Does anyone know an easy way to explain to someone else how half-normal and full-normal modes work on an analog patchbay? This is a really difficult concept to try and communicate.
If I need to show an incoming student, do you think the best way to do this would be to pull a patchbay out of a rack, and have them patch up a guitar to three or four guitar pedals to grasp the concept of the signal flow?
If you were explaining this to someone for the first time, would you start full-normaled then explain how half-normal is basically like using a splitter ABY box?
Top jacks are always used as outputs.
Bottom jacks are always used as inputs.
Full-Normal:
Rear panel jacks are connected, but are broken when a front panel connection is made.
Half-Normal:
Rear panel jacks are connected, a connection made to the top row jack of the front panel does not break the connection, but a connection to the bottom row jack does break the connection.
I would start with a full-normal operation and yes, a series of guitar pedals would work as a good example of signal flow. Iām not sure if you would need to pull the patchbay out of the rack.