cominginsecond
Decentralized Media Mogul
Anyone have any ideas? It seems like a really, really inconvenient way to set them up.
Ethan Winer
Acoustics Expert
> It seems like a really, really inconvenient way to set them up. <
If you have the preamp mounted in a rack, the mike cables can be permanently connected in the rear and they'll be out of the way. If the mikes plug into the front panel then the cables are laying over the front panel, and the front panels of other things in the same rack, and generally make a mess. But I see your point if you have the preamp sitting on a table top.
--Ethan
If you have the preamp mounted in a rack, the mike cables can be permanently connected in the rear and they'll be out of the way. If the mikes plug into the front panel then the cables are laying over the front panel, and the front panels of other things in the same rack, and generally make a mess. But I see your point if you have the preamp sitting on a table top.
--Ethan
Blue Bear Sound
New member
Most are rack-mounted and typically wired to patchbays... no one wants to be dealing with a tangled mess of cables on the outside of their racks... especially pros!cominginsecond said:
Bruce
darrin_h2000
Banned
The outputs should be in the back. but theres no advantage to the inputs being in back. thats just poor engineering.
Either the cords plug into the front of the patchbay or the pre they may as well be on the pre.
Either the cords plug into the front of the patchbay or the pre they may as well be on the pre.
cominginsecond
Decentralized Media Mogul
So, if I understand you correctly Ethan, most pros have mic cables permanently attached to the back of their preamps? I guess that would work. What this makes me imagine is 15 mic cables rolled up on the ground behind the rack. Is that how it works?
All you pros out there: describe how you set your preamps up. Do you always have a mic cable plugged into each channel of each preamp? Or do you have to reach behind your rack each time you want to plug a mic in?
Both of the preamps I own (Presonus Blue Tube and Focusrite Penta) have the XLR inputs on the front, and that's what seems most logical to me. But there has to be a good reason why so many preamps have them in the back. Educate me!
All you pros out there: describe how you set your preamps up. Do you always have a mic cable plugged into each channel of each preamp? Or do you have to reach behind your rack each time you want to plug a mic in?
Both of the preamps I own (Presonus Blue Tube and Focusrite Penta) have the XLR inputs on the front, and that's what seems most logical to me. But there has to be a good reason why so many preamps have them in the back. Educate me!
Blue Bear Sound
New member
I never reach around behind the back of the rack - that would be horribly time-consuming and inconvenient....
It's all patchbays and snakes............
Bruce
It's all patchbays and snakes............
Bruce
cominginsecond
Decentralized Media Mogul
Ah-hah! So, if I understand you right, you have a snake where the xlr male ends are permanently attached to the ins of your mic pres, and the xlr female ends (the box with all the inputs) are probably each labeled with what mic pre that input corresponds to. I also assume this is at least a semi-permanent installation.
If that's the case, I think the whole input-on-the-back-of-the-unit thing is beginning to make sense to me.
Thanks!
If that's the case, I think the whole input-on-the-back-of-the-unit thing is beginning to make sense to me.
Thanks!
Ethan Winer
Acoustics Expert
> So, if I understand you correctly Ethan, most pros have mic cables permanently attached to the back of their preamps? <
That's what I've always done. When I used to own a large pro studio the console had all the mike inputs along the back, to keep the wires neat and out of the way. The various mike cables connected to panels in the two recording rooms, so depending on where the mikes were plugged in determined which input strip I used on the console.
Today I have a much smaller setup with only four mike inputs, though it follows the same general format. All four mike cables are permanently plugged into my Mackie 1202, and the four direct (insert point) outputs from the Mackie go into my Delta 66's line inputs. So I never have to plug or unplug anything. I set the record level using the 1202's mike preamp Trim control, and the 1202's main volume for each channel determines how loud it is through the speakers (or headphones).
> What this makes me imagine is 15 mic cables rolled up on the ground behind the rack. Is that how it works? <
Yes, exactly. You coil up the wires neatly with twist ties or whatever, to keep them out of the way. In my case, the coils hang in the air from the back of the Mackie mixer to keep them off the floor.
--Ethan
That's what I've always done. When I used to own a large pro studio the console had all the mike inputs along the back, to keep the wires neat and out of the way. The various mike cables connected to panels in the two recording rooms, so depending on where the mikes were plugged in determined which input strip I used on the console.
Today I have a much smaller setup with only four mike inputs, though it follows the same general format. All four mike cables are permanently plugged into my Mackie 1202, and the four direct (insert point) outputs from the Mackie go into my Delta 66's line inputs. So I never have to plug or unplug anything. I set the record level using the 1202's mike preamp Trim control, and the 1202's main volume for each channel determines how loud it is through the speakers (or headphones).
> What this makes me imagine is 15 mic cables rolled up on the ground behind the rack. Is that how it works? <
Yes, exactly. You coil up the wires neatly with twist ties or whatever, to keep them out of the way. In my case, the coils hang in the air from the back of the Mackie mixer to keep them off the floor.
--Ethan
Michael Jones
New member
Well, I'm no pro, but going behind the rack IS terribly time consumming (not to mention very scary!)
So what I do is have the input cables run along the wall, behind a keyboard table that I have set up next to my control station. Then I have these little hooks screwed into the side of the table, at the end, and I coil up the cables and hang them on there (just to keep them neat). At the end of the cable is a little tape tag that says "Left mic Preamp chnl 1" and "Right mic preamp chnl 2". This way, when I pick up a lead, I know which pre and which channel it is going to. I have similar tags for all the othe pres as well. I don't use a patch bay, and I probably should, but for now, hey, its just one LESS thing to have in the chain.
So what I do is have the input cables run along the wall, behind a keyboard table that I have set up next to my control station. Then I have these little hooks screwed into the side of the table, at the end, and I coil up the cables and hang them on there (just to keep them neat). At the end of the cable is a little tape tag that says "Left mic Preamp chnl 1" and "Right mic preamp chnl 2". This way, when I pick up a lead, I know which pre and which channel it is going to. I have similar tags for all the othe pres as well. I don't use a patch bay, and I probably should, but for now, hey, its just one LESS thing to have in the chain.
cominginsecond
Decentralized Media Mogul
So, you would plug your mic into an XLR patchbay? I've heard it isn't a good idea to run phantom power through a patchbay.
Michael Jones
New member
NO, NO ,NO!!
A patchbay, if I chose to use one, would be further along in the signal chain. You know, somewhere after the pre's, before the converters.
I've never heard of an XLR patchbay.
A patchbay, if I chose to use one, would be further along in the signal chain. You know, somewhere after the pre's, before the converters.
I've never heard of an XLR patchbay.
cominginsecond
Decentralized Media Mogul
There are XLR patchbays. The only reason I'm asking about the patchbay part of your question is because the rest of your post was talking about the XLR inputs on your preamps, and then all of a sudden you say, "yeah, I should use a patch bay". I use a patch bay, and I know how they're normally used, so when you were talking about using a patchbay within the context of mic inputs, I became very confused. Why did you even mention patch bays when we were all talking about the XLR inputs on a mic preamp?
mixmkr
we don't need rest!!
The most flexible setups I have seen are where EVERYTHING comes to a balanced patchbay....from mics in the studio room, to console inputs/outputs...and of course all the rack stuff. That way, using high quality components, you can connect any mic/source to any console input, via any processor...etc. and of course, a lot of stuff is normalized too...like console buss outputs to tape machine inputs...and stuff like that.
cominginsecond
Decentralized Media Mogul
So, you can plug a mic into a patch bay?
Michael Jones
New member
Oh, OK. I was going to add that just because I had never heard of an XLR patchbay, didn't mean they didn't exist. When I was talking about patchbays, I should have clairfied the context. I meant that I should use one for outboard gear. But right now, my outboard gear consists of A couple of mic pre's, some sound modules, and a drum module.cominginsecond said:
But see, with my software, I can route any input to any channel strip, all in the software.
For instance, I can have inputs 9 & 10 (my normal mic pre's) go to channel 1 & 2 or 3 & 4....
In practice what I do is have inputs 11 & 12 (my keyboard sound module) go to channels 3 & 4 for violins, channels 5 & 6 for flute, channels 7 & 8 for brass, chnls 9 & 10 for woodwinds... and so on.
Then similarily with my drum module.
But my board, a digital Yamaha O1V actually has some fairly nice effects in it, rather than routing thru the board, I go to an outboard AD/DA converter, but with a patchbay, I could use some of those effects with out having to have the board in the chain all the time. That's kind of what I meant when I said I should use a patchbay.
Clear as mud huh?