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I've got a friend who has all sorts of synths. Some with keys, some just rack versions. Some mono, some stereo, some with multiple outputs and even others with inputs. I think the final count of total possible audio outputs was somewhere in the 60 channel range. But that includes a couple samplers with 8 outputs each and some devices where the additional outputs would probably not be used. So we could shrink that number down probably to 40 something.

Anyway, just recently he aquired a space where he can put his whole collection together. My challenge is hooking/wiring it all up. I do love a good complicated wiring challenge but this is a bit daunting.

Using just the equipment he has, my plan so far is to send every output to a couple half-normalled patchbays which route the signals to a trio of 8 channel rack mount mixers that he has. Then routing the stereo outs of those mixers to a fourth mixer. The reason for the patchbays is so that if needed any signal can be patched to an effect or some other sort of device.

I was just wondering if anyone has tackled anything similar and if so, what your solution was. Or if anyone has any idea on what could be done differently.

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pr0gr4m Thu, 09/01/2005 - 20:02

If anyone is interested, I found this handy dandy program. It ain't the cat's meow, but it does purr.

http://

Basically its a program that lets you enter in all of your equipments ins and outs. Then you create a patchbay layout 20x2, 40x4, whatever. Then you start adding your ins and outs to the patchbay.

It has a really cool feature where it will print out the routings backwards to make hooking it all up that much easier.

The printouts are a little small but it's free, so I'm not complaining.

shanabit Sat, 09/03/2005 - 18:49

Why not just run three patchbays and route the stereo outs to the in of your DAW as three stereo pairs. This way youd avoid the noise on the mixers. Just a thought.

I have a similar problem and this is what Im gonna do. the other option is to have a huge mixer just to sub all the keys out to. from my experience, I have NEVER used all the individual out on my synths and samplers. But, I do a lot in midi and just dump to audio as a stereo or mono track. This way I still have the midi track if I want to cahnge the sound if its not working later on.

Hope this helps

pr0gr4m Sun, 09/04/2005 - 02:57

shanabit wrote: Why not just run three patchbays and route the stereo outs to the in of your DAW as three stereo pairs.

Because Patch Bays don't have stereo outs. Patch bays are not just a bunch of inputs that go to 2 outputs. Each channel in a patchbay has it's own in's/outs/configuration. There is no summing going on within a patch bay like in mixers.

I've got the whole layout already done. For the time we are usings 2 patchbays and two mixers. Now it's soldering time.