Ques: recording w/ Direct Outs via patchbay (vs Subs)?

[RWhite]

I have another message up, regarding my looking for a mixer and debating a 32x8x2 Behringer vs. a 16x4x2 Alesis mixer. I was attracted to the Behringer based mainly on it having 8 sub-outputs. It occured to me today that maybe I'm working on a false pretense. You see I have always used the sub outs on my old 12x6x2 mixer to run into my tape desk, so having 8 subs vs 4 would be nice. But what if I just run the channel direct outs into a patch bay, and then just plug from the patch bay into my (new) Gadget Labs 8 channel unit? This would keep me from having to pull the damn mixer out and repatch constantly. If I leave the direct outs plugged into a patch bay all the time (but not always connected out to anything), will that introduce noise into the system? Am I just nuts? Has anyone done this before, or should I just resign myself crawling behind my mixer all the time (I use a large keyboard drawer in a computer desk for the mixer, and getting to the rear of it is a major pain in the ass)

 

[sonusman]

That is how you are supposed to do it...

If your mixer has them too, you can hook the subgroup outputs to the patch bay too.

In fact, hook as many things to your patch bay as possible so you don't have to repatch on the equipment. This will save you a lot of time, and wear and tear on your equipments I/O jacks. Plus it will keep things very organized.

Ed

 

[RWhite]

Cool, but what about noise? Does'nt just having the direct outs plugged into something introduce some (maybe just theoretical) noise into the system? Perhaps its just my history with a noisy mixer, but I always try to unplug everything not being used from the mixer. I'm hoping my next mixer will not put me through that level of grief. Am I just gone nuts from bad equipment?

 

[sonusman]

The direct outs are simply that. They are outputs from your channel. No noise. No problems.....

Ed