Millenium PB48 Reviews

Setup

To spare some of you the research:

To get this to work half-normalized, pop out the two flathead screws on the front panel and take the panel off. You'll see every channel is a detachable card. Take each of those out and switch them around, so that the grey jack is on the bottom of the front panel.

There is no video on Youtube on how to do that on this exact model but there is one about the Neutrik NYS-SPP-L1 patchbay which works just like this one does.

More expensive patchbays allow you to flick a switch for each channel to change the behaviour, for these cheap ones you'll need to pop them open.

Bay

can't say much. it does what it was made to. since I never owned other brands - can't compare noise levels it presents. over all Millenium Bay is better than no bay at all

very well made

Excellent value for money, the build quality is solid & feels like it'll last for years. Of course at this price, it only does semi-normalled connections but 95% that's what most people need anyway and it's a great budget option

Avoid at all cost.

Out of the 48 channels, at least 10 of them work poorly. I kept it because I needed something at the moment, and wasn't going to use all 48 channels.

Buy a Behringer unit instead, much better, and has a proper switch for changing modes of operation.

Documentation was confusing, but otherwise it does the job.

It's a patchbay, it's nothing fancy. If you're the sort of person interested in gold connectors and audiofile wotsits, then you wouldn't be looking at purchasing this patchbay.

If you want something cheap, reliable, does the job, then this right here is value for money.

Only thing I will add is that the documentation confused the absolute hell out of me at the time. I've had it so long now, that I forget what the exact issue was, something about how the normalization worked, I think. But I got past that hump, and it's been happy patching ever since.

It doesn't feel like top-notch quality, but you can't expect it to for the price. All I wanted was reliability, and I've got that.

How difficult can it be to build a decent patchbay for a reasonable price?

Like its competitor, the Neutrik NYS-SPP L1, this unit has a very flimsy build quality. The connections have started to loosen after limited use, leading to partial signal loss on some channels. The problems are similar to such a degree that one might suspect these items are constructed, for lack of a better word, by the same QC-lacking manufacturer. At roughly three times the price, the Samson S-Patch is a vastly superior product.

Bad copy of the Neutrik NYS SPP L1

This is a really bad copy of the Neu­trik NYS SPP L1 !

Why ?

Some connections didn't work from the beginning.

Really bad solder joints. I had to resolder all the joints and the solder tin did not flow good also on the pcb's.

The Iron case is good but that 's it.

Save yourself the troubel and buy a Neu­trik NYS SPP L1 !

It does the job

I bought this patch bay as a means to having all inputs/outputs for my pedals and fx in one spot. it just keeps all the cables and clutter to a secluded area in the back. it does the job just as expected.

Very good product.

Cheap but good. I have been using two of them in my studio for a few years and have no problems at all. Good connector contact. For the price it's just perfect.

Basic patchbay but does the job

I've never bought a patchbay before because there was always some more interesting piece of equipment that actually did something to the sound that could be bought for the same money.

This patch bay is so affordable it's really worth having to avoid having to keep going to the back of your outboard and plugging/unplugging things. In fact I'd pay more than this.

There's no mode switching options and I understand the durability may not be as good as more expensive patch bays if you're planning on constant use, but it's still very useful.

Not enough info.

The item itself seems fine, but if you are not an expert Patch Bay user, or even if you are new to patchbays, you may find that the total lack of any information about setting up this item is a problem. For example it doesn't tell you, either with the patchbay, or anywhere else I can see that you may well have to take the thing apart as soon as you get it to make it work the way you wish. The item seems to be DESIGNED for this, as the way it works depends on which way the jack socket modules are inserted in the casing, but taking a brand new piece of equipment to pieces sort of goes against the grain, and nothing in the literature on the web site seems to indicate that this will be necessary. Pay attention to the "GREY" jack sockets position in the patchbay when you look at the diagram on top and you will be OK.

Useful studio kit

The connections seem firm enough and it works, I would not see any point in spending more than necessary on this type of equipment, they main thing you need to know are:

Is this well made enough? Yes

Will this last? I think so.

Spend more money on the things that are going to make you sound better.

Economy patch bay

Price was a driving issue in my choice of patchbay. Whilst it feels a little economy in places I haven't encountered any functional issues as yet. It is installed in a portable rack mainly linked into an FCA1616 for ease of access as a portable recording unit in conjunction with my laptop and it hasn't failed me yet. 1U, a fairly tight install, but got there in the end.

At least it's cheap..

That's what you get.

Have you heard a story about a patch bay that ruins recording.

This is the one.

If you don't mind having a noisy bay with left-to-right numbered backplate (which means front 24 is back 1 and front 5 is back 19) buy it!

Better get yourself some of Neutrik or at least Behringer!

Great deal

I've been using these patchbays at my studio for a while and it hasn't failed me yet...

Good product

Usable Patch Bay

Not bad, but a bit wobbly, and if you need to change from normalled/un-normalled, etc, this is a pain of the highest order, but its cheap and havnt had too many issues with it

Patch bay

I have a neutrik bay and this patch bay. they pretty much look identical! This is a great, reliable patch bay. the only difference between this and the neutrik is that that the grip on the jack cables does seem a tiny bit looser than the neutrik.... but this does not seem to affect the connection or quality.