Patch Bay Mayhem: Espen Kraft’s MIDI & Audio Jungle Explained

Espen Kraft doesn’t dabble—he dives headfirst into MIDI patch bay territory, because running a serious 80s-inspired setup means you quickly outrun basic MIDI thru chains. His patch bay isn’t just a convenience; it’s a necessity when you’re wrangling samplers, modules, and enough synths to fill a rave bunker. Forget cable spaghetti—this is all about controllable chaos, making sure every bit of kit gets its say.

The real beauty here is the flexibility: multiple MIDI ins and outs let him route signals wherever he fancies, all from the front panel or display. Kraft’s approach means you can play any synth from your master keyboard, sequence with hardware or from the DAW, and avoid crawling behind racks like a lost squirrel. No more unplugging cables mid-jam—just hit the right button and you’re off.

With everything patched up, Kraft’s Juno 2 stands as the master keyboard, ruling over the MIDI domain. One MIDI out, a sea of options: he can trigger anything he’s got, from JX-8P to stacks of chained samplers, just by setting channels and routing. That’s workflow—no fiddling, just play.

He’s got sequencers and drum machines locked in too, with clever daisy-chaining to avoid the need for endless patch bays. If you’re thinking of going this route, Kraft’s advice is gold: get a hardware sequencer with at least two MIDI outs for proper sync and flexibility. And if you want DAW control, just patch it in. It’s all about options—every synth, every module, just a MIDI flick away.

Moving to audio, Kraft’s setup gets digital with ADAT HD24. He’s running a Yamaha digital mixer as a submixer, funnelling drum machines and samplers, then shooting everything optically into the ADAT recorder. No computer needed—just pure, old-school DAWless multitrack action. If you want to avoid staring at a screen and still keep things tight, this is the way.

He’s also got his drum machines and sequencers in the loop, keeping everything locked and ready. Some gear runs through the DAW for extra options, but at the heart, it’s a live-ready, hardware-centric workflow. Kraft’s not messing about—he’s recording real gear, in real time, no apologies.

Signal flow in Kraft’s dungeon is about as complex as you’d expect from a man who collects samplers like vinyl. The Yamaha 01V takes main mixing duties, letting him route effects—Lexicon, Eventide—at the touch of a button. He’s loyal to these mixers, and honestly, if it ain’t broke, don’t upgrade.

From Yamaha, everything passes into a Behringer analog mixer, then finally into the DAW. Kraft only records one thing at a time unless he’s going full live performance. For sampling, the audio patch bay is a lifesaver—he’s hooked up every sampler input, so no more diving behind gear. Routing is all handled up front; the Anatech SMP 16 keeps things smooth, memory-stored, and ready for action.