DF Audio Minibay is a new neat, compact 40-point audio patch bay for your instruments (synths, drum machines…) and effects on your desktop.
Audio patch bays are must haves for studios. Whether small or large, there are super useful for organising your audio routings. It basically connects all of the inputs and outputs o your outboard gear into a centralized hub. From here, you can then route one device to the next without needing to go behind a rack. That’s a big workflow improvement
Disadvantage of classic patch bays is the 19 inch rack format. Often a problem for small home studios. But there is a clever solution.
DF Audio Minibay
Minibay by DF Audio is a compact 40-point audio patch bay specifically designed to fit on a studio desktop space. Plus it’s very space-saving and perfect for smaller setups. It uses classic 1/4” stereo sockets to connect with external gear and 1/8” mono (Eurorack) sockets for routing signals. On the main panel, you can also find two built-in passive mixers with dedicated patch points located on the main panel. A very useful extension in my opinion.
The inputs and outs can be freely configured. So you can design the the routing according to your wishes. According to DF Audio, the concept is to have instruments on Row A, mixer channels on Row B, and effects hooked into the FX rows.
For the Rows A and B, each 1/4″ socket on the back panel is wired to two adjacent 1/8″ sockets on the main panel. And each 1/4″ FX socket on the back panel is wired again to the two corresponding 1/8″ sockets on the main panel. Thus one insert cable can therefore be used to connect to the input and output on an effects unit (or two cables for a stereo unit).
Cables!? Yes, even the smallest patch bay needs cables. In the Minibay connections to instruments, effects and the mixer are mainly made with standard insert cables (1xTRS to 2xTS). It allows two mono connections for each 1/4″ socket on the back panel. Clever, so you have tons of connections in the smallest space.
Standard TRS cables can be used to connect to stereo devices with TRS sockets (e.g. headphone jacks). Left and right channels are then routed independently on the main panel. The same applies when working with balanced signals says the developer.
Availability
A very interesting patch bay. I think it will appeal to many musicians who work a lot with small electronic instruments and have little space in the studio.
DF Audio Minibay will be available in March 2022 for $200 AUD (approx. $150 USD) + shipping. An initial run of 50 pieces is set to be ready by March 2022. Please register on the website if you’d like to be notified when they become available and/or make arrangements for purchase.
More information here: DF Audio
Thanks for the great write-up – much appreciated!
would it be possible to use as fx send return?
If your mixer has fx send/returns, yes you could connect them to the back of the Minibay, then use the top panel to patch in whichever effect you want to use. Or there’s the panning trick, as demoed in the vid.