Audio interface with independent monitor levels per-track?

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equazcion

New member
I'm new here (of course), so apologies if the answer to this is obvious. What I'm looking for seems simple in my mind, but I just cannot seem to find it.

I want a USB audio interface that can take a mic and a couple of instrument inputs (1/4" and/or RCA), but which will allow me to adjust the monitor and recording levels of each source independently. Most of the devices I've seen do have independent mix levels for each track, but have only one single monitor level for all sources combined.

Example: I plug in a mic and a guitar. I want to be able to hear the guitar at "half" volume and the mic at "full" volume in my headphones; while sending the guitar and mic to the mix at "full" volume.

I don't need many tracks/sources. 4 will do. But if this is a feature only found on larger rigs I might do it. I just need to know where to look.

Thanks so much!
 
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I think my Roland Duo Capture EX does that. Maybe I am not sure what you need. I have two jacks. Both can take a guitar plug or a mic plug and there is a master output, plus each input has a volume knob.
 
billdancourtney said:
I think my Roland Duo Capture EX does that. Maybe I am not sure what you need. I have two jacks. Both can take a guitar plug or a mic plug and there is a master output, plus each input has a volume knob.
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Only a master output level -- that's the problem there. I'd like separate knobs each for Source #1 "volume", Source #1 "output", Source #2 volume, Source #2 output, etc. (AKA 'monitor' and 'mix' levels, in mixer-board-language). Appreciate the reply though!
 
It's not something you'd typically find on an interface, at least not physical knobs for each track.

I'm not clear whether you're asking for something like a live performance group would use, i.e., every person gets their own monitor mix, or you just want a different monitor mix for yourself when tracking.

Sometimes the interface will have software that lets you do something like that, but configuring other outputs on the interface differently, and then you'd use one of those line out pairs to drive a headphone amp perhaps.

Or you could get a digitial mixer with multi-track capability and the personal monitor feature.

There's a lot of ways to do what you want temporarily but it probably depends on the DAW and interface software whether those would really do what you're looking for efficiently for you. I just change the mix as I'm tracking, for me, or whatever people want, and worry about the final mix when it's all done.
 
keith.rogers said:
I'm not clear whether you're asking for something like a live performance group would use, i.e., every person gets their own monitor mix, or you just want a different monitor mix for yourself when tracking.
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This wouldn't be for multiple monitors/people. Just for the one personal headphone monitor, ie. the "ctrl room". I just want to be able to adjust the level of each source coming through there.

mjbphotos said:
Pretty sure my Tascam does that - with the software mixer.
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Which software is that? And which Tascam model, if you don't mind sharing?

You'd have to monitor from the computer's output then right? Rather than directly within the hardware mixer? Does that software monitor output still come through the mixer's headphone jack? Is there more latency that way?

Edit: I just found this on amazon (I'm not allowed to post links): Mackie PROFX8V2 . It seems to have separate knobs for each source labeled AUX/MON. Would those affect each level as heard from the headphone jack without affecting the mix?
 
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Are you opposed to just monitoring through software? Any DAW can control levels for monitoring/playback. If you can set up your ASIO buffer size small enough, latency would be negligible. And then you'd have total control over all of the levels that you hear while monitoring.
 
MY converters can do that...but it's through the software mixer console.

You're basically looking for an interface that can also act as a hardware mixer...mmm...not sure there are any.

So you have to look for ones that will have a software mixing console, which is what you typically use when monitoring through the hardware, but need a cue mix.
 
Tadpui said:
Are you opposed to just monitoring through software? Any DAW can control levels for monitoring/playback. If you can set up your ASIO buffer size small enough, latency would be negligible. And then you'd have total control over all of the levels that you hear while monitoring.
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Monitoring from software has been a hassle for me in the past. I'm sure someone more experienced at this would find it easier to deal with any issues that might arise but I'd rather keep it simple if possible and monitor without the computer getting involved.

On Amazon I found this: Mackie PROFX8V2. It seems to have separate "AUX/MON" knobs for each source. I'm just not sure if those affect the amplified headphone jack or just just the MON SEND which is probably not amplified and won't drive headphones plugged in directly.

miroslav said:
You're basically looking for an interface that can also act as a hardware mixer...mmm...not sure there are any.
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You're saying a regular mixer without the computer interface will have separate monitor levels for each source? Could you give me a mixer model as an example of that? Thanks!
 
equazcion said:
You're saying a regular mixer without the computer interface will have separate monitor levels for each source? Could you give me a mixer model as an example of that? Thanks!
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Any mixer with aux sends will do that. You just have to hit the switch to listen to the aux sends with the headphones.

Most Motu interfaces come with the cue mix software. It's software that lets you adjust the headphone mix independently from the recording levels. It still uses the hardware, it's just controlled by the software that comes with the unit
 
equazcion said:
You're saying a regular mixer without the computer interface will have separate monitor levels for each source? Could you give me a mixer model as an example of that? Thanks!
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Yes...like Farview said...any mixer can do that....but you're looking for an interface that can individually mix the monitor levels of each channel at the hardware level. I don't know of any.

You can get digital mixers that can also act as your interface, and you will have all those options...or get an interface (like the Motu mentioned, there are others) that has a software mixer which you run from you DAW computer, and with that you can set your monitor levels, independent of the interface input levels.
 
Farview said:
Any mixer with aux sends will do that. You just have to hit the switch to listen to the aux sends with the headphones.
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Could you give me a specific model to look up so I can see what this looks like?

miroslav said:
You can get digital mixers that can also act as your interface, and you will have all those options...or get an interface (like the Motu mentioned, there are others) that has a software mixer which you run from you DAW computer, and with that you can set your monitor levels, independent of the interface input levels.
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What's the difference between a digital mixer and an interface? Could you give me a model number of a digital mixer as an example?

I looked up Motu and their stuff seems to be much more expensive than the interfaces I was looking at. Their cheapest box (that I could find) with 4 inputs is more expensive than some 12-channel interfaces with full hardware controls. I might do it though if thats the ideal option.
 
equazcion said:
Could you give me a specific model to look up so I can see what this looks like?

What's the difference between a digital mixer and an interface? Could you give me a model number of a digital mixer as an example?
Click to expand...

Google is your friend. :)

Audio Interfaces | Sweetwater

Digital Mixers | Sweetwater

Narrow your choices down to stuff that fits your budget...then hit each manufacturer website for detailed info or contact them directly...and finally pick the one that you think will fit your needs.
The process of discovery will provide some learning...and after that, if some specific details are still not clear, ask more questions here and someone should be able to answer them for you.
 
You should read THIS THREAD about mixers and recording, if you haven't already.

The Mackie ProFX does not have a switch to send the monitor (AUX) to the headphones, only the main goes to the headphone output. You'd have to hook a headphone amp up to the aux output of the mixer. Note that the Mackie ProFX8 has USB - but it is only a stereo signal, so can be 2 separate channels (one input panned 100% left, one input panned 100% right) but you cannot record 4 separate tracks at one time with it. Although I've got an older Mackie, I don't imagine that the new ones have a better A-D converter systems, so that would only be 16 bit, and likely to have some noise (whine) when the volume is cranked up a bit on it.
 
You mentioned wanting usb. So i dont know if some of the focusrite usb interfaces have this, but the focusrite saffire pro40 has mix software where you can set up all kinds of different monitoring mixes.
Its an 8 channel unit, you mentioned wanting two. But hey, more is better.

This unit uses firewire and I'm pretty sure is discontinued.
I'd guess the newer versions have some kind of mix software that does the same thing.

I've been more than happy with mine and with the mix software I never have to deal with latency

Fwiw.
 
IF! I understand the issue? The solution is software monitoring of 4 tracks but the concern is that latency will be to high?

I doubt that would be the case with the Native Instruments Komplete Audio 6. I had mine working down at 32 samples with a not particularly powerful computer (this i3 HP laptop actually)

Dave.
 
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