TRS—Typical consumer patchbays use ¼” TRS for input and output. This brings down the cost and makes the connectivity more universal for home studios.

Half-normalled means that connecting a cable to the top row of the patch bay won’t break the signal link, but inserting a cable into the bottom row will. A patchbay is a piece of gear that houses all the input and output connections for the essential gear in your studio. The Samson S-Patch Plus, ART P48, Neutrik NYS-SPP-L1, Switchcraft StudioPatch 9625, and ART P16 are all audio patch bays. Each patch bay offers unique features and caters to a variety of users. Be sure to consider the technical specifications, pros, and cons of each before making your decision. The right equipment can enhance your music production workflow, making the investment to upgrade to a patch bay studio well worth it. Normalling comes in three different forms. Essentially, it controls how the patchbay reacts when a cable is plugged in. Full-Normal None—Pro studio patchbays are often configured for maximum flexibility. This means that big studios with complex systems often wire their own patchbays with soldered connections.

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Sometimes spelled “ patch bay” or “patch panel ,” (Wiki links) it’s an electronic device that allows you to rout incoming audio signals to any one of several physical outputs. This is a great addition to a TRS or TT patch bay and making the connection is simple. You have two options: Use female XLR to male 1/4" TRS cables. Combine female XLR to male TRS connectors with male to female XLR cables.

The DBX PB-48 is a 48-point patch bay that offers half-normalled and de-normalled operation. It has a simple and straightforward design, this budget-priced patch bay is reminiscent of classic DBX pieces that have been studio mainstays for years. However, although the generally acceptable performance places it in the category of other patch bays costing many times as much, some corners have obviously been cut in the design and construction of the PB-48, as we will explain below. Specs and useful features

Tech Specs

Some users, however, found the activation of the de-normalling function a bit of an issue since users have to take it all apart to reverse the normalling route. Bottom-line Normalled and half-normalled configurations provide a signal link between the top and bottom rows of the patchbay without the need for additional cabling. The ART P48 is a TRS-equipped 48-point balanced patchbay that’s been said to have reliable performance in a rugged steel chassis. Switchable between normal and half-normal modes, it does away with the “thru” setting found on most other units. Nevertheless, the P48’s combination of flexibility, performance, and the trademark ART durability makes it a worthy contender in the affordably-priced patch bay category. Specs and useful features These bays are typically used to move single XLR connections to a more convenient location for direct patching.

Thankfully, patchbays don’t require a cable to make a connection if they’re normalled. What is Normalling? With so much of what we do today carried out ‘in the box’, the humble patchbay is growing rarer outside of professional studios. It’s understandable: many of us now don’t use mixing desks, we use a fraction of the outboard gear we once did, and audio interfaces can now offer enough connectivity that dedicating inputs and outputs to different hardware devices — so they can be accessed directly from your DAW — is possible for all of us. The ART P16 is a handy studio utility for relocating XLR inputs. If your gear features rear mounted XLR inputs and rerouting is a pain, consider the P16 to move your XLR access closer to hand. ART TPatchIf you have connections on your patchbay that are semi-permanent, normalling allows the signal to pass through without using a cable.