Patch bays

[Roy]

Hi guys!

What is that I should look for when buying patch bays? They seem so simple so why would a cheap one be inferior to an expensive one? Will a cheap one add noise to the path????

[chris p]

As I understand it, the issue is more about durability - whether the sockets still make good contact after 50 or 1000 cycles. Good quality, gold (to reduce corrosion) sockets are more expensive than el cheapos.

But to put in a plug for DIY, you can get a great patchbay for the price of an el cheapo by building it yourself, and what is more you have exactly the right sort of connectors for your gear!

Then again, for added flexibility, you can go for the switching patchbays that let you route any input to any output. Have you considered these?

[Linear]

Hi guys!

What is that I should look for when buying patch bays? They seem so simple so why would a cheap one be inferior to an expensive one? Will a cheap one add noise to the path????

Hi Roy,

Well like everything in audio (and life), you get what you pay for. I guess it depends what the final use of the patchbay will be.

In a professional environment, cheap patchbays are a no no. There is nothing more painful than a ruined take due to intermittent failure of a connection. Plus intermittent problems are the most difficult to track down because by the time you go looking for the problem, it's magically disappeared. These situations have all happened to me due to crap patchbays.

Avoid the bear ringer ones (or similar) at all costs, they probably last 100 cycles before becoming problematic. In a fixed home studio installation with minimal patching they'd probably suffice, but only just.

Any patchbay that has PCB's should also be avoided - trying to find a cold solder joint in one of those is a nightmare and due to the constant strain imparted on a patchbay from plugging and unplugging it becomes inevitable.

The best patchbays are the traditional TRS (longframe) patch panels with everything permanently soldered through taper pin connectors (not punchblock connectors). The pro ones are usually nickle plated and last a very long time. The downside is that they are ~expensive~.

I've used all three, and again it the same old story. you get what you pay for.

Cheers

Chris

[Roy]

That's excellent guys! Thanks heaps for the info. Know any good brands/bad brands?

[ottowr]

Look for patchbays from ADC, Switchcraft, Mosses & Mitchell, Canare, Neutrik, Audio Accessories.

Go for the ones with chrome/nickel plated sleeves, they don't get as oxidised as brass sleeves and will provide excellent reliability.

To see a few examples go here:

http://home.flash.net/~motodata/patchbays/

For cheap patch cables use Ningbo cables by Neutrik. They are less than 1/4 of the price of the major brands, and good enough for most uses.

[Mitch Kenny]

I would avoid the cheaper neutrik patch bays like the plague. Although everything else of theirs has worked great, the cheaper TRS patchbays had intermittent connection at best which meant that they constantly needed wiggling to make them work.

[Martinez]

Hey there Roy,

I will expose my ignorence here and say strait up I know absolutely nothing about this subject.

but I did find a excellent artical on the Sound on Sound website.

don't know how to do that link thingy, but just do a search under patchbays and you should find it.

very informative.

[rob]

if you are after TRS patch bays, then why not support the local industry?
Joe at JLM makes some neat 1/4", normalised to your requirements. You'll just have to solder terminate your cables to the rear, but thats a snack!

[Roy]

Awesome stuff fellas! Thanks very much for the help. Greatly appreciated. And I'll check out JLM patch bays now, thanks Rob.

[Martin]

another point....

be!@#$%^& patchbays accept TRS on the BACK of them as well...

so that means, for a 48 point patchway, thats 48 more TRS connectors you'll need to solder together...

so even for something like amphenol TRS as a good price (say 2.20 each) thats another $105 bucks right there...

where as a patchbay with solder-on connectors at the back, strip the wires and away you go...

interesting noones mentioned bantam patchbays yet....

[wez]

i think we still have a bunch of ADC bantams if anyone wants some

[Peter Knight]

I know we should be supporting local industry, but somebody told me about this guy last week:

http://home.flash.net/~motodata/patchbays/