Patchbay on FOH rack

[Shez]

Afternoon,

 

I'm considering putting a patchbay in my FOH rack as I'm currently just plugging in around the back which is not as convenient as it could be. Contents are six channels of compression, 16 of gates (would never normally need more than about six...), four of graphics plus FX. Everything bar the FX is normally used as inserts.

 

What I was contemplating was wiring in a 2 x 24 way jackfield as follows: 16 jacks on the top row would be wired for the comps, gates & graphics so you can just patch a stereo jack lead from mixer insert to jackfield. The lower row would be an insert for the insert - if you wanted a gate then a comp, you could patch in the gate as normal then patch from the lower gate socket to the top comp socket so they both end up in series. (Difficult to explain but I know what I mean :) )

 

The remaining jacks would be ins and outs for the FX plus room for expansion.

 

How do you wire yours? Is my idea even vaguely sensible?

 

Thanks,

 

Sheriton

[Bobbsy]

Well, the standard convention on an audio jackfield is for the top row to be a series of sources and the bottom row the destinations. I guess this is less important if you would be the only one to use this, but it's something you may wish to consider.

 

Beyond that, although I can see what you're trying to achieve, I think if it were me, I'd keep sources and destinations discrete rather than trying to mimic the bi-directional "insert" cable on the jackfield. This would require a bit more jackfield space but would end up being more "idiot proof"...at least for my idiot mind!

 

Bob

[MarkPAman]

I have, in the past done something pretty similar to what you describe. It worked fine for me, but as Bobbsy said, was confusing for other people to use. Also, as the wiring was not standard, putting an extra piece of kit in the rack for odd gigs, was a little complicated and ended up with different sorts of leads being used at the same time.

 

As time went on, the content of the rack changed so after a year or so I gave up on this method and put standard patchbays on all the FX ins & outs, the EQ, CD, MD etc. The inserts got permanently wired looms neatly tied in to the rack. Where possible this is still the method I use (though a digital board means a much smaller rack :) ).

 

On occasions when I have hired stuff from the big companies there have usually been balanced XLRs on the rack and/or muiltipin connectors.

 

Also remember that as you add extra connectors in to the signal path, there is more to go wrong.

 

That said, I see no reason for your system not to work for you. I wouldn't recommend it though unless you always use the same gear and use it yourself.

[BlueShift]

I have to say, in all honesty - for such a small amount of outboard as that I would just be patching in the back of the desk. Anything else is just overcomplicating things really...

[robloxley]

4 row patchbay (for illustration): top row mixer insert sends; normalled to 2nd row mixer insert returns; 3rd row eq/gate/comp input; 4th row eq/gate/comp output ?

[Mr.Si]

Is this for an installed rack of kit or something to go on out on the road with?

 

If the latter, and indeed, if the first too, I'd wire-up a balanced loom with something like a male edac multipin plug. The rack would then be pre-wired into a panel mounted female edac on the rear of the rack. The outboard would then be permanently connected to the rack panel, the loom can be permanently connected to the mixing console and then there'd be just a single connection - <Clunk>.

 

Or am I missing your whole point? :) :)

[jim b]

To be honest with you-while the idea of a jackfield like a studio where you make up your insert chain every time does sound cool-in a road situation it seems like it has more potential to go wrong.

 

The single EDAC or, preferably, better multipin connector onto a rack panel seems to give you as much potential provided you leave the rest of the rear accessible. I find on the few times I've had to repatch things for inserts it's to incorporate a comp and gate on a channel. This is easily done with a quick bit of repatching at the units themselves and adding a short XLR to XLR.

 

Jim

[ChrisTS]

Hi there,

 

I'm a fan of the edacs and it's what I chose to do out FoH 1 rack on,

 

I have a panel with one for eq's and FX (16 way loom) and one for inserts, I have 16 channels of inserts and a 16 way loom as the splitting of send / return is at the rack's edac (if that makes sense)

 

INSERT EDAC LOOM

 

16 stereo insert jacks --TO-- EDAC MALE

 

...then on the panel...

 

Edac Female --TO-- 16 mono jacks to pins 1 and 2 of each "channel"

plus 16 mono jacks to pins 1 and 3 of each "channel"

 

making a retuns and send jack for each channel

 

if that makes sense?

 

 

The eq loom actually has another edac break in it so that the XLR tails end stays in the desk case all the time

 

EQ LOOM

 

XLR's --TO-- edac

 

then

 

edac --TO-- edac loom

 

then

 

edac panel mount --TO-- XLR's in the back of the rack

 

 

I also put on a 16a in and out which is handy just patching power through it, as everything is on the front I needed no panels on the back etc so I decided to put a fan in the back door, so that stays on now too, so the best bit is if something goes down all I have to do is open the back door and have a look (rather than taking blank panels off with a screwdriver!!)

 

there is a pic of it here

 

Be warned though, edacs are really annoying to wire up!! I'm just upgrading our multicore with them and there has still been alot of swearing even after already having done 6 edacs to date :) :P really worth it in the end tho!!

 

I did find a link to this on another post from blue room which is a good read when wiring up edacs... edac wiring article

 

 

Hope that helps :)

 

 

Chris

 

More pics of what I do on here too

www.barrel.demon.co.uk/blastpa.htm

[Shez]

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

To answer a few questions, the rack is my own & is only ever likely to be used by me. Turnover of kit in there isn't high but occasional. It's for live use & I was trying to come up with a neater way of working than loads of wires hanging out the back of it. My desk is only small :) and has no dog box so I can't leave anything connected permanently to it.

 

Bob's idea of standardisation has merits - bringing each input & output to one place does keep things simple & allows daisy chaining where required. I was going to use a soldered patchbay rather than one with jacks around the back too; partly on cost grounds, partly on signal integrity grounds & partly because my original idea of inserts on the inserts probably wouldn't work with a normal patchbay. Any problems with that?