Patchbay setup help- m308 with 238

[Wattagestudio]

Hi. I quickly realized how much a patchbay will help my workflow so im trying to wrap my head around incorporating one. It was touched on in my other thread, but i just wanted to clarify. Currently M308 channel direct outs into 238, 238 outs into tape returns. This is fine for tracking, but I’d like to be able to mixdown as well as pingpong/combine tracks easily (ie. 6/7 onto track1) without constantly rewiring both the board and 238.
Can someone explain where in the chain the patchbay would go? Is unbalanced required? Something like the tascam pb32p half normalled is ideal? Which connections go in pb back and how do i use it?

I know that’s a lot to ask. Thanks for any help. Also looking to buy said patchbay if anyone has one.

 

[SkywaveTDR]

A Patch bay is nothing more that an extension of connections on the mixer or the deck. Then you change output to input as required to accomplish a task normally that is not done in a common type function. For what you are doing Buss assignments are best

To me the direct outs are not to used in the way that you do as you will have no control for what you want to do. To the patch bay Direct out can be used for feeding a secondary recorder or sending a certain input to a process. The way I have used mixers to great satisfaction is to put the Buss outs to the deck so buss 1 to input 1 and so on. If you do not have a 8 buss mixer then you double up Buss outs to start again with Buss 1 to go to input 5 then 2 to 6 and through 8. The mixer has outputs called Aux outs next to the Buss outs which are wired to the same output thus providing the same output again. If not then a high quality Y cable such as the Python type can be used without a problems to do the same thing. What you can never do is Y cord two outputs together as the low impedance of the two will fight and load each other down. It is just never an acceptable method to combine outputs but inputs can be wired to the same output to the level of 4 or 5 connections. Do the calculations of load impedance to minimum load impedance of the output and you will come up with a number of 4-5 items. After that you put the output that needs many more connections to a distribution amp that can provide a lot of connections. I worked at a Video duplicator that used 1500 machines at a time off of one 1" master VTR. How many stereo and video outputs and distribution amps do you suppose we used?

 

[DirkDigler]

Check out Warren Huart describe hooking up a patchbay:

or this guy:

Basically hook up all your external gear to the patchbay. My PB is a Behringer so there are 24 1/4" inputs labeled "A", and below each of those is a 1/4" input labeled "B". The Top input is for plugging into the input of your external equipment, and the Bot. input is for plugging the output of your external equipment into. Top = Input, Bottom = Output. Right at your finger tips.

So, once all your gear is plugged in this way, all you do is plug into the front of the patchbay for whichever external effect you want to use. Remember to label what goes where.
Once you take the time to hook everything up it's a breeze getting your signal flowing any way you want.