The steel front panel is divided into 10 sections, each housing four plastic mono jack sockets arranged in two rows.
Actually, there is method in this apparent madness: it adds considerably to the flexibility of the unit, and that's an important consideration on any routing system. Except that it is not audio signals that are being interconnected, it is MIDI information.
MIDI PATCHBAY PATCH
Instead of using switches to route MIDI data from one source to a range of possible destinations, instruments are 'patched' together directly using ¼" jack-to-jack patch cords, as on a conventional audio patchbay. This 1U high, 19" rack unit allows up to 10 different MIDI instruments to be interconnected. One such device is the aptly-named MIDI Patchbay from a new British company called Digital Audio & Computer Systems Ltd (DACS). But don't worry, there are alternatives for those on a tight budget, which can provide an equally good antidote to everyday MIDI interconnection headaches. As always, you get what you pay for, so if you want multi-way switching and the ability to store and recall configurations from memory, then you will have to part with serious money.
The way to avoid this aggravation, of course, is to invest in some form of MIDI patching or routing system to connect all your MIDI gear to one central device, thereby permitting any re-routing to be expedited quickly and with the minimum of fuss.īut don't such systems cost an arm and a leg? Well some do, some don't it depends on the sophistication of the unit. It can easily knock your inspiration for six and completely ruin the session. If there's one thing that's guaranteed to dry up the creative juices, it's having to grope around behind keyboards, sequencers or effects units in the middle of a recording just to unplug a MIDI cable.
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