A patch is a set of instructions that assign specific controls on the desk to fixtures and their attributes in the real world, and it’s an absolute requirement for every single show…Often the master electrician or the crew chief will determine the best patch, depending upon how they plan to cable the rig. In other cases, the programmer may patch the rig as he/she sees fit and then share the information with the crew. Sometimes one person fills all these positions and simply plans the entire rig and patch himself. No matter who creates the patch, the lighting programmer must receive the data and enter it into the console accordingly. It is also important that the designer, programmer and ME/crew chief know the console fixture numbers, as this is how the units will be referred to throughout programming and show.
— Brad Schiller, from “Feeding the Machines,” PLSN, June 2015
