Monitor Controllers - what are we looking at currently?

standup · Post by **standup** » Wed Oct 30, 2013 8:14 am

I'm using the Monitor Station, and it's pretty convenient. I'm controlling 2 sets of speakers plus a sub just for fun on output "C".

The main and cue mixes are pretty flexible. Each of the 4 headphone amps can take signal from main or cue. There are also stereo outputs on the back for main and cue, so you could run that to another headphone amp. The audio quality seems fine, though maybe I should do some A/B testing. My conversion is a Digi 002, so the monitor station is probably not the weakest link in the chain.

ChrisNW · Post by **ChrisNW** » Wed Oct 30, 2013 9:13 am

Another vote for a Coleman controller. You can easily get a hold of Glenn Coleman over the phone and discuss features and/or troubleshoot if you ever have an issue. Solid, transparent gear.

I happily owned and used a CMC4 controller in my mastering studio until a recent upgrade to a Crookwood with internal A/D/A.

digitaldrummer · Post by **digitaldrummer** » Wed Oct 30, 2013 2:01 pm

the answer to the questions about the Coleman audio M3PH and TB4 should be here:

http://www.colemanaudio.com/pdf/M3PHMKIIBlkDia.pdf

http://www.colemanaudio.com/pdf/TB4MKIIBlkDia.pdf

since the monitor selection is passive, in theory whatever goes in comes out. the cue mix is like the headphone and goes through an (op)amp stage.

Mike

Jeff White · Post by **Jeff White** » Thu Oct 31, 2013 2:01 pm

These look nice:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/M3PHmkII/
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MS6R/

and...
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MC21/

Anyone use the Drawmer MC2.1?

Jeff

sfsonarboy · Post by **sfsonarboy** » Thu Oct 31, 2013 2:43 pm

Another vote for Coleman products. I picked up an older passive unit used (sorry, don't have model # in front of me), and it was a clear audible difference/improvement from the Mackie Big Knob I'd been previously using. The Coleman is built like a tank, totally reliable, and just plain works. I also had a very nice chat with Mr. Coleman at a trade show a few years back, and he was very engaging and helpful.

jgimbel · Post by **jgimbel** » Mon Dec 02, 2013 9:37 pm

After much deliberation I've decided to order a Presonus Monitor Station and give it a try. I can always send it back if I decide I don't like how it sounds. I was going to get the Central Station, but even at a cheaper used price it doesn't offer as ideal features as the even cheaper Monitor Station. I'm hoping to have a lot of headphone outs available, especially if they can be controlled right in front of me. The Monitor Station will let me have four channels right there, plus the cue out that will go to the 4-channel headphone amp I've been using for a while. I don't think I'll ever need more than 8 headphone outs at one time. The Central Station would have been four headphone outs that I'd have to adjust at the rack, plus the four from its Cue out, so the Monitor Station is just a bit better for this. I also don't actually really need speaker switching at the moment but this will allow for it in the future anyway. A convenient talkback is going to be amazing though. No more waving my hands trying to get a guitar player's attention when he's noodling around wasting time instead of recording what he's there to record! I'll report back on the Monitor Station when its in and I've used it.

The Scum · Post by **The Scum** » Mon Dec 02, 2013 10:42 pm

I'd like to contribute my experience with Coleman.

When I was looking at monitor controllers, and starting down the path of designing my own, I came across an M3H (the active attenuator, not passive, version) from an unclaimed freight dealer. They were asking about what I'd have paid for an empty chassis - I thought it was my lucky day.

I got it home, put it on my bench, and found that it was intermittent. The outputs cut in and out.

Funnily enough, the TapeOp review unit developed similar problems, and had to be repaired or replaced:
http://www.colemanaudio.com/pdf/M3ATapeOp.pdf

Since I didn't have the luxury of a warranty, I dug into it. The problem quickly became obvious. The main PCB doesn't have solder mask, and it looked like it had been dropped on the way to the wave solder machine - a bunch of the resistors were only really connected at one end - they were standing up, above the PCB, with one leg making intermittent physical contact. This is a manufacturing defect, something that a quick visual inspection should have caught in the QC process.

So I reflowed a dozen or so solder joints, getting the resistors to sit flush on the board. Intermittency solved.

The volume pot is also a bit touchy. At low levels, one channel is significantly louder than the other. They even out as the level gets higher - I'd guess that the 2 sections of the pot aren't very well matched. It's also developed a definite pop in one channel at about the 11 o-clock position. This might be solved by the higher grade 4-gang pot in the passive version.

I've been considering replacing the pot with a switch from Goldpoint...when time and funds allow. Or replace the whole thing with an Arduino or two, and stack of relays.

Those issues aside, it's a nice monitor controller. Indivudual channel mutes have proven handy several times in getting my monitors & power amps calibrated. Those chunky Switchcraft selection buttons are likewise rock solid...but the "clack" the make when they switch might be distracting to some.

I also find it funny that in the age of the internet, they don't have their user manuals available for download.

JWL · Post by **JWL** » Tue Dec 03, 2013 12:37 pm

I don't think there is anything wrong with the Presonus Monitor Station or Central Station. My guess is that if it sounded bad, you had a defective unit. I'm sure they all sound fine. If the unit has the features you want, in the price range you are looking to spend, then give it a try.

My guess is that most people could not hear a difference between most of these units in a good listening test, even more so than things like mic preamps and D/A converters.

jgimbel · Post by **jgimbel** » Tue Dec 03, 2013 12:44 pm

JWL wrote:My guess is that if it sounded bad, you had a defective unit. I'm sure they all sound fine. If the unit has the features you want, in the price range you are looking to spend, then give it a try.

I'm not sure if you're referring to my post or if I missed someone else saying they didn't like the sound of theirs, but I've never owned either of them. I was just saying I was going to try it and if for some reason I think it affects the sound too much I can send it back. Not being transparent seems to be people's main complaint about active headphone units vs. passive, though I can't say I've ever really compared in this situation so I don't have an opinion on it, except from online opinions that I often read but don't let affect the final decisions I make with gear.

The Monitor Station definitely has the features I'm looking for, I'm looking forward to trying it out.

brownshoes77 · Post by **brownshoes77** » Mon Dec 30, 2013 5:21 pm

shadow hills oculus. period.

silentsky · Post by **silentsky** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 9:12 am

I'm using the SM Pro M Patch 2.1 here. I'm happy with it, except for one issue: the single subwoofer out only passes signal from the left input instead of passing a mono-summed out. Seems to be a design flaw, as I've had other M Patch 2.1 users test it, and they got the same result. Since I'm not using a single, dedicated subwoofer, it doesn't create a problem for me.

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Monitor Controllers - what are we looking at currently?

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