Crosstalk can occur in many points of an audio system such as, but not only:
between channels of a mixing desk
between adjacent tracks of a multitrack tape machine
between cables in a loom
Crosstalk is when signals induce themselves into conductive materials within a close proximity of the wanted signal. In a multitrack tape machine the magetism of track 1 can induce itself in the playback head of track 2 and so on. In a patchbay, the signal present at one socket can seem to appear in a socket close by (very faint). This is usually a looming problem.
If you imagine a patchbay, just think how many cables can be loomed together. Audio signals are AC (alternating current), a cable therefore gives off an alternating magnetic field, all electrical cables give off this magentism. Due to the laws of electromagnetic induction, if an alternating magnetic field is placed near a conductor a voltage can be induced.
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