Monitor/Center Section

[trodden]

As talked about before, I"m slowly upgrading my workflow and moving to finally mixing in the box. Mostly due to not able to keep up with maintenance for my AMEK BCII that i've been using for stem summing/mixing with a "hybrid" way of working where I'm mixing both in protools and bringing that to outboard gear and final summing/mixing in the analog world.

My monitor section of the AMEK crapped out on my last weekend, so now it's only worth is the preamps and EQs! The Audient Nero Monitor Controller seems like an ideal piece of gear, especially having a digital input with DA. There's cheaper options, as well as more expensive routes, but it seems to have all the features that I would like to have with a price that's not too ridiculous.

However, that's $500 i'd rather use for materials for my ongoing build out. Do I really need a fancy pants monitor controller while set up in my living room still? Mixing in a sub-ideal environment anyways? I have a Mackie 1202 that's been with me for over 20 years, why not use it? Sure, there's no digital input, but throw a 58 on an input channel and I have talkback, especially if the cue mix is coming out of bus 3/4 while and main mix is over 1/2. Mackie always seem pretty clean when using the line inputs, and not using the EQ. The important thing is to make sure the stereo line inputs are matching still, since we're talking about 23 years of crud/beer/smoke (i've used it for my synth/key sub mixer for live shows since 2001) as well as failing caps probably.

What monitor controllers/center modules are you using?

[digitaldrummer]

granted my studio is a single-room (so no need for talkback), but I just made a passive monitor switcher using a heavy-duty 4PDT toggle switch (it's actually on-off-on, so has a middle "mute" and it's mounted on a 1U powder coated rack blank and then I have a "back" section that is mounted off that that has 3 pair of 1/4" TRS). That let's me switch between 2 pair of monitors (actually I originally had a 4P3T rotary switch in there but it wore out quickly). I use the monitor volume control on my Apollo 16 and the headphone levels on my headphone amp. I don't have much need for much else. I bounce/mix in the box mostly.

What about repairing your Amek? all modular right?

[trodden]

granted my studio is a single-room (so no need for talkback), but I just made a passive monitor switcher using a heavy-duty 4PDT toggle switch (it's actually on-off-on, so has a middle "mute" and it's mounted on a 1U powder coated rack blank and then I have a "back" section that is mounted off that that has 3 pair of 1/4" TRS). That let's me switch between 2 pair of monitors (actually I originally had a 4P3T rotary switch in there but it wore out quickly). I use the monitor volume control on my Apollo 16 and the headphone levels on my headphone amp. I don't have much need for much else. I bounce/mix in the box mostly.

What about repairing your Amek? all modular right?

It is modular, but I bet the tech is going to want the whole thing plus power supply right? Maybe not?
Between my patchbay, external headphone amps, I think I can use something as simple as you had. This is on sale, simple, and passive.
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... ing-system

I can run a TB via a channel on PT.

[trodden]

I use the monitor volume control on my Apollo 16 and the headphone levels on my headphone amp. I don't have much need for much else. I bounce/mix in the box mostly.

I'll be moving over to the Clarett+ for my main interface, and it does have a monitor volume control, like the Apollo. I'm just concerned about quickly wearing out these types of components. Maybe I should put some trust into the Clarett's build and just get/build a speaker/amp switcher to go between my two pairs of monitors and boombox like you did.

[winky dinglehoffer]

My monitor section of the AMEK crapped out on my last weekend, so now it's only worth is the preamps and EQs! The Audient Nero Monitor Controller seems like an ideal piece of gear, especially having a digital input with DA

I have the Nero (one of my pandemic purchases), & I've been very happy with it. It's nice to have polarity & mono switches. I've never used the talkback, so I don't have anything good or bad to say about that. The biggest issue is that it makes a really big POP when powering on, so monitors need to be turned on after the Nero. This is not a problem for me, but I can see how it could be. There are some funky, semi-hidden features that could be very useful in some situations, but my setup is too simple to warrant their use.

[Nick Sevilla]

Do you have a tech that could take the center section only, or do a house visit? It might be expensive, but worth it.

I have been using my Allen & Heath GL2800-32 center section forever, well, since 2008 when I bought it new. Rock solid console.

If you have a 500 series bucket, I'd recommend you get this one instead of the Baby RAM. Mainly because it has stepped attenuator, and bluetooth for listening to your stuff through the airwaves from your phones.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... ing-module

[trodden]

Do you have a tech that could take the center section only, or do a house visit? It might be expensive, but worth it.

I have been using my Allen & Heath GL2800-32 center section forever, well, since 2008 when I bought it new. Rock solid console.

If you have a 500 series bucket, I'd recommend you get this one instead of the Baby RAM. Mainly because it has stepped attenuator, and bluetooth for listening to your stuff through the airwaves from your phones.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... ing-module

I actually do have an empty 500 bucket... hmm.
There's a new tech that may be able to take the monitor section only and take a look at it. Just sent out an email. I don't want to have to drop off the whole console and power supply to the tech who had it last, for 8 months...

[Nick Sevilla]

Do you have a tech that could take the center section only, or do a house visit? It might be expensive, but worth it.

I have been using my Allen & Heath GL2800-32 center section forever, well, since 2008 when I bought it new. Rock solid console.

If you have a 500 series bucket, I'd recommend you get this one instead of the Baby RAM. Mainly because it has stepped attenuator, and bluetooth for listening to your stuff through the airwaves from your phones.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... ing-module

I actually do have an empty 500 bucket... hmm.
There's a new tech that may be able to take the monitor section only and take a look at it. Just sent out an email. I don't want to have to drop off the whole console and power supply to the tech who had it last, for 8 months...

That's what I would do, and then hopefully have a tech visit the console, and try to resurrect the center section. Hopefully it is a simple fix. And then you have the 500 series as an alternate / spare / travel section.

Yeah, I hear you. I'm glad mine is cheap, I can basically buy a whole other console as parts for about 1K. It's the power supplies which are more rare and expensive. $400 per... But, I will get some of that next year, before it gets wonky. I also have the service manual, got it off a tech friend. Since they are no longer made...

[trodden]

Do you have a tech that could take the center section only, or do a house visit? It might be expensive, but worth it.

I have been using my Allen & Heath GL2800-32 center section forever, well, since 2008 when I bought it new. Rock solid console.

If you have a 500 series bucket, I'd recommend you get this one instead of the Baby RAM. Mainly because it has stepped attenuator, and bluetooth for listening to your stuff through the airwaves from your phones.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... ing-module

I actually do have an empty 500 bucket... hmm.
There's a new tech that may be able to take the monitor section only and take a look at it. Just sent out an email. I don't want to have to drop off the whole console and power supply to the tech who had it last, for 8 months...

That's what I would do, and then hopefully have a tech visit the console, and try to resurrect the center section. Hopefully it is a simple fix. And then you have the 500 series as an alternate / spare / travel section.

Yeah, I hear you. I'm glad mine is cheap, I can basically buy a whole other console as parts for about 1K. It's the power supplies which are more rare and expensive. $400 per... But, I will get some of that next year, before it gets wonky. I also have the service manual, got it off a tech friend. Since they are no longer made...

It's such a headache. I got rid of a slowly dying SoundTracs Topaz that I used from 2004-2015. As my space got smaller, it was stupid to have a 32 channel console that only 50% of the inputs worked. Getting that serviced was a PITA since it was not modular and I had already paid for it twice in repairs. Ignoring the wise words of all before me regarding vintage consoles, I grabbed the AMEK on Reverb in 2017. Basically, a gamble, come to find out, it needed some work to get it to a point where it could be trusted, but I did manage to jump through all kinds of hoops for a few records before sending it to a tech to get it back to basic summing/mixing use. I should have just invested in a monitor section and pro tools upgrade in 2017 instead of the AMEK. I don't see myself able to get rid of it for what I bought it for unless I get this monitor section fixed and tackle a couple other gremlins. Don't get me wrong, it's a great little console... but for the budgets I get/rates I charge, I don't have the money to constantly be throwing at something that isn't top cherry like NEVE API TRIDENT NEOTEK ETC. (a new "table top" Elan II would be a dream...) If anything, I can throw in all the preamp modules in place of the stereo line-in modules I currently have in it and have 8 channels of decent (but nothing super cool) pres (think Symetrix 202) and EQ that are great for tone shaping/"bettering" along with using it to buss mics together.

[trodden]

My monitor section of the AMEK crapped out on my last weekend, so now it's only worth is the preamps and EQs! The Audient Nero Monitor Controller seems like an ideal piece of gear, especially having a digital input with DA

I have the Nero (one of my pandemic purchases), & I've been very happy with it. It's nice to have polarity & mono switches. I've never used the talkback, so I don't have anything good or bad to say about that. The biggest issue is that it makes a really big POP when powering on, so monitors need to be turned on after the Nero. This is not a problem for me, but I can see how it could be. There are some funky, semi-hidden features that could be very useful in some situations, but my setup is too simple to warrant their use.

RIght on. I've read some horrid reviews of it as well, but I'm chalking it up as user error. BTW, isn't it well known rule that you turn your amps on last whenever turning on your monitoring chain?? And amps off first when powering everything down.