Applied Research and Technology (ART) are well known producers of affordable recording equipment, including everything from power conditioners to microphones and outboard gear. In this review, we’ll be considering the ART P16 patchbay and how it can simplify connections in your studio.
Rack Mounted Patchbays Clean Up Your Space & Workflow
XLR patchbays are a hassle-free way to manage your I/O, whether it’s for a PA rack, studio rack, or fixed installation. The ART P16 Patchbay is a convenient solution to give yourself access to front-facing inputs to gear with otherwise rear-facing inputs.
One of the great ways to take advantage of an XLR patchbay is to wire it to your microphone preamps so you have a panel of inputs you can access from the front. Just take the output of the patchbay to the input of the preamp, carry the signal through any other external processors, and meet the final output to the input of your audio interface.
- RELATED: The 10 Best XLR Cables for Microphones
- RELATED: 7 Studio Cable Management Ideas That Will Quickly Organize Your Space
In this case, you no longer have to run an XLR from the back of the preamp to your microphone; instead, you can plug directly into the front of the patchbay for easier access. That’s just one way to use the P16 in an effort to tidy up your space and make connections that much simpler.
ART P16 Patchbay Review: How Does It Stack Up?
16 Channels of Balanced Direct Signals
The P16 has 16 XLR inputs and 16 XLR outputs. Each of the outputs are directly connected to the inputs in order to pass phantom power. The average small studio likely isn’t using more than 16 channels at a time, so the P16 has plenty of space. Combined with a 16-input audio interface and enough preamps, you could have a powerful and easy-to-use recording system at your fingertips.
Specs & Build
ART used all PCB wiring in the P16 to make it sturdy and reliable. There’s little fear that the internals will come loose or otherwise fail after lots of plugging in and plugging out. It also has a steel enclosure that’s incredibly rugged. Safely mounted in a rack, there’s no reason that it would take any damage whatsoever.
Reversible Rack Ears
To add even more flexibility, ART included reversible rack ears. If for any reason you wanted forward-facing outputs, you can just mount the patchbay the other way around. So whatever your needs may be, the patchbay is designed to integrate into your system and make life that much easier.
Is the ART P16 XLR Balanced Patchbay Right for My Studio?
It’s a fairly niche piece of equipment in the grand scheme of home/small studios; odds are, if you’re looking at XLR patchbays, the P16 is a good match for you. There are plenty of ways to integrate an XLR patchbay into your studio or live sound system, and the P16 by ART is an inexpensive and reliable way to do so.