How to document a patch

[portytech]

Hi all,

 

I was wondering if anyone has any nifty ways of documenting patching in a studio environment. The issues I have is that I know where the audio goes and how it get there but others find my tables hard to follow.

 

so does anyone have any clever ways of showing a patch.

 

Thanks

[themadhippy]

draw a picture

[DanSteely]

How about something like this:

 

http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y496/dansteely123/StudioPatch01_zps6a1cc937.jpg

[portytech]

draw a picture

 

Never thought of that, will give it a go

 

How about something like this:

 

 

That is something that I have tried but the staff find that hard to follow by the time that you add extra kit in.

 

thanks so far guys.

[paulears]

If they find that hard to follow - maybe you need new staff? It can't be done any other way, except maybe take photos of the 'hole's and use a set of colour markers to draw in the cables - but seriously, if you need to do that, it's embarrassing!

[the kid]

I can find a screen shot from a show tomorrow, laptop is being slow, but it is all in chains

 

so written

 

instrument - item - cable - item - cable - item - cable - item

kick - kick mic - XLR - patch #1 - XLR - #1 on compressor 1 - XLR - desk

[ojc123]

I come at this from a teaching point of view. I may have the wrong end of the stick.

 

We have a 28 channel mixer and about 40 possible inputs so we need a chart rather like the spreadsheet above. It is an aide memoire for me rather than a way for others to instantly see what's going on. In a school situation I have a number of student technicians who have different levels of interest. There are those who want to know and have spent time getting to grips with the system so they find the chart quite intuitive and can use it easily. I suspect if they went into a different environment they'd soon cope with a different setup to show the same type of information. These are the kind who may well enter the industry.

 

I have some who aren't bothered enough to learn what it tells them and they think it's far too complicated. It's their lack of willingness to get their heads round it that's the problem. They help in their own way, bless them. (I've recently sacked one who seemed to view his job as flirting with the dancers which led to a few missed cues.)

 

I suspect the problem is that either your staff can't be bothered to follow, or they don't see the point of following the chart. Just like some of my 'technicians'.

 

Edit to add: Just noticed it's a school so probably more relevant.

[portytech]

 

I suspect the problem is that either your staff can't be bothered to follow, or they don't see the point of following the chart. Just like some of my 'technicians'.

 

 

That is pretty much it. the staff can't be bothered but expect it to work and the students don't have the time in the studio to work it all out. so I am looking for a way to show how it all goes together and what connects to what. I way be getting somewhere with the picture ideas above.

[the kid]

We do have a "how to do" book for a suite, it is a literal step by step guide, for setting up live tv, if you follow it, it will work.

 

Unfortunately no one can account for people who decide to do what they like, or expect magic to happen.

[TimmyP1955]

It will likely take multiple spreadsheets. Have a look at the way Yamaha does it in Studio Manager. This is a very common approach that techs will encounter most everywhere. Don't re-invent the wheel.

[the kid]

http://i48.tinypic.com/r7ul2w.jpg

 

http://tinypic.com/r/313kco7/6

 

the file I have. it is some what crazy but very indepth.

[Brian]

Do you have a basic patch, which is taken care of by the jackfield normalling, or does everything have to be patched from scratch?

[paulears]

I always found it ESSENTIAL in college to have a working system that did not require any patching for the day to day operations to work. The more adept students would be able to repatch - but the ones working at the basic end needed help.

[portytech]

Do you have a basic patch, which is taken care of by the jackfield normalling, or does everything have to be patched from scratch?

 

If only I had a jackfeild... every thing is set up for normal use and it works but then others change it and I then spent a hour or two going through every connection putting it back, they need an easy way to see where things are meant to be.

[the kid]

What are the changes for ?

 

+ a key on the door helps . . . sometimes