Flock Audio Patch VT & Patch App DX

The slick and very useful iPad version of Patch App DX.

Flock Audio’s software‑controlled routing system goes from strength to strength!

Flock Audio’s Patch analogue routing matrix range has expanded somewhat since Matt Houghton reviewed the original 32x32 Patch and Patch App control software back in SOS April 2021. That year also saw the release of the smaller 16x16 Patch LT, the flagship 96x96 Patch XT, and version 2 of Patch App. In 2022, Flock launched Patch App v3 and, in December of that year, Patch App DX. Then, last Summer, the 64x64 Patch VT was announced, followed earlier this year by an updated Patch App DX v1.1, which brought iPad and iPhone compatibility to the main macOS and Windows program. So we decided it was time to catch up with what’s on offer, and Flock kindly sent me a Patch VT to test, along with a licence for Patch App DX 1.1.

Patch VT

The core functionality of the Patch VT hardware is, essentially, the same as that of the original Patch, so I don’t propose to discuss the hardware much here, other than where it differs from the original Patch — if you need more detail on that side of things, you can find plenty in Matt’s original review and on the Flock Audio website.

Obviously, the Patch VT is rather larger than the original Patch. Its substantial 3U chassis is necessary to accommodate the 16 rear‑mounted, Tascam‑format D‑Sub connectors that carry its 64 balanced, line‑level analogue audio inputs and 64 corresponding outputs. These are mounted vertically on the rear panel, which also sports a USB port for connection to a computer and a combined mains switch and IEC power inlet.

The front panel features a striking, incised letter ‘V’ and there’s a recessed area containing a pair of balanced XLR/TRS I/O connectors — these can optionally be routed to the first two rear‑panel channels to enable ad‑hoc connections. Power on/off is controlled by a large, non‑latching button with a blue LED‑illuminated outer perimeter, whose various solid/fade/flash modes indicate power on, standby mode (the Patch VT has an adjustable sleep/wake function, inherited from the Patch XT), computer connection status, and a system error or hardware fault.

The 3U rackmount Patch VT: built on the same principles as the original Patch, but with twice the I/O.

Patch App...