headphone monitoring setup

[jacob eli]

I want to set up an efficient headphone system for my tracking room. I am running Pro Tools LE via my 002. Is there a way to send the signal to small mixers in the tracking room so that the players can control a drum buss level, bass, guitars, vocals, etc.? What's the easiest way to do this? I want to be able to monitor the inputs of protools as I wish in the control room without effecting the players' levels. I have the AD8000 for 8 optical inputs/outputs as well if that helps. Any advice at all would be immensely appreciated.


Best regards,

Jacob Eli

[sounddevisor]

I've been happy with the Hear Back system from Listen Technology for my headphone monitor set-up. There's a rack-mount hub/distribution box which will take 8 inputs, switchable (as a block) between analog ins and ADAT optical, and then transmit them over Cat5 (ethernet) cable to individual mixer boxes, so each performer can do their own mix of a stereo pair plus 6 individual channels (which can also be linked for more stereo pairs if necessary.)

It's pretty affordable vs. similar audio-over-ethernet systems I've seen (half the price of the Axiom system, although half the channels also), seems pretty rugged so far, and is totally easy for musicians and even drummers to figure out.

As an added bonus, the mixer boxes have a pair of 1/4" outs, so you can use them to feed monitors rather than headphones if you want, or I've been using them as handy reamp boxes.

[jacob eli]

So how would I have to set things up in PT? The inputs of the 002 wont automatically send the signal to the output will they? Therefore, wouldn't I have to set the inputs in PT to the correct outputs? Then, changing the mix in PT would effect the players' mixes. No? Any clarification would be magnificent.

Jacob Eli

[sounddevisor]

Set up a pre-fader aux send for each channel you are sending to the cue system, and assign it to an output other than your main outs. With the 002, I guess you could get 6 separate channels going to your cue system (analog outs 3-8.)

If you make it a pre-fader send, you can mute, solo, and adjust levels in the control room without affecting what's going to the cue system.

Hope that helps.

[Gone]

I use the HB system with an 002 as well.
I find it to be an extremely elegant solution.

I run at 64 samples while tracking.
I take the 8 analog outs of the 002 and have them connected to the HB main unit.
In PT when I open a session all tracks by default are going out 1/2.
Since PT allows me to have 2 outputs per track, I..
Then assign tracks to additional other outputs.
A full band will get:
1/2 My mix.
3 Kick and Snare
4 Bass
5 gtr 1
6 gtr 2
7 vox 1
8 vox 2

If I am just overdubbing, I tend to just send the one track back out to #3 and the main mix to 1/2 as before.


I hope that makes sense!


Good luck!

D

[Sonicvalley]

if you can afford it the Hearback system is perfect. and get it from Warren at Frontend Audio here on the boards. Great service with a killer price.

[uncle duncan]

Originally Posted by dpasch

I run at 64 samples while tracking.

Does this mean the monitor mix will be 64 samples late? Is that what I keep hearing about when someone says they went into a PT studio, and they had a hard time overdubbing because the monitor mix sounded delayed?

[sounddevisor]

Uncle Duncan -

At 44.1, 64 samples is about 1.5 milliseconds - I don't think you will hear this as latency, unless maybe you are a bat.

So no, that's not what people are talking about when they say the monitor mix is delayed.

Unless they are bats.

[uncle duncan]

Originally Posted by sounddevisor

So no, that's not what people are talking about when they say the monitor mix is delayed.

I wonder what they are talking about? Do PT studios change the sample offset for overdubs and mixing? Or maybe it's an LE thing? It just boggles the mind to think that pro studios are sending headphone mixes that exhibit enough latency to throw off a singer or guitar player doing overdubs, but I've seen that mentioned on this board. More than once. (Working with a native DAW, I don't have to deal with latency, but if it's an issue with PT gear, it should be addressed before some guy drops a bunch of money on a system that's going to suck for the musicians who have to use it.)

[sounddevisor]

Uncle Duncan -

We're straying a bit off topic here, but just to get things straight -

You said: "Working with a native DAW, I don't have to deal with latency."

You are lucky if that is the case. Native systems are where latency in monitoring tends to be an issue. If your system can handle a very small buffer (i.e. Dpasch's example of tracking with a 64 sample buffer) then latency won't be a problem. However, if the system can't handle a buffer that small, or if the operator doesn't understand buffer settings, that's where you will run into monitoring issues. That's why you find "mix" or "blend" monitor controls on many of the lower-end tracking boxes out there (for instance, the MBox.)

With non-native ProTools systems (HD or Mix systems) which use dedicated DSP hardware, latency in monitoring is not an issue.

You said:"It just boggles the mind to think that pro studios are sending headphone mixes that exhibit enough latency to throw off a singer or guitar player..."

To me, sending a headphone mix with that much latency is a strong indicator that the studio is not "pro," at least not by my definition. tutt