The signal flows into the cable, into a bottom front jack, and out of the bottom back jack and into an input in another piece of gear. The inputs are bottom only, front-to-back. An audio patchbay connects all of the inputs and outputs of your outboard gear into a centralized hub. This allows you to route one device to the next without needing to go behind a rack full of gear in order to change one thing.
If you have connections on your patchbay that are semi-permanent, normalling allows the signal to pass through without using a cable. You could normal these connections, so the signal flows without having to make a patch. Where are the outputs on a patch bay? The normal wiring convention is that outputs are on the top row and inputs are on the bottom. Outputs normally feed inputs so this logic makes sense.
The corresponding channel input would appear on the jack immediately below. Where does the signal go in a patchbay? Signal passes from the outputs to the inputs, without the need for a cable. The signal is broken when a cable is plugged into either the top or bottom row.
Specifically, what is the difference between normal and half-normal, and when would I use one over the other? The distinction should be clearer once you read those. It is one of those "a-ha" moments where after hearing it explained about 20 times, you all of a sudden say "Oh I get it. It is really not that difficult a concept, but it really troubled me too until recently. There are obviously many exceptions and variations, but this should at least get you started. I am also over-simplifying this a bit Bascially in a patchbay you have a series of jacks on the front pannel, usually 2 rows, one on top of the other.
Each jack on the top row, can be said to be "matched" with a jack on the bottom row. Now, on the back of a patch bay, there is usally another set of jacks that connect directly to the ones on the front in a one-to-one correspondance. Now, let's say you wanted to add your mixer's insert points to a patchbay. This is a great idea since it is now pretty easy to patch in a compressor or gate or EQ or whatever when you need it, on whichever channel you need to at the time.
Since most budget mixers have inserts that are TRS but are unbalanced , you need to plug a Y-cable into your insert jack on your board, and have one lead go to the top jack on the back of the patchbay, and one to the bottom jack on the back of the patchbay.
If these cables were not connected back together in this way, the signal would not be sent back to the board, and would be interupted at the insert point, and no sound would pass thought that channel on the board. But now let's say you wanted to add a noise gate to that channel. Well as soon as you plug a patch cable into the top jack on the patchbat, you have interupted that signal path, and are routing the signal elsewhere in this case it would be to the input jack on the gate, which hopefully has also been wired to your patch bay!
Next, you would take the output from your gate, and patch it back to the bottom jack on the insert point connection, which re-completes the singal path once again to the insert point on your board. This is so simple, but is so difficult to explain!
Let me try to summarize: Normalled: The top and bottom jacks on a patch bay are internally connected so that the signal will pass from the top jack to the bottom jack. As soon as you plug a patch cable into the top jack, this connection is broken, and the signal now flows out of the top jack, into the patch cable, but not back into the bottom jack.
Half-Normalled: This is a very similar setup, without any cables, the top and bottom jacks are internally connected and the signal flows from the top jack to the bottom jack.
This configuration allows you to "monitor" the signal for example without breaking the "normallized" connection between the 2 jacks. Non-Normalled: The top and bottom jacks are not connected internally at all. Uses: Insert points work well normalled, but some can argue that half-normalled works better here so you can monitor this signal.
This is the method that makes most sense to me. For Effects processors sends and returns: Definitely use non-normalled. You don't want your signal going out and then back into itself here! Beware of less-expensive models that force you to switch the entire patch bay at once I don't even know if these are even available any more. I hope that helps! I had a really tough time explaining that one! Looks like Recorder Man and I were posting at the same time, except that I wrote a book, and it took me 3 hours to type it!!!
It is a way of setting the patchbay up where the signal from one row of jacks, for example the top row, is passed to bottom row of jacks or vice versa. Generally normals are not used on dynamics processers.
On a full normal you can plug a patch cord into either jack and it will interupt the signal. A half normal is where only one of the jacks is wired to interupt signal if it is pluged into. It may be the top or bottom jack. Half normals are usually set up so the top row, or output of a reverb for example, is not interupted or not normaled if it is pluged into but the bottom row, the aux return, is. This way the operator may split the output of the reverb, routing it to another destination without interupting it's path to the aux return.
This is called a mult. But if the operator wanted to patch a different efx processer into the aux return it would be possible because the bottom row, or aux ret. Usually they can only be set up to preform half normals or no normals. These configurations will work in most applications but if you need the ability to do full normals where inserting a patchcord into either jack will break the signal path Pro Co is the only company I know of that makes these.
Patchbays are an expensive but integral part of your studio. Be sure to get professional assitance in setting them up if you feel you need it. In the end it will pay off in savings both in time and money.
Normalizing means to adjust the peak volume of a selection to a known value. Generally the recommended maximum is I really should read before I type. This can also refer to mixers, such as the mackie 32 8's. This message has been edited for druken typos. Thanks all for the info. The way it works is easier to understand. But its the application that makes it harder to grasp since it depends on how the user wants to set up his patchbay. I will show how I think I want my patch bay set up and maybe 'you' can tell me what I need.
I am using the 4 aux sends to power a headphone amp. But if I need to add reverb or something like that I would need my aux sends, I guess i will have to plug the headphone inserts and reverb etc into the patchbay also. So after all this what kind of patchbay would i need? Stephen, A full patchbay would include all connections in the system. If you want to only have your compressors, reverbs and headphone amps wired to a bay that would work also.
This will save a ton of money because you will save in all the cableing and patchbays. The compressors should not be normaled.
Usually aux's that are pre fader would be normaled to phone amps and post fader aux's would go to reverbs but either may be patched for what ever application your performing at the time. Stephen - Fats and others have pretty well covered the facts, other than I've seen several bays that allow switched normalling such as Neutrik, Furman, etc - Here is yet another viewpoint which may simplify things for you.
I think of patch bays as merely a way of extending all those pesky rear panel connections that are nearly impossible to get to, so you can change things around temporarily to accomplish a task that is not "normal" - as Fats pointed out, there are some pieces of gear you should not normal, some that should be half-normalled, and some that should be full-normalled.
I set up the drawing according to proposed signal flow from input to output s , leaving enough room for wires to be drawn between boxes. I do this in a basic CAD program, makes it easier to do changes Once you have a drawing of all your gear, and the way it "normal"ly will be connected, you can then decide which connections you will want to change on a regular basis, which you may want to change occasionally, and which ones you'll only change if a connection goes bad.
These last types are a waste of money for patch bays If on a budget, you would use this info to prioritize and to figure out how many bays you need for your system.
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