Gus Lozada Posted November 27, 2007 Share Posted November 27, 2007 So... any options out there?Something of better quality, more inputs maybe... ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members John Sayers Posted November 27, 2007 Members Share Posted November 27, 2007 Mackie Onyx?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gus Lozada Posted November 27, 2007 Author Share Posted November 27, 2007 Nope... not a Mixer, please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author MikeRivers Posted November 27, 2007 CMS Author Share Posted November 27, 2007 So... any options out there? Something of better quality, more inputs maybe... ? What do you need? More inputs? Better quality with what? Do you just need a monitor source switch? Do you need to route from several sources to several destinations? Totally passive signal path? More bells and whistles? lPresonus Monitor Station, perhaps? It has plenty of knobs, including a fairly big one: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dean Roddey Posted November 27, 2007 Members Share Posted November 27, 2007 How could you need something bigger than a Big Knob? At some point, one has to just accept one's genetic inheritance and move on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gus Lozada Posted November 27, 2007 Author Share Posted November 27, 2007 hahahaha I need something of better quality, maybe more inputs, more outputs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Zooey Posted November 27, 2007 Members Share Posted November 27, 2007 Maybe somethin from these guys? http://www.colemanaudio.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members spokenward Posted November 27, 2007 Members Share Posted November 27, 2007 Our old pal Duddits once wrote about the Grace Design Monitoring Products. I don't think that he ended up with them, but they do seem substantial. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gus Lozada Posted November 27, 2007 Author Share Posted November 27, 2007 Our old pal Duddits once wrote about the Grace Design Monitoring Products.I don't think that he ended up with them, but they do seem substantial. Wow, found this one:http://www.gracedesign.com/products/m904/m904_frame.htm Looks terrific.Thanks! ... any other suggestions are still welcome ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gus Lozada Posted November 27, 2007 Author Share Posted November 27, 2007 Maybe somethin from these guys? http://www.colemanaudio.com/ He Zooey!This one: TB4 MKII Also looks great. Gotta look for some more reviews of it.Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gus Lozada Posted November 27, 2007 Author Share Posted November 27, 2007 I need something of better quality, maybe more inputs, more outputs... ... and TALKBACK ! Typical DAW problem nowadays, where you have several sound sources and several pairs of monitors and still need headphone and talkback. This studio used to have this big -Amek- console but these days is all about DAWs so this monitoring option is required. Mackie's and Presonus solutions look good, but I'm in the hunt for something of a higher profile, just like the two options mentiones above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Duddits Posted November 27, 2007 Members Share Posted November 27, 2007 Our old pal Duddits once wrote about the Grace Design Monitoring Products. I don't think that he ended up with them, but they do seem substantial. Wooooah!!! I'm on hold on the phone. The robotic voice promised a real live one would replace it within 5 minutes. It's been over 15. So I'm surfing the net as I wait for a living creature to replace the worst music on hold I think I've ever heard. Anyway, I randomly surfed to this thread! Must be fate. So! Grace is great, but pricey. You might want to check out the Monitor ST/SR from Dangerous Music. It's more boutique, high end, and "pro" than the PreSonus, and not as much scratch, I believe, as the Grace. http://www.dangerousmusic.com/stsr.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members doug osborne Posted November 27, 2007 Members Share Posted November 27, 2007 (Pardon the spam) Martinsound MonitorMAX. 10 stereo inputs. Three outputs. Talkback. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gus Lozada Posted November 27, 2007 Author Share Posted November 27, 2007 Wooooah!!! I'm on hold on the phone. The robotic voice promised a real live one would replace it within 5 minutes. It's been over 15. So I'm surfing the net as I wait for a living creature to replace the worst music on hold I think I've ever heard. Anyway, I randomly surfed to this thread! Must be fate. So! Grace is great, but pricey. You might want to check out the Monitor ST/SR from Dangerous Music. It's more boutique, high end, and "pro" than the PreSonus, and not as much scratch, I believe, as the Grace. http://www.dangerousmusic.com/stsr.html Meoww! I mean, thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gus Lozada Posted November 27, 2007 Author Share Posted November 27, 2007 (Pardon the spam)Martinsound MonitorMAX.10 stereo inputs. Three outputs. Talkback. Just when I was going to say "Why Spam?" I saw that pic...Thanks Doug! This one sounds very promising. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted November 27, 2007 Members Share Posted November 27, 2007 ... and TALKBACK ! Typical DAW problem nowadays, where you have several sound sources and several pairs of monitors and still need headphone and talkback. This studio used to have this big -Amek- console but these days is all about DAWs so this monitoring option is required. Mackie's and Presonus solutions look good, but I'm in the hunt for something of a higher profile, just like the two options mentiones above. I know you want something higher profile, but just in case you are anyone else thinks otherwise, the Mackie and (I'm fairly sure) the PreSonus do have talkback and headphone outputs. I have the Big Knob, and it works quite well for my studio. Again, I realize you want something with more inputs and outputs, but I figured I'd mention this anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Rudolf von Hagenwil Posted November 27, 2007 Members Share Posted November 27, 2007 MC (DAW media controller) Works full EuCon protocol with Pro Tools, Nuendo, Digital Performer, Logic Pro, Pro Tools, Nuendo, Pyramix, Final Cut Pro, Avid Media Composer and Avid Express http://www.euphonix.com/post/products/mc/mc.htm http://www.euphonix.com/post/products/system_5-mc/images/system_5-mc_mc_tour_07.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gus Lozada Posted November 27, 2007 Author Share Posted November 27, 2007 You'll need the "Studio MOnitor Express" option to have talkback... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gus Lozada Posted November 27, 2007 Author Share Posted November 27, 2007 I know you want something higher profile, but just in case you are anyone else thinks otherwise, the Mackie and (I'm fairly sure) the PreSonus do have talkback and headphone outputs. I have the Big Knob, and it works quite well for my studio. Again, I realize you want something with more inputs and outputs, but I figured I'd mention this anyway. Given the prices of the higher-end devices, I guess my customer will choose between the Mackie and the Martin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Rudolf von Hagenwil Posted November 27, 2007 Members Share Posted November 27, 2007 You'll need the "Studio MOnitor Express" option to have talkback... "Studio Monitor Express" is only software, the monitor controllers are fix integrated on the upper left. The software can be upgraded to "Studio Monitor Pro" which adds 4 Talkback channel assignable to any monitor Large:http://www.euphonix.com/press/products/mc_overhead_3000.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gus Lozada Posted November 27, 2007 Author Share Posted November 27, 2007 I see, I see.Anyway my customer already have a DAW controller and this one seems too much. Grazie mille, Angelo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted November 27, 2007 Share Posted November 27, 2007 I recently purchased a Mackie Big Knob because my previous monitor controller died on me and I needed something I could get my hands on FAST (IOW, from a local store) and that would (hopefully) do everything I needed. I considered the Presonus tabletop unit, but they weren't shipping yet at the time I purchased the Mackie. I have four sets of monitors, and I want to be able to switch between them at will. I also have four input sources - main DAW mix from my Yamaha digital board, iPod input, 2 track input (return / playback) and the headphone cue, which is generated from aux sends on my board (I send stems to the board from Pro Tools, which makes dialing up cue feeds very easy). The Mackie is, in theory, set up to handle only three sets of monitors. However, there is a separately controlled studio output for feeding monitors in the studio that can be sourced from the cue mix input or from the main stereo input. Since my cue system uses cans and there are no other monitors out in the tracking rooms, I just dedicated that to my fourth set of monitors - the little Avantone Mixcubes, with monitor outs A / B / C feeding my ADAM S3-A's, A7's and modded JBL 4412's, respectively. Alternatively, you could use that "fourth output" to feed a sub if you wanted to, complete with separate level control. As far as monitoring / cue mixes and so forth, the Mackie isn't a mixer, and you'd really need to use something else to dial up levels for your cue mixes - aux sends on a physical console is my choice, but you could easily dedicate a stereo aux in your DAW to accomplish basically the same thing. The Mackie does have a dedicated cue mix input, as well as a non-latching talkback... which I thought was kind of a bummer at first, since I have been known to leave the thing latched so I (or whomever else is in the control room) could continue to have a two way conversation with the people on the other side of the glass while my hands are busy doing other things. However, Mackie thought of that by including a 1/4" jack for a remote, "momentary" footswitch. They suggest it for use by the "producer" so s/he can activate it at will whenever they need it... but "the producer" is me a lot of the time, and even when trying to cover two jobs at once, I still have only two hands... I wondered if a latching footswitch would work, so I connected an old Mesa / Boogie channel switch stompbox (SPST switch inside, connected to a single 1/4" jack), and it works like a charm. Whenever I want to use the talkback, I can hit the momentary switches on the Mackie for a quick comment, or step on the footswitch to leave it latched on (or off). I actually leave it on a lot of the time, so if you're ever over at my place, you might want to be careful what you say about the talent from the CR - they might be able to hear you. There are two headphone jacks, each with their own level control, as well as a line level cue output, which is what I have running to my power amp / Simon Systems headphone boxes in the tracking rooms. Without that line out, I'd have to kludge things, but fortunately, it's also included, leaving the two headphone outs available for me in the CR for use as needed. The talkback mic onboard the Mackie has its own level control, so you can blend the amount of cue mix vs talkback level to taste. The sound quality is pretty good too. The stereo imaging seems pretty solid. My main beef is that I've got a bit more hum than I did previously - possibly a bit of a grounding issue. It's enough to be mildly annoying, but not enough to prevent me from working comfortably. Gonna have to try to track that down. The Mackie has fit the bill nearly perfectly for my needs - and I suspect I'm running a lot more monitors than most folks. It may not be ideal for everyone, but I have been impressed with it overall, and it does handle fairly complex setups and the features were well designed in that regard. While I don't expect it would completely measure up in all respects to high-end boxes like the Grace, Martin Sound or Dangerous Music products, it has impressed me, and performs much better than I expected. I think it's a very well thought out and good performing product, despite its "project studio friendly" price tag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted November 27, 2007 Members Share Posted November 27, 2007 Agreed, Phil. Isn't this great? You write what is essentially a review of the product, and I follow up with two words? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted November 27, 2007 Share Posted November 27, 2007 Yes, I guess that was a sort of "mini-review". Sorry if I was too long-winded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gus Lozada Posted November 27, 2007 Author Share Posted November 27, 2007 It was a great mini-review, Phil. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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