AFA Patchbay Questions

Hello everyone.

I am looking to add some patchbays to my home studio and came across some by a company called AFA.  They are perfect for what I need to do.  They are 1/4" 52 point bays with ADC style punchdown terminals on the back.  My question is about the 1/4" jacks.  How do I know if they are the regular TRS connectors or the more professional grade B gauge connectors?  I don't want to buy them just to find out they aren't what I am looking for.  I also don't want to stick at TRS connector in there and break something since I have heard that can cause irreparable damage.  The seller hasn't gotten back to me yet with an answer (not even sure he knows what I am talking about) to this question so I figured I'd check here to see if anyone has any experience with such a patchbay and might be able to give me some insight.  How often are patchbays the B gauge connections anyway?  Is it more a rare thing, or is it quite common in patchbays above the beginner level with 1/4" jacks on front and back?

Thanks for any help you folks can give!

In my experience, Professional 1/4 patch bays will have metal jacks instead of plastic and the back will have solder points for normals and balanced connections. I have never heard of beginner level patchbays but that I assume you mean the ones with the plastic jacks in front and back. If it is those, I would stay away as they break often and easily. I have had to repair countless numbers of those things as the solder connections from the jack to the pcb inside break easily.

Make sure it's not a telephone patchbay and is a real 1/4

you are correct! beginner=$50 ones that have 1/4" jacks on front and back. 

Then there's the problem with this one.  It has 1/4" metal jacks on the front for sure, and punch down terminals on the back (sounds pretty much like the pro ones you are talking about).  I just can't tell if the 1/4" jacks are for TRS cables that look like a guitar cable or the bigger 1/4" version of a TT cable.  Apparently plugging one into the other can either make a bad connection or screw up the jack.  Not good either way.  I don't want to spend the money and then have to buy 1/4" TT style patch cables which are $$$$ !  I just want to be able to make my own patch cables using standard TRS connectors.  Let's hope the guy knows what he's talking about and can tell me for sure.  They are  good looking bays and a better looking price!

phishman13 said:

you are correct! beginner=$50 ones that have 1/4" jacks on front and back. 

Then there's the problem with this one.  It has 1/4" metal jacks on the front for sure, and punch down terminals on the back (sounds pretty much like the pro ones you are talking about).  I just can't tell if the 1/4" jacks are for TRS cables that look like a guitar cable or the bigger 1/4" version of a TT cable.  Apparently plugging one into the other can either make a bad connection or screw up the jack.  Not good either way.  I don't want to spend the money and then have to buy 1/4" TT style patch cables which are $$$$ !  I just want to be able to make my own patch cables using standard TRS connectors.  Let's hope the guy knows what he's talking about and can tell me for sure.  They are  good looking bays and a better looking price!

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what you are refering to is known as b-gauge. It's also been called telephone and military. It's almost identical to 1/4 except the tip shape is different.