Black Lion PBR TT: A High-Density Bantam Patchbay for the Studio

The Black Lion Audio PBR TT is a 96-point TT bantam studio patchbay, wired with gold-plated points and twelve rear DB25 connectors. TT, short for Tiny Telephone or bantam, uses a compact 4.4-millimeter plug that lets 96 points fit in a single rack space. That density makes it the format of choice for busy commercial and project studios. It brings a whole rack of I/O to one labeled front panel.

Why Studios Choose the TT Bantam Format

TT connectors are smaller than 1/4-inch jacks, so twice as many points fit in the same rack height. The bay presents two rows of 48 points, giving 96 connections in a compact 1U panel. Smaller plugs and tighter spacing suit facilities that route dozens of channels at once. This is the professional standard for high-count patching.

Solder-Free DB25 Hookup on the Rear

The rear panel carries twelve DB25 connectors instead of individual jacks, so wiring is fast and clean. Standard DB25 audio snakes connect the bay to consoles, converters, and outboard gear without any soldering. An internal steel mounting plate keeps those connectors rigid under the strain of thick cable looms. That makes installation and future changes far simpler than a hardwired bay.

Three Routing Modes for Full Flexibility

Each module can be set to normal, half-normal, or non-normal to control how signal flows. In normal mode the rear input passes straight through to the rear output with nothing patched. Half-normalled means signal passes straight through until a front cable taps or breaks the link to reroute it. Non-normal, also called thru, leaves the points open so you can build mults and fully custom routing.

Top-Panel Switches Built to Last

The mode switches are recessed into the top panel and rated for more than 10,000 operations. That rating matters in a room where routing is reconfigured constantly across a long install. Because the switches are recessed, they resist accidental changes during patching. The bay keeps its settings reliable over years of daily use.

Built Black Lion-Tough

A reinforced steel chassis and black-anodized aluminum faceplate give the PBR TT a rugged, professional build. The unit occupies one rack unit, 1.75 inches tall, on a standard 19-inch rail. A rear grounding connection helps prevent ground loops when the bay ties many devices together. Gold-plated points keep the dense signal path clean and quiet.

Where the Black Lion PBR TT Fits

Commercial facilities and serious project studios use the PBR TT as a central TT nerve center. It interconnects preamps, compressors, EQs, and converters through tidy DB25 snakes. Engineers rely on the three modes to normal key paths while keeping mults and bypasses available. Because the bay is passive, it stays a transparent hub at the heart of a large rig.