Is there a good monitoring solution for around $800?

[bpert]

I don't have a board to run my monitor path from protools through, so... Does anyone have a good recommendation for a dedicated monitoring box? I know that there is the Presonus which is decent, but is there something better for the same amount?

I am coming out of a 96i/o, to two sets of monitors: V8's, and HR824's. Ideally this box would be designed for two sets of monitors and not have any extra features like talkback and stuff that I don't need. I want my money to go towards quality passive electronics that don't distort the master from protools, not towards extra features that I don't need. Anyone have any ideas?

[jdjustice]

Check out the following links to two different monitoring controllers:

Coleman Audio M3PH mkII
Dangerous Music Monitor ST


Cheers,


J.D.

[bpert]

Originally Posted by jdjustice

Check out the following links to two different monitoring controllers:

Coleman Audio M3PH mkII
Dangerous Music Monitor ST


Cheers,


J.D.

While the coleman piece is in my range, I don't really need all of those features, the other device is way out of the specified price range and has two many bells and whistles for what I need at this point. Thanks for the input.. but anyone else have some advice?

[ImJohn]

Originally Posted by bpert

While the coleman piece is in my range, I don't really need all of those features, the other device is way out of the specified price range and has two many bells and whistles for what I need at this point. Thanks for the input.. but anyone else have some advice?

I have the Coleman unit and I wouldn't want to work without it. I'm not sure which 'extra' features bother you but if you find a box that has exactly the features you need now, chances are down the road you might need to expand and that extra output and two extra inputs the Coleman has will come in handy. And yes, if you have them you will use the mono, mute and phase reverse switches from time to time and possibly the headphone amp too.

Coleman Audio does custom work too so you could probably have exactly what you want made up :
----------------------------
From this page http://www.colemanaudio.com/news.htm :
If you don't see exactly what your looking for send an email describing what you need to: coley@colemanaudio.com Or give us a call and tell us what you need. We are a customer driven company. Most of the products here came from the ideas and needs of engineers like yourself. Your idea might not become a product but we do custom work too.
----------------------------

People thinking of buying a Coleman product should also take a close look at the page indicated above!

[bpert]

Originally Posted by ImJohn

I have the Coleman unit and I wouldn't want to work without it. I'm not sure which 'extra' features bother you but if you find a box that has exactly the features you need now, chances are down the road you might need to expand and that extra output and two extra inputs the Coleman has will come in handy. And yes, if you have them you will use the mono, mute and phase reverse switches from time to time and possibly the headphone amp too.

Coleman Audio does custom work too so you could probably have exactly what you want made up :
----------------------------
From this page http://www.colemanaudio.com/news.htm :
If you don't see exactly what your looking for send an email describing what you need to: coley@colemanaudio.com Or give us a call and tell us what you need. We are a customer driven company. Most of the products here came from the ideas and needs of engineers like yourself. Your idea might not become a product but we do custom work too.
----------------------------

People thinking of buying a Coleman product should also take a close look at the page indicated above!

I guess what I was referring too is the 3 stereo inputs.. While it is nice, I only need one right now. I also don't mind the mute and mono features.

[respirator]

The SM Pro Audio M-Patch does what you need, but it's not $800, so maybe too low end?

[primalsteve]

Originally Posted by bpert

I guess what I was referring too is the 3 stereo inputs.. While it is nice, I only need one right now. I also don't mind the mute and mono features.

Just be care not to press those buttons and you'll be fine.

[squeegybug]

I did a lot of looking in this range and less and bought Central Station. Excellent solution for my needs. The Colemans did not have enough routing options for what I wanted, and also no output attenuators for balancing levels. The SMPro M-Patch I had was junk.

As far as

quality passive electronics that don't distort the master

the Central Station certainly is capable of this. I'm not one to trust Presonus after their deceitful bait & switch tactics on the MP20. I just simply installed a CS, routed tracks and mixes with it in and out of circuit, and compared the signals. They nulled, and there was no sound difference. What else is there?

Steve

[ImJohn]

Originally Posted by bpert

I guess what I was referring too is the 3 stereo inputs.. While it is nice, I only need one right now. I also don't mind the mute and mono features.

Gotcha. One thing I've found as useful for the extra inputs is to use them for the analog outs of a DAT, cassette, CD/DVD and keyboard submixer etc. That way, if the computer isn't on and I want to listen to something without firing it up I can do so.

[bpert]

Originally Posted by squeegybug

I did a lot of looking in this range and less and bought Central Station. Excellent solution for my needs. The Colemans did not have enough routing options for what I wanted, and also no output attenuators for balancing levels. The SMPro M-Patch I had was junk.

As far as the Central Station certainly is capable of this. I'm not one to trust Presonus after their deceitful bait & switch tactics on the MP20. I just simply installed a CS, routed tracks and mixes with it in and out of circuit, and compared the signals. They nulled, and there was no sound difference. What else is there?

Steve

Your talk of built in attenuators sparked my curiosity as I am using the built in attenuators on both the KRK V8's and HR-824's that I have. Is this a bad idea, or is this what they are for? Would it be better to turn up the attenuators on the speakers to +6 and use attenuators from a monitor box to control the signal level from Pro Tools? Any help is always appreciated.

[squeegybug]

Originally Posted by bpert

Your talk of built in attenuators sparked my curiosity as I am using the built in attenuators on both the KRK V8's and HR-824's that I have. Is this a bad idea, or is this what they are for? Would it be better to turn up the attenuators on the speakers to +6 and use attenuators from a monitor box to control the signal level from Pro Tools? Any help is always appreciated.

That is what they are for. It shouldn't matter whether you use the ones on the monitor amps or on the controller, but one set should be enough.... If it reduces as far as you need to be able to calibrate your controller properly.

Steve

[TAVD]

I sold my central station and built my own passive switch box/ volume control for well under $100. The central station might be passive but I found it far from transparent. DACT & Goldpoint both make stepped attenuators. Just add rotary switches for input & output selection and put it all in a box.

[bpert]

I set my monitors attenuators all the way up and am attenuating with my M3PH II, can't believe the improvement in sound quality..

[squeegybug]

Hmmm. So how much travel do you have now in the Coleman single attenuator, before you reach "too loud"?

That is what the individual speaker trims are for -- to set a proper gain structure and to allow the main "volume control" to have enough resolution and accurate L/R balance by operating through its entire sweep range.

Since the Coleman devices do not have these individual channel trims you cannot set it to produce equal SPL in pairs of monitors with different sensitivities, so that will have to be done at the amps or elsewhere, if necessary.

Steve

[gsilbers]

this is a waaaaaayyy low end but for the price theres nothing to loose by trying it.
well, 35bucks and a little time.
the minimon800 from beringer. new seires. \

can choose 4 inputs, 3 pairs of speakers , mute, dim, mono, talk to cue (i dont use) and 2 headphones.

works for the outs of protools mix w/o disto.

i compared it w mackies big knob and sound doenst change almost at all. just laking the big knob and better or confy talkback features. it only like $35 bucks.

no xlr input so i got adapters to rca and 1/4.

small convinient, got for my portable setup, then used for main setup