Patchbay and Mic Pre Question

[2000Z28M6]

All, I have a quick question RE: how to make my life easier when using my mic preamp.

The MPA gold has the mic inputs in the back, since my unit is racked it makes getting to the inputs really hard.

So I was thinking of just using my patchbay and working the inputs thru there.

I was thinking of purchasing 2 XLR to 1/4 balanced cords that would go to the patch bay from the preamps inputs. AND then just using a XLR to 1/4 adapter to make exchanging mics faster.

Would I be affecting the sound any?

 

[RRuskin]

What's keeping you from just running microphone cables into your unit and changing the mics at the other end of the cable? You could build or buy a mic input box if you wanted it to be neater looking.

 

[2000Z28M6]

What's keeping you from just running microphone cables into your unit and changing the mics at the other end of the cable?

Nothing, thats exactly what I'm doing for now.

Just trying to save time having to mess with the mic inputs vs. making a quick swap at the preamp inputs.

 

[RRuskin]

Nothing, thats exactly what I'm doing for now.

Just trying to save time having to mess with the mic inputs vs. making a quick swap at the preamp inputs.

I'm not following you here. Changing the mic @ the cable end is far more convenient than crawling behind and changing cables @ the preamp XLR in which is what you appeared to be describing in the original post.

 

[2000Z28M6]

OK let me just try to simplify this.....

I want to use the patchbay as the interface before my mic preamp.

My concern was with extending the signal path.

mic --> XLR-->XLR to 1/4 adapter--> patchbay-->preamp

 

[RRuskin]

The MPA gold has the mic inputs in the back, since my unit is racked it makes getting to the inputs really hard.

The statement above made it sound as if you were going to the back of the unit to swap mics.

OK let me just try to simplify this.....

I want to use the patchbay as the interface before my mic preamp.

My concern was with extending the signal path.

mic --> XLR-->XLR to 1/4 adapter--> patchbay-->preamp

If everything is done properly with good materials, it's unlikely you will notice any difference. However, the more connections between source and destination, the more chances for something to go wrong. Add the fact that you'd then need adaptive cables or devices to get in ups those odds.

Personally, I wouldn't do it that way. If I needed that convenience, I'd make/get an XLR jack panel and mount it somewhere handy. No adaptors needed. You'd have extra connections but everything would be the same type so if a cable went south, I could grab another one and swap out.

 

[baker_]

A patch bay will help you out. I use one for the same reasons you've listed. I have not noticed any signal quality loss. Just make sure you invest in good patch cables, and a nice patchbay.

Good luck

John

 

[Eric F]

I may be wrong here, but won't going XLR to 1/4" TRS into a patchbay, and back to XLR cause problems if you're using a mic that needs phantom power?

Something like a Hosa MXL-369 might be a good fit for your needs.

 

[WhiteStrat]

I may be wrong here, but won't going XLR to 1/4" TRS into a patchbay, and back to XLR cause problems if you're using a mic that needs phantom power?

Something like a Hosa MXL-369 might be a good fit for your needs.

No, phantom passes through TRS just fine. I do it all the time. And I have the Hosa 369s you're talking about. Here's how I do it:

I plug mics into the front of the Hosa 369 XLR patch bay (or into an XLR jack on the wall in the studio). The back of the the XLR patch bay is patched into a the back of a balanced/TRS patch bay (with a balanced XLR to TRS cable). The backs of my preamps are patched into the back fo the TRS patch bay too (again, with balanced XLR to TRS cables). Now, with just a TRS patch cable, I can plug any mic into any pre right from the front of the patch bay.

Some caveats: you should be safe and power down before re-patching. And some say that a normalled patch bay connection may not conduct the phantom power reliably, so you should always use a patch cable, even on a connection that's normalled. I haven't found this though--just something I once read. My patch bays seem to conduct the 48V just fine, even through a normalled connection.

 

[I Annoy]

Personally, I wouldn't do it that way. If I needed that convenience, I'd make/get an XLR jack panel and mount it somewhere handy. No adaptors needed. You'd have extra connections but everything would be the same type so if a cable went south, I could grab another one and swap out.

This is exactly what I did. I have an XLR panel that feeds 8 inputs from my live room and 4 inputs from my ISO. It also has the inputs to all my preamps.
It allows me to quickly switch between preamps and mics in the middle of a session without having to stop and sort through cables all over the place.

 

[2000Z28M6]

Personally, I wouldn't do it that way. If I needed that convenience, I'd make/get an XLR jack panel and mount it somewhere handy. No adaptors needed. You'd have extra connections but everything would be the same type so if a cable went south, I could grab another one and swap out.

Ok, more, more, more.

Oh well, I guess I'll start looking around. Maybe I can make one, like you suggest.

Appreciate the advice and different angles guys!

 

[second skin]

this was my solution. i ordered parts and cable to make the XLR patch panel from redco. altogether it cost me around 100 bucks. at first i just went straight from the Preamps to my A/D but now i'm starting to integrate a patchbay so that i can move things around as needed.

i also have a snake that runs from the patch panel out into the room where i record drums.

 

[2000Z28M6]

second skin, thats a nice pimp setup. Thats exactly what I need......

I'm going to start looking into building one, good picture!

 

[second skin]

second skin, thats a nice pimp setup. Thats exactly what I need......

I'm going to start looking into building one, good picture!

haha thanks...although there's nothing "pimp" about it since it's all really lowend stuff but it is doing a decent job for me at the moment. there are a few preamp channels that aren't in the rack in that picture but thats pretty much the whole thing. my Digi003r sits above the MPA Gold