Is there such a thing as an XLR patchbay?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Chris F
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Chris F

Chris F

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This is probably a stupid question, but what is the normally accepted way of connecting mic preamps to your recording device? All of my gear goes into a rack beneath the mixer, and since the back of the rack resembles Medusa's head on a bad hair day, I'd rather not open the back cover very often to repatch mic cables into the preamps I want to use for a particular purpose....there has got to be an easier way to do this.

So my question is, how do the pros (or even the semi pros) patch their mic cables to their preamps and then out to their recording devices? Enquiring minds want to know.
 
I built a bay that sits in the wall between the live room and controll room with 16 XLRs and a 2U blank rack spacer. Each one goes to a specific preamp and the then its line output goes to a 1/4" balanced patchbay.
 

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a patch bay can be an extension of a mic cable, if done properly. I've seen it done in many pro setups, and do it myself. That way, you have the most flexibilty. Any "wall input" can be routed to any outboard pre, or the pres on the mixer, whatever...and then onwards. Sometimes connections will be normalized, within the patchbay, saving cabling, but not always in smaller setups.
 
XLR patchbays

Hey Chris, I just received mine that I had to special order from E.A.R Audio here in Phoenix. There is such a unit ! it was made by whirlwind. It took about 4 weeks to get it but it is now worth it. I don't have to go back behind my Omni racks to change pre amps
for different flavors. It cost $215.00 and of course you have to put down a down payment for the order, about half. But it was a great investment. Mine is a 2 rack space unit with 12 XLR ins , it has a T bar construction on the back to handle wireing, it has a 12 head fan on the back end going to whatever units you want to patch into, the cables are 6 feet long, so they can reach anything in my rack with the pre Amps in them. You can give them a call my sales rep that I deal with name is Jerry the phone# is 602-267-0600. Give them a call and tell Jerry that G-Max Productions gave you the info.
 
a stage snake is essentially an xlr patchbay, just not rackmountable.
 
Thanks for all the replies, that's exactly what I was looking for. Is it just me, or do the commercial ones seem unduly expensive? If you can get a 48 point 1/4" bay for about $100 or so, I wonder why a 12 point XLR would be so expensive?
 
In pro studios they call that a mic panel and everyone should build their own IMO.

Mine is a 16 XLR to D-sub which goes to the mic inputs on the patchbay.
 
XLR patchbays

Build it or buy it , either way you still need it!!!!
 
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