| Very basic patchbay question
I have recently added several quality analog units to my Protools HD home studio (Massive Passive, Trakkers, Ibis, etc.). I am also in the process of adding analog summing gear, so I need a couple of patchbays.
I am inclined to use simple dBX 48-point 1/4" patchbays because:
(1) I already have them, from an earlier studio setup.
(2) I already have a lot of Monster TRS cables stored away that I can pull out and utilize.
(3) I don't particularly look forward to acquiring all the parts and soldering a professional patchbay like a Switchcraft 96TT bay. I have done a lot of home wiring, but I'd still have to spend some time studying exactly how to do it correctly (which connectors for full-normalled, etc.)..............and I'm not sure where to get this guidance.
(4) The TRS connectors allow me flexibility to easily rearrange the patchbay layout, if I later decide I want to do so.
(5) In a home studio, I would think the "cheapie" patchbays would last a long time.
Having said all that, I then think:
(1) I've got all this professional gear; shouldn't I have a professional patchbay I never have to worry about?
(2) The 1/4" patchbays can only be either (a) half-normalled or (b) de-normalled. So, when I patch 16 signals to an analog summing device, I (think I) would also have to plug 16 dummy dead-ended plugs into the lower jacks to break the normalled connections. Otherwise, the signals would be mult-ed, and could possibly cause me problems I wouldn't know about.
-What advice do you have?
-If I go the Switchcraft 96TT route, I would do the work myself. Where can I get some good info on how best to do it?
Thanks,
Mike
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