Patchbays and Cables, . .Oh My!

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studiodrum

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Hi Guys
So, I can use a little advice, and help on what type of Patchbay, and the type of cables that I'm going to need, . .I realize that how someone sets up their Patchbay is more of a personal preference, . .but, since I have no experience using one, and have a bunch of outboard equipment that I would like to hook up, . . and advice, or recommendations on how you would hook up your Patchbay, given my equipment list. . would be very helpful.

I'm using a Tascam 38, 8 Track recorder, and a Tascam 308B Mixer. . .I think that I would like to have the option, of going into the mixer, . . both, DIRECT, and via the BUSS (however, I'm not sure if that is possible, or how I would use the Patchbay to do that) I'm still waiting on a 300 series mixer manual, . they have been on backorder from Tascam for the past 3 weeks!

Now for the outboard stuff, . .

CD Recorder, . . w/ RCA OUTS & INS
Cassette recorder, . . w RCA OUTS & INS
(If possible, I would like to be bale to mix down and/or monitor each one individually)
Yamaha Compressor/Limiter, . .CH 1, 1/4" IN & OUT, . . CH 2 1/4" IN & OUT
Yamaha Reverb, . .1/4" INPUT & 1/4" OUTPUT (I believe this is a mono reverb)

Anyway, I'm wondering what the type of Patchbay would you guys recommend for this type of equipment, . . either an RCA to RCA Patchbay, or RCA to 1/4", . .or 1/4" to 1/4".

. . and also what type of cables would I need. Will I need any Y-cables, or just straight instrument cables for the outboard equipment. . .

sorry for the long and multiple questions, . .but, its my first attempt to hook up this outboard gear to my mixer, and I'm just curious on what everyone else would use to hookup the same setup, . . Thanks all!
 
studiodrum said:
I'm using a Tascam 38, 8 Track recorder, and a Tascam 308B Mixer. . .I think that I would like to have the option, of going into the mixer, . . both, DIRECT, and via the BUSS (however, I'm not sure if that is possible, or how I would use the Patchbay to do that) I'm still waiting on a 300 series mixer manual, . they have been on backorder from Tascam for the past 3 weeks!

!
Click to expand...


I'm not sure what you mean by the above but heres one option:

I'm using basically the same recorder and mixer as you're using.(if not the same exact) I have a really basic patchbay with about 15 1/4" in and outs . All the ins and outs are 1/4" and are lined up in two rows. So I use the top as "IN" and the bottom as "OUT" all across it. I use 2 tops to go in my compressor and two bottoms for the output (stereo). I have three more sets of ins and outs that go to the mixer with y cables into 1/4" R/T/S. I use those for channel inserts on whichever track I'm using so if I want to insert a compressor on a channel It's simply 2 6" patch cables to connect the ins and outs on the patchbay.

I don't have any monitoring or mixdown gear hooked up to my patchbay because I use the main out to a reciever which is where the tape deck and everything else is hooked up to. Though when I mix down anything for real it would be direct to the recording source. Now, I just do it manually but having the patchbay set up for it ( if you have enough plug ins) might not be a bad idea.
Ok I'll stop there for now. Let me know if this is confusing. Or if it doesn't help.
 
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same here!

Cool beans! :rolleyes: I'm also using a similar setup, and would like to here some feedback, or recommendations on what type of Patchbay (e.g; rca-rca, 1/4-1/4", or rca-1/4") would work best for this similar setup!
 
I like the NeutriK "normalized" patchbays" as you can pull the boards out and reverse to change the switching. This gives a lot of flexibility (and fewer patch cables) as you can run to the patch bay (back) and pass thru to where ever you need the connection.

From the front side, depending on whether you use the upper or lower plug, determines if your "tapping" into the signal chain" or re-routing all together.

Whether you use 1/4" or RCA kinda depends on what the bulk of you connections are. I have a Fostex G-16 which is all RCA, and a few other pieces which are likewise, all RCA, however most of my newer equipment is 1/4" so I've purchased several short RCA x 1/4" snakes for getting into the patch bays and everything else is 1/4" balanced . 12 and 18" patch cables for making connections on the front side.... and a few 24" (which I had to make up)

Setting up your Patchbays is a real challenge, I've tore everything apart, rerouted into what I thought was the ideal... only to spend an evening or 2 redoing it a few weeks later. I'm now up to 4 Neutriks 1/4" (16 x 2) and 1 16 XLR and will soon be adding 3 more XLR's as I'm tired of crawling around underneath whenever that "unusual routing need happens (which has now been enough for me to starting for the patch bay and cables)

but this is all part of the fun! :rolleyes:
 
Hey Stainlessbrown

Do you have anything digital whatsoever?
I ask because I have a 1990 session reel recorded on a Fostex C-16 with Dolby C and I'm looking to dump the tracks onto a medium I can use.
Currently I'm working 16 bit digital with ProTools.
If you even have a DAT deck or a 1/4-inch you could simultaneously slate all 16 tracks on the C-16, then dump them to the stereo medium two at a time. Then I could assemble the 16 track session myself using the slate.
Please let me know if you see this post and if you're interested, get back to me.

Thanx:confused:
 
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