MOTM

It sounds like your studio is laid out very well.  I have some of my 
synths in my control room and some in the studio.  If the studio 
were strictly for my own use I would probably keep them all in the 
control room, but as it is now I'm constantly running back and forth 
and often moveing them about as well.  My MOTM is in the studio 
rather than the control room (it is too big to move.)  Luckily I can 
remote control ProTools to some degree from the studio.

Anyway, I have used the HOSA snakes as well as a number of other 
brands.  In my experience the HOSAs work just fine and I cannot tell 
any difference between the HOSAs and the more expensive cabling.  I 
also have tried a number of different patch bays.  The biggest 
complaint I have with the patch bays is that although they seem to 
work fine with audio signals, they do not like phantom power.  Since 
I have several very expensive mike preamps and I like the 
versatility of having them wired through the patchbay, I am now 
considering an outboard source of Phantom power which I could place 
near the mics before the signals go into the patchbays at all.  But 
getting back to your question, there are a lot of cable fanatics who 
will say that there is a huge audible difference between cables.  I 
cannot tell the difference with the exception of the very cheapest, 
(Radio Shack quality made in China.)  There are some mechanical 
differences though.  If you plan on moving connections around a lot 
I'd go with better quality cable and jacks.

On the subject of balanced power, I have built my own balanced power 
system for my entire studio with a capacity of 10KW.  I have noticed 
a big improvement using balanced power.  With very few exceptions 
hum is nonexistent and noise seems to be lower as well.  My 
transformers are not toroidal, but they are in an area where there 
is no audio present.  I would strongly recommend using balanced 
power, but I would also strongly recommend buying an off the shelf 
unit rather than taking the do it yourself approach.  The only 
exceptions I have found are that occasionally some single coil 
pickup guitars will pickup hum from my lighting (which is not 
balanced power, but I do use variacs for dimmers.)  At some point I 
may add another large transformer and run my lighting balanced power 
as well.  The other exception is that Samson mixers do not like 
balanced power and always hum like crazy for some reason.  I have 
not had this problem with any other brand of equipment, but have had 
4 different Samson mixers that all hum.

Hope this helps.  I really like your idea of creating work areas.  I 
may think about doing something like that myself.
Paul Haneberg