Black Lion Audio has announced the PBR LIT, a 1U rackmount unit that puts a blue LED display directly above or below your patchbay, replacing the usual tangle of masking tape and marker labels with editable digital text. It is priced at $249 USD and is expected to ship in late Q3 2026.

The unit supports four display modes covering the most common patchbay formats: 48-point TRS, 96-point TT, and 16-point XLR, plus a free-form Custom mode that can display anything from equipment IDs to session notes or studio branding. Labels can be updated by plugging in a standard USB keyboard directly into the front panel, or through the included Patchcad BLA Edition software, which runs on both macOS and Windows and lets you save and manage full patchbay layouts.

The Custom mode is worth noting for studios that want to use the full-width display for something beyond patch labels. Black Lion Audio says it is open to whatever use cases people find for it, including rack signage and general studio identification.

Build-wise, the PBR LIT uses a reinforced steel chassis with a black-anodised aluminium faceplate. Pre-orders open September 15, 2026, with EU pricing set at 355 euros including VAT. More details are available at blacklionaudio.com.