Click to expand...

What he said!
 
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