RECORDING
Eli Krantzberg is an internationally known author and music software trainer . His instructional videos and articles have helped demystify music software such as Logic , Pro Tools , Sonar , BFD , Melodyne , and Kontakt for thousands of users all over the world . He is also a regular collaborator of the team at Sonarworks . www . elikrantzberg . com .
By Eli Krantzberg
Choosing a Monitor Controller
Interfaces vs Monitor Controllers
Adding a monitor controller to
your studio may not be an obvious or sexy choice to bump up your productions , but a good one will enhance your workflow and help get your mixes sounding their best . Referencing between multiple monitors is a great way to ensure that mixes will translate well when played back on different types of speakers and the volume control on your audio interface may be fine to control a single pair of speakers or headphones but is likely inadequate for multiple speaker options . That is just one example of how a dedicated monitor controller can come in handy .
Features You May Be Missing If you are working with a subwoofer , you may consider a monitor controller that can toggle the sub on and off . Many monitor controllers have a dedicated Sub output , which may also include a crossover or low pass filter adjustment . This type of setup allows you tune the transition point between the subs and the mains and also use one subwoofer with more than one pair of speakers .
Along with speaker and subwoofer selection , monitor controllers may provide several additional creative functions . The ability to monitor in mono is useful when mixing ; for detecting mono compatibility problems and also for an alternate perspective on mix balances . A DIM switch is useful for switching between loud and soft preset volume levels , to ensure elements in your mix blend properly at different playback levels . Another nice feature in some monitor controllers is a stepped volume control for repeatable , calibrated speaker settings .
Active or Passive ? An important consideration in choosing a monitor controller is active versus passive circuitry , as any electronics in the audio path will influence the sound . The conventional wisdom is that passive controllers have minimal impact on the sound since there are no active amplifiers in the audio path . Many sophisticated and some very simple controllers use passive electronics for level control and active components for other functions , like talkback and mono summing . Mackie , as an example , produces an inexpensive monitor controller with a purely passive audio path , like the Big Knob Passive , and also more fully-featured ( and more expensive ) units like the Big Knob Studio +.
If you ’ re mixing on headphones plugged into your monitor controller , crossfeed may be a useful feature . Crossfeed provides some amount of “ bleed ” between your left and right earphones , simulating the stereo imaging we perceive when listening to speakers in a room . Crossfeed can make headphone mixing feel more natural and even help headphone mixes translate better to speakers , especially when using stereo imaging plug-ins .
Gozintas Connectivity is another consideration , particularly if you desire to monitor sources besides your DAW output . Many monitor controllers include an 1 / 8-in . “ aux ” input , Bluetooth connectivity for phones , and additional inputs for other analog or digital sources . Some even provide proper inputs for turntables . Additional features , like analog summing or transformer colouration are available along with monitor control in units like the Dangerous D-Box + and others .
Most monitor controllers have analog inputs , and many units also provide digital input via AES / EBU , S / PDIF , or optical connections . Dedicated monitor controllers usually have better sounding D / A converters than those found in budget interfaces , so connecting the digital out of your interface into the digital input of a monitor controller may be a simple way to improve your sound . For example , at the high end the Crane Song Avocet llA uses a 32-bit converter with extremely low jitter specs , while even the modestly-priced PreSonus Central Station PLUS and Heritage Audio RAM 2000 monitor controllers provide excellent sounding digital input options .
Conclusion So , while your audio interface may provide some basic monitoring functions , dedicated monitor controllers provide many useful features not typically found in audio interfaces at any price point . Remember that getting your room and monitoring in order are the first steps in accurate mixing and Sonarworks Reference 4 software puts the icing on the cake to any well thought out system .
This is an excerpt from the Successful Studio Setup e-book from Sonarworks . The company ’ s series of e-books is designed to address some of the most pressing topics music creators face related to recording , mixing , and mastering . The full series can be accessed at : www . sonarworks . com / blog / ebooks .
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