Patchbay Hybrid Studio setup

anyone else have a patchbay integrated in their sequencer/synth rigs...?

synths, drum machines etc. > patchbay > mixer > direct out > audio interface

I am curious about creating a hybrid work environment. Thoughts, suggestions, pros / cons...
Just trying to plan ahead here and looking for feedback, advise, tips, etc.. any help appreciated.

i do

whats hybrid about it? that it goes into the Audio Interface at the end?

beware as you'll need double the amount of cables, and that ends up being a lot of money

read about half normalled or full normalled
( http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/dec99/a ... tchbay.htm)

i use one full normalled balanced patchbay for synths, MPC, and anything that goes straight from OUTPUT to INPUT on my mixer.

i use one half normalled unbalanced patchbay for optional hardware like compressors, EQs or effects.

on the good side, it helped a lot to keep my studio tidy and clean, and being the lazy I am, now I can create new routes without moving from my chair, like MPC Out -> Ext Audio IN on some Synth to play with filter -> Mixer, or applying a compressor or FX to a given instrument, or the whole master output. Very handy and fun.

hybrid meaning hardware/software. here is where I heard the term...

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/may10/articles/hybrid.htm

I also have a patch bay & a hybrid digital / analogue setup. Pretty much agree with everything emanuel said, the pros are that it's mega flexible. Cons are expense, especially if you buy proper cables (i.e. not cheap Hosa cables that only last 1-2 years).

Planning is key, if you don't plan the system to a "T" you could end up losing quite a bit of money. Making a simple spreadsheet can help, just so you know exactly what you want to route to where for example. But yeah if you do it right, you can have a very advanced system that's extremely flexible & fun.