Right, i'm, gonna have a go at a simple explanation of a patchbay. With pictures.
,,,,,, jack1,,,,,, jack1
,this ---------/---------
,,,,is ---------/---------
the,,,,,,,,,,,,,, /
back ---------/---------
,,,,,, ---------/---------
,,,,,, jack 2,,,,,, jack2
Just ignore the,,,, I've used them to make the diagram line up.
Now, if you imagine the pairs of dashed lines as jack sockets and the line of /s as a circuitboard thingy, then we'll be ok.
How it works,is, if your plug an out put, say from your multitrack (or soundcard) into the back jack 1, it'll come out automatically at back jack 2. This is called 'normalled' patching - you plug into rear jack 2 the thing that you would normally connect point-to-point to the multitrack output, eg a mixer input. Gottit?
Now, if you plug something into front jack 1, you will get the same signal again ie a listen-in - effectively you have a split signal. However, if you plug something into front jack 2, then you switch off the rear input from back jack 1! So you only hear the signal you've 'patched in' eg on the mixer. Clever, eh? But there's more. Image we have lots of these patch units, side by side. When you plug all the inputs and outputs from all your kit into the patch units, you can rout anything to anywhere with a little jack lead, patched from any front jack one to any other front jack two! You can listen in to any output sigan at any stage in the signal path!
I'm not sure this makes sense, but I dun my best.
Oh, I think I've actually described a half-normalled patchbay. Ask if you need to know what the other types are and what they do. And anyone should feel free to correct what I've said wrong.
Patchbays are a godsend, but you do need a _lot_ of cable.
G'luck,
matt
[This message has been edited by Cakey2 (edited 06-19-2000).]
[This message has been edited by Cakey2 (edited 06-19-2000).]
[This message has been edited by Cakey2 (edited 06-19-2000).]
Huh, diagrams are hard.
[This message has been edited by Cakey2 (edited 06-19-2000).]
