Headphone Mixes

[opium89]

I'm having trouble wrapping my head around something. What are you sending your seperate stereo headphone mixes out to?

The RME, MOTU, and Presonus interface units seem flexible enough to create a series of seperate mixes via sets of stereo outputs, fine and easy enough to deal with via four subs on a mixer. So how the hell do you do this without a mixer? I was looking at a few headphone amps which seem to be able to distribute one stereo mix to four or eight channels, the Central Station looks like it only sends one input out to phones plus has a mains out.

Am I missing something? What hardware is available to do this? I guess I could buy four HP4's but with 4 headphone outs each, seems wasteful. What are you guys using? Is there a piece of rackmountable hardware that will accept at least 4 stereo inputs and output these to at least 4 seperate headphone outs? If not, will someone please make one? <poking Rick N.>

[studio825]

Look into the hear products

[opium89]

Now this looks really nice but is probably more than the average home studio engineer needs @ $1400. Any other options in the < $500 group? I don't think we as frugal consumers can justify a headphone amp that costs more than our interfaces!

[opium89]

OK, I found this guy...

http://www.behringer.com/AMP800/index.cfm?lang=ENG

Two of these for under a $100 would probably do it. Anyone use this thingy?

[opium89]

And I think we have a winner!

http://www.mackie.com/products/hm54/

I think two of these would do it, and they're $99 a piece =)

I would like to add something for the RME, MOTU, and Presonus R&D folks here. I think there is a serious need for a device that does this sort of thing. Ideally I envision a device that would have 6 or 8 stereo inputs x 6 or 8 headphone outs with amp + two main in/outs that your powered monitors could be connected to and controled via a volume knob. Kind of a universal cue mixer / monitor contoller, rack mountable of course. While you're at it, add a talkback and make it less than $500. =)

The Hear system is nice but not really designed for us home studio folks.

[BruceTheProduce]

I have the samson S-Phone, it works great, and has pretty much the same features as the mackie one, and it also has an EQ section per channel

http://www.samsontech.com/products/p....cfm?prodID=99

[numrologst]

opium89-

you are basically talking about a dangerous monitor st... It has 3 stere inputs, volume knob, monitor outs, and a cue out.

I personally use the mackie hm54 and I like it. It's pretty clean and I haven't had anyone complain about it.

2 of those and you are set.

[The Byre]

We use Phonic mini mixers mounted on robust music stands with a little light, so the the musician can make his or her own mix and set the headphone volumes.

Phonic, Mackie, all good. Stay away from Behringer. They will fail.

[opium89]

I was reading that many people here had some problems with that Behringer unit. I was glad I found the Mackie box. As for the Samson stuff, I did see that one but the "more me" concept is a little bizarre to me when the cue mix software can do the job for you. I just checked out the Dangerous stuff too but again, probably more sophisticated than the average home studio needs, and why D-Sub? Blah! I think the Central Station from Presonus is a great idea, just add a few more 1/4" stereo inputs and headphone jacks and there you would have it!

[studio825]

The Behringer is a plastic piece of crap.I think the Hear products rock.You dont need to buy the entire system from Hear to get what you are trying to do.Therew are some lower costing cue systems around that are just as good.Search vedor sites im sure youll find what your looking for.

[DeadPoet]

I've searched around for options, and the hearback system is way out of my league. I've used the various Behringer reincarnations of the Samson 1U phone amp and though not very good I think I'm gonna go with a HA4700 and two of their mini 1ch phone amps (MA400) for overdubs.

Only thing I hate about the multichannel systems is that everybody has to physically move from their recording position to find their channel in the jungle of knobs that you find on the front plate. I think the MA400 deals with that in an elegant way (except for the unbalanced input maybe)


Herwig