Many keyboards, one interface, one patchbay...

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iamacopyofacopy

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This is a simple but specific problem.
I have 5 synths, a 2 channel interface, and a patchbay.


MY OBJECTIVE: connect all 5 synths in stereo to the interface using the patchbay

MY CURRENT PROGRESS: 1 synth is connected to the patchbay as well as the interface. All I have to do now is connect the other 4 synths.


Here's a video showing what I have accomplished so far (sorry for the terrible quality): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjpndeTFm0M&feature=youtu.be


Please help me connect my other synths.
 
Can't watch your video (at work), but what's the question? Are you trying to record all 5 at the same time, or just looking for an easy way to switch between them? A stereo mixer with 5 stereo input channels (or enough additional mono channels to hook each side of each synth up to a separate track, pannign each one as needed) would do it.
 
I just want all my synths connected to my 2 channel interface (using the patchbay) so I can just turn on any synth at anytime and just start playing it or recording. I got the patchbay so I would not have to get a mixer.
 
Thank you Mark, but can't I just do this with the patchbay? I simply bought the patchbay so I would not have to get a mixer.
 
I thought about the mixer but I read a similar thread and lots of people who replied were suggesting that the keyboard guy should get a patchbay and problem solved.
 
Ok! No mixer!
See attached, there are some conditions and assumptions.

Each synth has a discrete L/R output on 1/4" jacks otherwise you will have to make/buy the appropriate leads, e.g. TRS jack to 2x TS jack "Y" leads.

It is standard practice (I think?) to have stereo pairs odd and even.

1&2 would be your main instrument and controller and it would make sense to me to have it 1/2 normalled to the AI. In case you don't know? Half normalling means that patchbays 1&2 always feed the AI with no patch leads in and a signal is still available from the top jacks to feed another device*. Even when a patch lead is inserted this feed is preserved. However the feed to the AI is broken and thus another synth can be patched in.

As shown, Synth 1 is stopped and synth 5 is linked thru' on jacks 9&10.

I have shown a 16 way patchbay since the minimum capacity you need is 10 ports and there is no such thing AFAIK! Anyway NEVER hurts to have redundancy in audio.

N.B. This whole rig is by necessity unbalanced so keep all leads as short as possible and away from mains wires and especially power line lumps!
I would use cheap, 4mm OD, FOIL screened cable for the "static" runs assuming you are rolling your own?

Any questions so far?

*COULD feed a small mixer(Tee! Hee!)

Jusfort: If you were handy with a solder iron you could make the whole system balanced assuming the line inputs on the AI are balanced. All you would need is some information about the output Z of each synth and a rake of suitable resistors.

Dave.
 

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Mark,
an active mixer is easily built using minimal electronics knowledge for this.

One of these..Low-Noise Stereo Preamp Kit | Maplin

Does the active mixing and all you need then is a gaggle of 5 stereo 10k pots and 8 extra input resistors.
An 18-24 volt wall rat would give you plenty of headroom for predictable sources such as keyboards.

Dave.
 
Cant' you just set your patchbay to through and do it that way? The back of the patchbay will route directly to the front. Connect synths to back, take plugs from front and patch to the input of your interface.

That's how I would do it. I don't really know why you would want a half normal or normal setup for this kind of thing because you are always going to have those 2 patch cables hanging on the front.
 
If it was half normalled then you wouldn't need the two cables hanging out the front when you're playing the keyboard that's normalled - so not always, just most of the time:)

There is actually a way to mix two sources at a time using a half-normalled patchbay, but it usually doesn't work well, and doesn't really help the OP.

The patchbay does have all of the jacks necessary to make a passive mixer. Heck, if you had a bunch of plugs and some resistors you could do it without even modifying the PB. The plugs would probably cost as much as a cheap mixer...

I think the patchbay - half normalled so that the keyboard you're most likely to use most often is ready without any patches - is a fine option. It's not that tough to make those front panel patches. Mixer would probably be more flexible, but the PB will do it.
 
ashcat_lt said:
If it was half normalled then you wouldn't need the two cables hanging out the front when you're playing the keyboard that's normalled - so not always, just most of the time:)

There is actually a way to mix two sources at a time using a half-normalled patchbay, but it usually doesn't work well, and doesn't really help the OP.

The patchbay does have all of the jacks necessary to make a passive mixer. Heck, if you had a bunch of plugs and some resistors you could do it without even modifying the PB. The plugs would probably cost as much as a cheap mixer...

I think the patchbay - half normalled so that the keyboard you're most likely to use most often is ready without any patches - is a fine option. It's not that tough to make those front panel patches. Mixer would probably be more flexible, but the PB will do it.
Click to expand...

And! Not all patchbays allow you to alter the normalling perhaps?
Then, the OP is committed to a 16 way min' bay and it might be useful to have the other ways in use?

Far neater of course would be an 8 way stereo unit and one stereo lead with Y split at the AI end but you would have to make up or buy Y leads for most synths.

Dave.
 
Seems like a lot of hoops to jump through for a task that a small mixer is specifically designed to do. Plug everything into a mixer, send the mixer's stereo outs to your 2-channel interface. Done. No plugging/replugging, soldering, modifying, etc. necessary.
 
Guitargodgt has a great answer there. Yessir! You just have to switch the cable set from 9/10 to 7/8 or 5/6 etc. to get the different keys. :D
 
OTOH for $80 you can get a Behringer UB1002 and it will handle 5 stereo inputs. Just make the primary instrument 1 & 2 and then 3/4 5/6 7/8 9/10 are individual channels that are single knob mixable...
Don't understand NNEDing to use the patchbay. But if you HAVE to that's been pretty well covered between ecc and gt.
 
Not to flog an ailing if not quite dead horse....

One other advantage of a mixer (and that lil Berry is just right!) is that it would allow a PC free feed to an amp and cans so practice can be done without firing up the whole AI/PC shooting match.

Dave.
 
Thanks everyone for your help. Didn't need to solder anything! My patch bay was already balanced so everything went well just with balanced XLR cables and some other patch cables!
 
Whatever works. I don't really care if its through or normal or half normal.
 
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