fancy, and here i am using a notepad (albeit a fancy remarkable2) and a nice epson label maker, but i’m only one patchbay deep. 
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Oh this looks really handy. I was searching for tools to help me plan my patchbays but didn’t find much and tried using ChatGPT to get my started but nothing good came out of it so I ended up doing it in excel from scratch and ended up pretty happy with it. But still think I might look into this… would probably make it easier when adding stuff.
My current set-up with 2 patchbays.
And this is when I get a third one hopefully soon 
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So…
Yes. I fear commitment so usually I record dry into one channel (EQs are set to post-fader so they don’t affect the signal being recorded, just the one being heard), and then route it out via AUX 1 or 2 and then use the mixer’s Channel 1 or 2 as the return, recording that as well. Sometimes I have to invert the phase on the return.
See above; but no, because I usually record FX in mono only. I use SUB OUT for bus compression, “glue” etc. (which I guess is also an effect).
edit: This then usually returns to get routed into the mixer & recorded on the “Swing” Stereo channel, AKA tracks 9 & 10.
The Model 12 doesn’t have dedicated FX returns so I use Channels 1 or 2 for that. I almost never record all 12 channels at once so I just cannibalize channels as I go and backup stuff to disk when I need to make more room.
So it goes Source → Mixer [dry signal is recorded] → EQ on mixer channel → AUX out → Reamper (usually needed to convert the signal from line to instrument impedance) → EQ/FX etc. → Mixer Channel 1 or 2 → Additional EQ via mixer → Main out.
I went through a phase of being a little addicted to ordering new labels from Mixperience for my three Samson patchbays every time I reconfigured or added a new synth etc.
This is the design tool:
You can order them on eBay:
I’m not affiliated in any way, just a happy customer.
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That’s an impressive Excel setup – very clean and well thought out. You can tell a lot of effort went into building it, and the clarity really pays off.
I completely agree that once you’ve developed your own structure, Excel can be quite effective. Still, PatchCAD becomes especially helpful when things expand – like with a third patchbay. As I mentioned you also get true-to-scale printouts for label strips, perfectly sized to slide into your bay, with cutting guides and multi-page layout if needed.
Additionally, PatchCAD Pro includes a function to export a full wiring schedule as a separate file. It generates a detailed list of every patch, cable, port, notes, and config – so you immediately see exactly which cable is used where. Great for keeping installations consistent and properly documented.
In any case, it’s great to see others taking patchbay planning seriously. If you do end up trying PatchCAD, I’d be curious to hear how it compares to your current workflow.
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Are you affiliated with PatchCAD?
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i’ve stumbled onto these before, too:
yeah, it’s their company, tho they deleted their response to you. 
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One thing I would really like is a multicable or cable recommendation via a tool. Like how many 8-way multicables you would need and optimal placement so that they kind of stick together and don’t create a wired mess 
Maybe this is already possible if not a wish from me 
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I had a Behringer patchbay, a big interface and a big mixer, and maxed out all the IO. Then I bought another patchbay. Then I bought some more devices, or some different ones, and rewired everything. Then again. Then again.
Fed up with the hours going into cabling and the awkward bodily positions I had to contort into to manage these rearrangements, I got rid of the patchbays and snakes and cables and the big mixer and the big interface and all but one external FX processor and became a primarily-desktop/small setup man.
But then I got another FX processor, and the sends on my Bluebox were occupied. And I wanted to use Live as an FX processor. So alas, I was at a crossroads: dare I go full patchbay again? Or do I just adjust my mixer inputs periodically?
Along came Minibay, a boutique patchbay for desktops, sold at a botique price, and requiring I purchase more but different cables, as it uses TRS stereo IO.
Sure, it’s kinda ridiculous to use up the same amount of rack space for a shelf of desktop gear, but at least it’s tidy:
(white patch cables will be replaced with angled cables so the drawer will open/close seamlessly).
Personally, I don’t want to deal with much rackmount stuff anymore, nor do I want my hobby studio to get to the point where I need to again.
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I guess they don’t want to talk about it. A disclosure would have been nice though.
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