Tag: music

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!

Basics of Mixing – 6.7 Limiters and Clipping

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

We’ve discussed various processors that control dynamics. Today, let’s talk about limiters and clipping.

Let’s dive right in!

Limiters

A limiter is a type of compressor. Generally, when the ratio exceeds 10:1, we call it a limiter. When it reaches ∞:1, it’s often referred to as a brickwall limiter.

Limiters are processors that aggressively compress sound to prevent it from exceeding a certain volume level. A simple example of this would be guitar effects like distortion or overdrive, which are types of limiters. In mastering, limiters are used at the final stage to ensure the volume doesn’t exceed a certain level.

Any limiter, when viewed on a waveform, shows the top and bottom parts being cut off. This truncation introduces strong harmonic distortion, known as clipping, which we can perceive as a distorted sound.

Distortion-type limiters result in noticeable clipping, producing a heavily distorted sound. To minimize such distortion, some compressors/limiters include a feature called soft clipping.

Clipping / Soft Clipping

Elysia Alpha Compressor with Soft Clipping Function

Soft clipping gently smooths out the sharp edges of clipping. When a sine wave undergoes limiting with soft clipping, the result is a waveform that doesn’t have the abrupt cuts seen in regular clipping.

While soft clipping still introduces distortion, the sound is smoother compared to hard clipping. Using limiters or soft clipping helps to increase the overall loudness of a track. The reason for boosting volume is that people tend to perceive louder music as higher quality. However, equal LUFS (Loudness Units relative to Full Scale) values do not always mean the perceived volume is the same. For example, in vocal music, if the vocals are prominent, the music may seem louder even with similar LUFS values.

Even if you’re not mastering your own tracks, considering these aspects during mixing can help you create better productions.

Next time, I’ll explore reverb effects like delay. See you then!

Basics of Mixing – 6.6 De-Essers and Multiband Compressors

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

Today, we’ll delve into two subtypes of compressors: De-Essers and Multiband Compressors.

Let’s get started!

De-Essers

A De-Esser is a type of compressor that reduces “ess” sounds, also known as sibilance. Waves even has a De-Esser named “Sibilance” specifically for this purpose.

Sibilance typically falls between 3kHz and 10kHz. A De-Esser works by activating the compressor when the sound in this specific range exceeds a certain threshold. Unlike using an EQ, which reduces the selected frequency range across the entire source, a De-Esser targets only the problem area. You can think of it as a single-band compressor.

De-Essers are not only useful for reducing vocal sibilance but also for taming harsh high frequencies in acoustic guitar strums and other similar sounds.

For instance, the Oxford SuprEsser by Sonnox offers a wide range of frequencies to adjust, making it versatile for various applications beyond its primary function of reducing high frequencies.

Multiband Compressors

A Multiband Compressor allows you to set different compression parameters for different frequency ranges. This is particularly useful when dealing with audio sources containing multiple instruments, which can be challenging to manage with a simple compressor.

For example, you might use a Multiband Compressor on a drum bus or to handle looped sources from platforms like Splice. It’s also commonly used in mastering.

Sidechain functionality in these compressors can add an interesting and effective dynamic to your tracks. For example, you can sidechain the low frequencies of other instruments to duck when the kick drum hits, or use it to carve out space for the vocal’s frequency range.

I’ll cover sidechain techniques more thoroughly in a future post, but mastering sidechain within dynamic plugins can significantly enhance the fun and effectiveness of your mixing. I’m not an expert yet, but I’m learning alongside you.

That’s all for today. See you in the next post!

Basics of Mixing – 6.5 Decompressor, Expander, Gate

Hello everyone, this is Jooyoung Kim, an audio engineer and music producer.

Today, I’d like to talk about some friends that, like the compressor, help us control dynamics: the Decompressor, Expander, and Gate.

Decompressor

A decompressor works in the opposite way to a compressor, making sounds above a set threshold louder.

You might wonder, “Why would anyone use this?” Occasionally, it can be used to force a groove or to emphasize transient parts.

Expander and Gate

An expander decreases the volume of sounds below a certain threshold. When the ratio is increased, it starts to function as a gate.

Think of the relationship between an expander and a gate as similar to that between a compressor and a limiter. The parameters for these tools are similar to those of a compressor. If you understand how a compressor works, you can easily use these tools as well.

These effects can be particularly fun when used with sidechain.

For example, you can apply a gate to a track with white noise and use sidechain so that the white noise only plays when the hi-hats come in. Or, you can apply a decompressor to a track and use sidechain to make the instruments louder only when the snare hits.

There are countless creative ways to use these effects if you let your imagination run wild.

If you’re a songwriter, try applying these effects not only to your mixes but also to your instruments. They can be very effective.

That’s all for today. In the next post, we will look at other effects that have compressor-like functions. Stay tuned!