John Sayers' Recording Studio Design Forum Archive

Having a Pro Tools HD1 spec studio that deals with mostly audio editing, SR conversion & 5.1 encoding only.

Small studio, yet quite a lot of cables. Also for the sake of signal routing flexibility, decided to go for patchbay configuration.

Default signals route:

1) Source: DA-98, only use Video Ref, WC, LTC & TDIF I/O
2) Audio interface: Pro Tools HD1, Video Ref, WC, LTC, TDIF, AES/EBU & ...
3) Console: Yamaha 01v, use DB25 AES/EBU & Analog XLR I/O & ...
4) Encoder: Dolby DP569, use BNC AES/EBU, Ref & ...
5) Genelec monitoring speaker system. e.g.1029A

Will Behringer Ultrapatch Pro PX3000 fits into this picture? Can convert balanced XLR-AES/EBU, Unbalanced BNC-AES/EBU, BNC-Blackburst (PAL & NTSC), BNC-WC interfaces all into 1/4" TRS plug?

Please advice! Thanks!!!

balanced XLR-AES/EBU,
Unbalanced BNC-AES/EBU,
BNC-Blackburst (PAL & NTSC),
BNC-WC

1/4" plugs are not designed for the impedances requied. At audio frequencies wavelenghts are not significant. At the frequenices for audio, WC, etc. the wavelengths ARE significant. Sorry.

Andre

Thanks for your advice, PRO!

What about bantam patchbay?

Does the bantam patchcord matches the impedance?

Where do I get XLR patchbay?

Please advice!

For your WC and Video, LTC and all other 75 ohm lines, a 75 ohm video patchbay or panel should be used.

We use a nice highend bay when we wire rooms and they are fine for AES and Analog, but I have honestly never seen anyone put TDIF in a bay due to the cable length and cable type restrictions. Typically TDIF is routed local to the machines with a DB25 Tdif panel or just from machine to machine.

Bantam patchcords don't do anything other than make a connection no imp. matching. I would never recomend a TRS bay especially the behringer you mentioned. If you stick with a TT you will be much happier.

Best of Luck
DH

Thanks a lot, LiveWire! Really appreciate that.
So If I get you right, TDIF is not adviced to be routed through patchbay.
What about AES/EBU signals?
Can you recommend some audio/video patchbay models?
So, is bantam patchbay configuration suitable in this case? Other than the WC, Video, LTC and all other 75 ohm signals as you adviced of course.
By the way, what do you mean by TT?

LiveWire wrote:For your WC and Video, LTC and all other 75 ohm lines, a 75 ohm video patchbay or panel should be used.

We use a nice highend bay when we wire rooms and they are fine for AES and Analog, but I have honestly never seen anyone put TDIF in a bay due to the cable length and cable type restrictions. Typically TDIF is routed local to the machines with a DB25 Tdif panel or just from machine to machine.

Bantam patchcords don't do anything other than make a connection no imp. matching. I would never recomend a TRS bay especially the behringer you mentioned. If you stick with a TT you will be much happier.

Best of Luck
DH

TT stands for "Tiny Telephone", same as "bantam". AES signals are 110 ohm impedance, VERY low capacitance, and may have some "reflection" problems if used with other than XLR's, especially in longer runs - not sure of this, never tried it, but it's a possibility. Safer to keep them XLR... Steve

Also, be wary of making all your differing signals the same connector - "heat of the moment" decisions can screw you (plugging a WC connection into an audio input, for example)

Thanks a lot, LiveWire! Really appreciate that.
So If I get you right, TDIF is not adviced to be routed through patchbay.
What about AES/EBU signals?
Can you recommend some audio/video patchbay models?
So, is bantam patchbay configuration suitable in this case? Other than the WC, Video, LTC and all other 75 ohm signals as you adviced of course.
By the way, what do you mean by TT?

Sorry for the delay,

Correct about the TDIF, it should be directly plugged, or routed through a DB25 TDIF bay.

As for the AES, you can put it in your regualr TT bay, as most bays are fine with the AES signal. Some people prefer a AES XLR patchpanel (mostly rackmount) that they can patch around there AES.

Yes a Bantam bay would be fine, Bantam TT same thing.

As for the bays we sell and use, they are a mix depending on the application, but we primarily use Audio Accessories and Switchcraft, and rarely Neutrik

As for the AES, you can put it in your regualr TT bay, as most bays are fine with the AES signal.

?!?!?!