From Mic to Mix - Studio Signal Flow Explained Ft. Cory Bergeron
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- Опубліковано 10 лют 2025
- Big thank you to @corybergeronrecordings and Pebble Studios for my crash course in understanding signal flow in a pro studio! I'm excited to start doing some bigger sessions in 2025 😎
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Host: Robby Miller
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Great video, Robby! If anyone has any questions, I'll be hanging out in the comments and happy to answer! 😁
One more thing is I have two patchbays running all inputs on top and all outputs on the bottom. That makes things easier when routing.
Hey! On our patchbay, the inputs are on top and the outputs are on the bottom. I believe standard studio protocol is actually the reverse (inputs on the bottom, outputs on top). I didn’t personally wire this patchbay.
It’s also worth noting that this setup is configured in a way that’s half-normalized. Simply put, this means that if you plug a microphone into input 1 on the patch panel of the live room, the signal will automatically be routed through channel 1 of the SSL and then into channel 1 of the I/O unless you manually interrupt the signal flow at any patch point on the patchbay.
In the exercise I created for Robby, I intentionally routed the signal all over the place to build a deeper understanding of the studio’s signal flow. Ideally, every piece of gear in a commercial studio would work as intended 100% of the time. However, it’s common enough for the signal chain to behave unexpectedly. By knowing where the signal is at every step of the way, you can quickly troubleshoot any issues and keep your session moving forward.
@@corybergeronrecordings thank you for the education! I certainly appreciate you both!
Question, when using more than one patchbay does the second patchbay need to run through the first patchbay? Awesome video brother! Bonus question, does the SSL use Adat to connect the patchbays?
If you have two patchbays, you could certainly patch one into the other, but it’s not common practice to have multiple patchbays in a single studio. The goal of a patchbay is to serve as the central hub for all signal routing.
The SSL has XLR and 1/4-inch outputs on the back, all of which are wired into the back of the patchbay. It’s A LOT of cabling.
@corybergeronrecordings thanks for the info. I have a home studio and have one interfaces that has two Behringer ada8200 mic-pres linked using Adat. So I have 24 I/O available to use. I ran out of I/O on the first patchbay so I connected a second one. Everything works when I have my DAW open. The second I close the DAW, I get feedback from a couple pieces of gear I have running through the second patchbay. I've learned to turn them off before closing out. I'm confused why that happens. I haven't had any luck figuring out why that happens. That's why I was asking if I needed to patch the two bays together. Maybe the signal gets cut off or something which is causing the feedback. Hell I don't know. Thanks for responding back.
Just wondering how you're connecting the live room xlr panels to the patchbay? are you patching the mic lines to preamps on the patchbay? how does that work with phantom power? Thanks
Hey! The live room patch panel is physically connected by a cable that runs under the floor to the patch bay. Think of it like a snake with 24 XLR cables: on one end, you have the patch panel with 24 XLR male connectors, and on the other end, you have the wiring that’s soldered directly to the patch bay's "Studio Floor" patch points. Hopefully, that paints a clear picture, haha.
The "Studio Floor" patch bay is set up as "half-normalized," meaning it automatically connects to the corresponding "SSL Mic Pre" unless you insert a patch cable to break the connection. If you look up terms like "Normalized," "Half-Normalized," and "Open" patch bays, you'll get a better idea of how patch bays are configured in professional studios.
Regarding phantom power, just make sure it's engaged at the preamp stage. Phantom power is essential for condenser mics to work, so if it’s not enabled, you won’t get a signal.
Hope this helps! 😁
@@corybergeronrecordings hey thanks for the reply. I guess I was wondering if the mics are hitting the ssl then line level to the patch bay. If it’s just mic level to the patch bay how do you patch it to a preamp and send phantom power via TT?