PA System and Mixer failure
With the millions of forums available to musicians on the web the one thing that really stands out is the bad advice that is often…
Patch Bays or Mixers
Patch Bays and Mixers, sometimes the obvious isn’t so obvious.
There are lots of posts on the forums where users are either attempting to build their own patch bay or trying to switch a mic signal through a patch bay. The general feel is never to switch phantom power through a patch bay.
A studio mixer with sliders all facing the horizontal axis is often one of the best solutions as long as the mixer as enough line outs to feed a patch bay. What happens if you have a rack mounted console with combo receptacles (XLR/TRS) at the rear of the unit?
Focusrite 18i20 Revision One
Focusrite 18i20 Release One As an avid user and lover of the Focusrite mic preamps I recently found my preamp had a broken button for…
DIY DAC for Audio
Bits, Bytes and Sampling – DIY DAC To kick off we need to piss off a couple of people, one being the high end user…
Multiplexers (and demultiplexers)
Some thoughts on Multiplexers
In a previous article on Patchbays and the author’s own dilemma at having to switch different components in an audio system using XLR and TRS connectors, it made sense to investigate real world examples of what other enthusiasts are doing to complete their kit.
Analogue Routing – patchbays and cables
Patchbays – routing your signal
Note: This is a preliminary article and will cover the construction of a basic Arduino controlled patch bay/audio signal router. Users should be aware that manufacturing a patchbay as a DIY project can and will be very expensive. The Samson S-Patch Plus retails for between R2000 and R2500.00 in South Africa. A parts B.o.M places this project at about R5 000.00. However, careful consideration of B.o.M (input types) and digital control will be infinitely cheaper than an electronic audio signal router off the shelf.
The Samson S-Patch Plus is remarkable in that it tidies up your flow, gets rid of unsightly cables, is quick and affordable. If you are like me you prefer to purchase pro series audio because it’s modular and often cheaper than commercial consumer integrated audio. So you can throw away the parts you don’t like and only add that which you deem necessary and very importantly, have some control from the PC or laptop.
This comes at a price of course, spaghetti! And if you are like the mechanic whose car never runs properly this spills down to never being able to find that missing plug or socket. To be honest, pro audio can be a nightmare.
Samson S-Patch Plus