Patchbay balanced/unbalanced connections

[Gregory K]

Dear forum members,

I'm currently planning my patchbay and cables wiring. And I have to deal with various connections, including unbalanced to balanced and balanced to unbalanced.

I'm going to follow the Rane interconnection schemes described here:
http://www.rane.com/note110.html

My question is: What if I connect all devices to (a rear of) the patchbay using cables with a direct standard wiring (TRS-TRS for balanced equipment and TS-TS for unbalanced equipment) and then make all balanced/unbalanced "conversions" between these devices by using custom patch cords, wired accordingly to the Rane article?

In other words, I consider the patchbay sockets as a "direct replication" of devices' sockets. And the patch cords - as cables, connecting these devices.

Does it look like a correctly working solution or am I missing something?

P.S. In this case, the patchbay have to be in a through mode (de-normalled) and I will need a good amount of various custom patch cords, but that's fine to me.

Thank you,
Gregory

[kevin206]

It seems like this should work fine. I use a few TRS patchbays to interface TRS balanced to TS unbalanced equipment and it works fine.

I also use the TRS patchbay de-normalled to mult headphones in a pinch and to create a headphone patchbay to keep from reaching behind my rack.

[The Scum]

That sounds like a really awkward way to go about things. We use patchbays because they make interconnecting everything easier, and can work quickly when we need to. If it's set up correctly, you should be able to intermix balanced and unbalanced without thinking about every patch you make.

I'd hate to have to explain your scheme to someone else...or even try to remember it myself.

You could always start with TRS-TRS snakes. Get good ones with connectors that you can unscrew, then open up and rewire the few connectors that need it.

Or use little snips of wire internal to the patchbay to make the bridges.

[Nick Sevilla]

I have been using Samson S-Patch Pro (the balanced) patchbays and TRS cables.

I just plug in an unbalanced cable when it is called for, this way the "ring" connector part gets grounded automatically in the patchbay itself, and presents no problem.

I have not needed any kind of adapters to make any connections so far. I have these kinds of connections going from my gear to the patchbay:

XLR to TRS.
DB25 to TRS.
RCA to TS.
TS to TS.
Spade to XLR to TRS (Urei 1176 compressors)

Cheers

[vvv]

I just wanna mention I read somewhere there is a slight danger of a momentary short when plugging a TS plug into a TRS jack with phantom power engaged.

I've no idear how serious or even real a danger that is, I just recall seeing it mentioned.

FWIW, I have a number of outboard pieces that are balanced, as well as unbalanced ones. I run them all through some cheap Fostex unbalanced bays with no issues, mon, other than having to admit that I run them all through some cheap Fostex unbalanced bays.

Oh, now I think of it, I use TS lines out of all those pieces (including the balanced) to those bays ...