Have you thought about using NEUTRIK connectors? Gives you the best of BOTH worlds and allows for future equipment changes.
My MOTU 8-Pre had them and I loved em.

Mike

Spindle,

You REALLY should consider hiring an audio engineer/consultant who knows what he/she is doing to accomplish the best results for your studio setup. It's obvious from your posts that you don't know what's best.

A patchbay is fine for connecting one device to another. TRS (Tip-Ring-Sleeve) is a balanced connector (like XLR but in a 1/4" format)...I don't mean this to sound derogatory in any way, but you need some outside help that probably won't be properly defined in a forum-based thread.

Damn Papa, if I had money like that, I'd have my whole house redone!

Naw, I'm a Home Depot kinda guy, do-it-yerselfer.  It ain't rocket science.  I'll take my chances.  Thanks anyway though.  That's kinda why I don't go to professional studios and let the "pros" handle it!  However, both of the albums I've done have produced glowing reviews. 

I'll muttle through just fine.  Thanks for your concern and input.

CHEF MIKE:  yeah, I looked at those.  Maybe I'll look a little harder!

spindlebox


Frank, that was totally great, your instructions!  Thanks so much for that!!  We've found at Parts Express the shielded wall cable , 250' for less than 50 bux!! 

I guess my only other question is on the "receiving end", I was considering putting in a patch bay.  I was going to solder Male XLRs on the studio end of these runs, but patch bays only use 1/4" TRS.  As I'm going to be using Presonus Firepods should I even worry about using patch bays?  I just thought it would be neater.

Thanks again!

The only bad thing about TRS patch bays is you can't have phantom power on while you patch it. With XLR patch bays you can.  The reason is all three contacts need to mate at the same time in one quick motion, XLR does that and it also won't short contacts to each other on the way like TRS does. As long as you are confident you can remember to turn off the phantom power and let it set a few seconds to discharge, do the patch, then turn phantom power back on, it's no problem.  

Some folks have picked up noise with patch bays but I've only had reports of that in a big studio with lots of rack units and computers around.  If there is not a lot of RF or EMI around your patch bay you should be OK.

It's pretty easy to melt the plastic in those panel jacks while soldering.  Do yourself a favor and stick a mic cord in the other side while soldering. It acts as a heat shield and keeps things in line.  The best little tip I've ever learned for soldering those things.

CakeFan


It's pretty easy to melt the plastic in those panel jacks while soldering.  Do yourself a favor and stick a mic cord in the other side while soldering. It acts as a heat shield and keeps things in line.  The best little tip I've ever learned for soldering those things.

Nice tip... that's a great idea.  You could even make a tool for that. Take one male and one female XLR and solder just the metal part together to make a double ended heat sink that would work for both type sockets. 

CakeFan


It's pretty easy to melt the plastic in those panel jacks while soldering.  Do yourself a favor and stick a mic cord in the other side while soldering. It acts as a heat shield and keeps things in line.  The best little tip I've ever learned for soldering those things.

Geez - what are you using that you melt the insert in a jack - a blow torch? I've used an 800 deg tip in a pencil-type iron on rare occasions and never melted one. Short of actually coming into contact with the insert with the soldering tip the insert should never melt. You don't hold the iron on there for more than a couple of seconds to melt the solder. Typically a 25 or 35 watt pencil type iron with a small tip is all you need. Those old Weller soldering guns with 235 watt output are NOT what you want for fine soldering work.

jackn2mpu

CakeFan


It's pretty easy to melt the plastic in those panel jacks while soldering.  Do yourself a favor and stick a mic cord in the other side while soldering. It acts as a heat shield and keeps things in line.  The best little tip I've ever learned for soldering those things.

Geez - what are you using that you melt the insert in a jack - a blow torch? I've used an 800 deg tip in a pencil-type iron on rare occasions and never melted one. Short of actually coming into contact with the insert with the soldering tip the insert should never melt. You don't hold the iron on there for more than a couple of seconds to melt the solder. Typically a 25 or 35 watt pencil type iron with a small tip is all you need. Those old Weller soldering guns with 235 watt output are NOT what you want for fine soldering work.

When I first started soldering there were two things that caused me to melt the pin holder.  1. Cheap connectors 2. The iron was not hot enough and had to be held on too long.

@ SPINDLEBOX
 
Hey where did you get that wall plate from?
 
I would like to get a few myself.
 
 
 
 
 
Edited for CAPS abuse.