Talkback / control room monitor

[matthewd]

Hi there

I do a mixture of location recording, mainly classical and post production at home. For the location work, I have found the Presonus Central Station to be very useful for talkback and for monitoring my Sadie as I only have digital outputs. I now have a Sadie dedicated to the road (an LRX) and an editing machine at home (H64). Given the need for digital input and choice of speakers to listen to, has anyone got any better suggestions? My only concern with the Presonus is that the D to A may not be quite up to standard although the spec is 192K and I have to say almost everything I record is still 44.1 / 24 bit, very occasionally 96k. I do also like the meters on the Central station and having a second does provide some resilience if one was to fail. Just thought I would confer with you lovely people before making the decision as you are always all so helpful.

Thanks

Matt

[fifthcircle]

Unless you are going to make something of your own, the CS, despite the build quality issues is probably the best bang for buck and is one of the easiest things to deal with on the road. For home stuff, there is a LOT that is better, but it is a pain to bring to a location.

Are you recording at home? Do you need talkback there? Perhaps a good D-A converter going through a quality dedicated monitor control would be the ticket... I don't record at home so I use a Lavry D-A with a Coleman Audio M3P for source and volume control. There are also similar solutions in one box that are good (Grace, Cranesong, etc...).

--Ben

[Remoteness]

We've been using STUDIO TECHNOLOGIES central controllers for a very long time with great results.

We have..
(6) STUDIO COMM 50 and 51 central controller and control console monitor system.
(6) STUDIO COMM 55 and 56 central controller and control console monitor system.
(1) Model 38 portable stereo Talent Amplifier &
(1) Model 70 Interface which creates stereo, balanced line-level signal from the Talent Amplifier output.

Studio technologies now make a digital input version of their central controller and console monitor system...

Checkout Welcome to Studio Technologies, Inc. for more information.

[John Willett]

Sounds like you do similar to what I do.

My location monitors are K+H O110D which are controlled by a Grace m902b (which also controls the headphones).

My talkback unit I made myself many years ago (box on the right in the picture below) this also controls the red lights.

The squawk box is a K+H M51 (I used to use a Canford Audio unit but picked up the M51 at a good price as it has been superseded by the M52).

This is what my location setup looks like.

I'm just about to upgrade from the Fostex FR-2 to the new Nagra VI - should be getting a loan unit for trial this week.

[David Rick]

Like John Willett, I designed and built my own talkback controller a number of years ago. I was using a little Mackie mixer on location for most monitoring functions, so I just implemented a talkback output and monitor pass-through with dimming. I used a spare Mackie channel for the talkback preamp via the insert jack. The only control on the thing is a three position toggle switch: up = playback to musicians, center = normal, down = talkback with 12 dB monitor dimming.

If you want a complete box with a really good integrated DAC, then you're probably looking at a studio monitor controller from Crane Song or Grace Design. But these are expensive and rather over-the-top for location work.

If you're willing to use an outboard DAC, an intermediate solution is the SPL MTC . I have its Surround Monitor Controller brother (which does not include talkback) in my production room. The audio and build quality are head and shoulders above Presonus and Mackie stuff.

David L. Rick
Seventh String Recording

[Solar]

Hey David!

Just read your post and was wondering about the Dangerous product summing compare to the ones you mentioned above?

Dangerous Products: D-BOX

[Legacy]

I second Steve's recommendation on the StudioTechnologies boxes - very rugged and clean although no onboard D-A in the models I have. I consider this a plus as you can use your choice of D-A.

Without talkback the Benchmark DAC-1 or Grace M902B make for really nice D-As with volume knobs. 1/2 rack space portability is great too.

-Silas

[Graham Tobias]

These days I use a central station... I've got protools outputting analog going to the TRS1 input of the CS, and my 2 different headphone mixes going to the L and R input of TRS2. I then have the cue output route the TRS2 mix to the headphone amp in the live room. It's great because I can switch my monitor and headphone mix to play the mains out of protools or I can switch to the monitor mixes in seconds and dial them in more. Plus the talkbalk of the CS routes out the cue outs. Works great for me.

[David Rick]

Originally Posted by Solar

Hey David!

Just read your post and was wondering about the Dangerous product summing compare to the ones you mentioned above?

Dangerous Products: D-BOX

In terms of audio quality? I haven't a clue. It got a nice review in Audio Media or some similar trade rag. (Salt to taste...) But I don't know the designer, and I've never seen one with the lid off. Heck, it's probably no worse than my 15 year old Mackie! But if they want real money for this, I have higher expectations.

As to function: I read the manual. The talkback/cue system is totally oriented towards headphone monitoring. There's no rear connector for piping the cue output into on-stage foldback speakers. You could plug into the front, but it's unbalanced. Moreover, there's no dim function, so you risk feedback if you've got live mics up on your control room monitors.

Analog summing doesn't really apply in my production style. I'd rather have a second analog in on XLR's with dedicated level control to facilitate A/B comparisons. You can accomplish a similar thing using a summing input, but then the two audio paths are different: on has the summing amp in it.

The form factor is nice. I don't really dig the trade dress, but that's minor.

David L. Rick
Seventh String Recording

[Solar]

Thanx David for the feedback.

Just that i'm looking for a all in one system that would have a very great summing system so i can send my soundcard output to monitor my MIX and have a very transparent sound that will match my K&H 0300D speakers and also a Monitor/talkback return to my RME inputs.

Of course i don't want something more then 1500$.

I was also thinking about if i don't go that hi-end, maybe the latest Presonus :
PreSonus Monitor Station | Sweetwater.com
Of course i'm sure the sound is good in it but can't expect doing summing with the presonus nor have the great transparent sound from either Dangerous Music or SPL or Crane Song etc... not the same league i'm sure!!

I will keep looking and investigating! Maybe will call my music Dealer here to get some nice summing box and give them a try and see witch i love most with my setup!

Thanx again for your input!!!

Cheers!!

[matthewd]

Thank you all and Steve in particular - I do like the look of those studiocomm units. I have in fact gone for another Central Station only because for the time being it means I have a spare PSU for the one I already have and it does cheaply combine a number of tasks in one - decent meters, acceptable D to A for monitoring my digital output only DAW on location and talkback in a compact easily portable unit. However, I can see myself going for a higher end unit when I have a bit more disposable income.

Thanks everso all

Matt

[Remoteness]

Matt,

You really cannot go wrong with that system.
The Central Station is a pretty decent unit for the money.

[BassTrap]

Originally Posted by Remoteness

We have..
(6) STUDIO COMM 50 and 51 central controller and control console monitor system.
(6) STUDIO COMM 55 and 56 central controller and control console monitor system.
(1) Model 38 portable stereo Talent Amplifier &
(1) Model 70 Interface which creates stereo, balanced line-level signal from the Talent Amplifier output.

To this date, do you still use such equipment? I've always been interested in the 50/51 since I read about its operation.

-Eric

[Remoteness]

We have two StudioComms in Elroy and a StudioComm in The Bread Mobile plus a few portable systems all in use to this day.

They work very well and I like how they look next to the equipment.

That being said, I love the 50/51, but they have discontinued the unit.
They move towards all digital surround controllers.
Most of their current models have digital ins.
Some have digital ins with analog outs.

They make a few surround all analog models, but the only stereo all analog unit still available is the StudioComm 55/56.

Originally Posted by BassTrap

To this date, do you still use such equipment? I've always been interested in the 50/51 since I read about its operation.

-Eric