Tag: hardware

Types and connections of patchbays, configuration of the system

This article was written on July 17, 2023. It is different from my current audio system, but I translated it and wrote it because I thought it would be helpful in planning the patch bay. Good luck!

Hello, I’m Jooyoung Kim, an engineer and music producer.

As musicians and engineers accumulate more hardware equipment, they often consider adding a patch bay to their setup. Today, I’d like to discuss patch bays and their usage. Let’s dive in!

Types of Patch Bays

There are various standards for patch bays, primarily categorized based on connector types:

  1. TRS
  2. XLR
  3. Bantam (TT)

You’re likely familiar with TRS and XLR connectors, but Bantam might be new to you. Due to its smaller size, Bantam connectors are commonly used in 1U patch bays, which can accommodate up to 96 holes.

However, TRS patch bays can have up to 48 holes and XLR patch bays can have up to 16 holes.

TRS and Bantam patch bays are further categorized based on internal connection methods:

  1. Normal (Full-Normal)
  2. Half-Normal
  3. De-Normal (Non-Normal/Thru)

Once you understand these, it becomes straightforward:

Normal (Full-Normal): The rear signal is connected without plugging in a cable at the front. Plugging in a front cable disconnects the rear connection.

Half-Normal: Like Full-Normal, but plugging in a front cable splits the signal for parallel processing.

De-Normal (Non-Normal/Thru): I opted for a patch bay that supports all three modes, even though I primarily use Full-Normal.

I bought Samson S-Patch: It supports all three modes, but labeling can be tricky due to the narrow spacing.

Configuring Your Patch Bay

Knowing the types of patch bays, the next step is planning your setup. Begin by listing the In/Out of your equipment. Here’s an example with my gear:

EquipmentInOut
Orion Studio Synergy Core12Line Out 16 /
Monitor Out 4
Dangerous 2Bus16Main Out 2 /
Monitor Out 2
Heritage Audio HA73EQ
(Mic Pre)		0 (Mic In not considered)1
OZ design OZ-2200
(Mic Pre)		0 (Mic In not considered)2
Bus CompressorLine In 2 / Side Chain 12

Prioritize your connections:

  • Out on top, In on the bottom for signal flow from top to bottom in Full and Half-Normal patch bays.
  • Begin with the equipment with the most Ins and Outs.

Although there are some limitations, like not fully utilizing some of Antelope’s Ins and the mic preamps’ Line Ins, this setup is efficient without wasting patch bay channels. For mic preamp Line Ins, external cable connections can be made as needed.

And label your patch bay accurately. You can find companies that print labels, but they may charge high shipping fees. Alternatively, you can cut paper strips for labeling.

I purchased an 8-pack TRS patch cable bundle from Hosa, available at an affordable price on Amazon.

With this setup, your patch bay-based system configuration is complete. While my setup focuses on mixing hardware, those using hardware synthesizers can also benefit from a patch bay to enhance their workflow and creativity.

I hope this information is helpful to all music enthusiasts. See you in the next post!

Neve 33609 Compressor Story

Hello, this is engineer, music producer Jooyoung Kim.

Recently, I saw a Neve 33609 C hardware compressor listed for 7500$ on a second-hand trading site. Since I often use the plugin version, I was tempted to buy it, which led me to share some thoughts about the 33609 on my blog.

The 33609 is widely used as a master or bus compressor. There are five versions: the original 33609, and the C, J, JD, and N versions.

https://vintageking.com/blog/2016/06/neve-33609-compressor

You can find detailed differences between these versions in the link above. Here’s a brief summary:

  1. Original 33609: A rack-mounted version of the Class A/B 2264, 32264, and 33314 (broadcast version) compressor/limiter console modules.
  2. 33609/C: This version replaces the original’s Maranair/St. Ives transformers with Belclere ones, improves the power supply, and swaps the Discrete BA440 circuits with BA640 ICs.
  3. 33609/J: Introduced in response to high demand from Japan after the C version was discontinued. It uses the same BA640 ICs as the C version, though many preferred the original Discrete BA440 circuits.
  4. 33609/JD: Created to satisfy those preferring the Discrete BA440 circuits, denoted by the ‘D’ in JD.
  5. 33609/N: The current version, featuring custom-made transformers from Maranair, closely resembling the original 33609 transformers. It includes a switchable Attack Fast/Slow option not found in other versions and retains the Discrete BA440 circuits like the JD version.

While working at a studio, I measured the 33609/C hardware with a plugin doctor program. Unfortunately, I don’t remember the exact settings used, but:

  1. The Frequency Response (FR) graph was likely tested to see how the input values affect the output.
  2. The Harmonic Distortion (HD) graph probably measured how the harmonic content changes with different threshold settings.
  3. The Attack/Release Oscillator might have been used to observe how the release values change between Auto1 and Auto2 settings.
  4. The Ratio Compression graph was likely used to check for the presence of a knee.

This is the UAD 33609/C plugin. It looks a bit different, partly due to the screen size.

Although I’d love to share more insights, I haven’t had much hands-on experience with the 33609/C hardware, so I can only show you these measurements…😢

There are so many things I want to buy. Even if I can’t afford the 33609, I’d love to get a diode bridge compressor similar to it, and an SSL 4000-style compressor. I’ve already found a potential SSL 4000-style compressor, so I might buy that soon. As for the 33609, maybe when I earn more money…

Both compressors are ones I frequently use in my mixes, and having the hardware would be incredibly useful. The SSL is clean, while the 33609 has a nice coloration.

Lately, I’ve also been eyeing a tube preamp that’s been on my mind constantly…haha. I wish I could just buy all the gear I want.

See you in the next post! 🙂

Audient Nero Monitor Controller Review

This article was written on May 27, 2023.

Hello? This is engineer and singer-songwriter Jooyoung Kim.

The volume knob was pushed to the side when I bought a rack the other day, so for convenience’s sake, I’m going to review the Audient Nero monitor controller I purchased a few weeks ago.

  • Appearance and Function

The exterior is just plain. It’s made of steel plate, so it doesn’t feel as light as plastic material, and the knob has a reasonable amount of resistance, so it’s just decent quality.

A total of 4 headphones can be connected. You can connect 1 headphone using the 1/8″ or 1/4″ jack on the front, and 3 headphones can be connected using the back.

A total of 4 inputs can be selected: Cue, Alt, Src1,2, and Alt
Alt can also be selected separately from 3 types: Optical, Coaxial, and Aux.

There are three outputs: Main, Alt 1, and 2. you can connect a subwoofer using the Sub terminal button. What was a little disappointing was that you couldn’t select the crossover frequency when choosing a subwoofer. The crossover band was a bit low, so when I connected my 8-inch subwoofer, it didn’t come out as powerfully.

In addition, a talkback microphone can be used, the input source can be set differently for each headphone jack, and there are functions such as Dim, Cut (Mute), Pol, and Mono. It would have been nice to have L/R conversion, but it was a bit disappointing.

  • Measurement and Usage

Once an analog connection is made, the output is basically reduced by about 6dB. And both in terms of listening and measurement, the high frequencies were slightly cut off.

​Still, I was surprised by the fairly decent performance. Fortunately, I think it’s worth it for the sake of convenience.

Also, basically, the overtones rise a little, but not to such a huge level. The picture on the right below shows that the headroom was exceeded and distortion occurred, so I thought it would be useful as long as it wasn’t in extreme situations.

I also wanted to measure Coaxial Digital, but an error occurred and measurement was not possible. However, basically, when you make a digital connection, the volume becomes lower than when you make an analog connection, and the analog connection sounds much more detailed than the digital connection.

I’m not sure because I haven’t disassembled it and looked inside, but I think it’s probably the DAC chip difference. To make a digital connection, you need to use Grace Design or Cranesong…^^;;

  • Conclusion

There are no particular inconveniences while using it. The number of ins and outs and performance are just satisfactory, and I don’t think I’ll even think about changing it if nothing happens.

I think I can say that he’s ‘a fairly good friend.’