What patch bay to get?

[wreckd504]

I've ruled behringer out because i'm prepared to spend a bit more to get a better quality product.

Was looking at the dbx pb 48, It comes in two "flavors": half-normalled or de-normalled. Why would i want one of those over the other. It also doesn't mention anything about being balanced or unbalanced, i'm under the impression i should by balanced?

http://www.aiconsol.com/dbxpb48-dbx.html


There doesn't really seem to be a big range

http://www.sweetwater.com/c958--Patchbays

There seems to be really cheap models or switchcraft $600+ ones

Anyone know of an in the middle model? Or what specs i should be looking for or avoid getting?

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

I myself have the Neutrik one shown on the Sweetwater site, been using it for 8 years without hitch. It is balanced, as most if not all of them will be. It also allows you to configure each I/O pair has half-normaled, or isolated, as you see fit.

There's really not much "in between", you're right. But frankly there's not a whole lot of need, IMHO. For 90% of the users on this board, something like the Neutrik or the dbx will be perfectly fine. If you got truely high-end gear like a Big Boy studio, then the top shelf patch bays would be in order.

One practical thing to watch for, though, is the type of connections you have on the back of the bay. If you're going to be building a control room or some situation where you'll be patching together disparate equipment via fairly permanent snake cabling, then you might want to use a patch bay with DB25 or DB50 or similar connectors on the back that you can directly solder the bare snake ends to.

If, however, you're running a more prosumer or home situation where you might not have permanent snakes and where you might be building up and chaging around your equipment in a piecemeal amnner, then it'd probably be more functional and convenient for you to get the TRS connectors on the back that you can just plug in as needed.

IMHOYMMV and all that.

G.

 

[SonicAlbert]

The normals on the DBX PB48 can be changed by flipping the cards. So you can use it notmalled, half normalled or non-normalled. I ahve a few of these and they are good. I've also heard a lot of good things about the Neutrik patchbays Glen mentioned.

Either one of these patchbays will be able to be used with balanced or unbalanced cables.

 

[wreckd504]

Thanks guys, much appreciated

This is may seem really daft, but i've just noticed that the neutrik and dbx patch bay only have 1/4" inputs...how do i plug in my mic inputs (xlr?)? And is using phantom powered mics through a patch bay an issue?