Please help with my train of thought . I have a friend whose band (Small Acoustic) is using a Behringer eurotrack MX2004A, 8 mono channels and 4 stereo channels with an Allt3/4 bus. Is it possible/prudent to route the control room outs to an unused stereo channel and bus through the Alt3/4 sends to the monitors. therefore being able to EQ the monitors separately through the channel rerouted through and have an independent fader to control volume? any ideas here are greatly appreciated. (The band is poor and the Behringer was a gift.)
Mixing monitors separately
- Thread starter Joyof60
- Start date
Massive Master
www.massivemastering.com
Maybe I haven't had enough coffee yet ---
What exactly are you trying to do? Is this a live situation thing? If so, why would you send the CR outs anywhere instead of just using the monitor sends (3 & 4)?
What exactly are you trying to do? Is this a live situation thing? If so, why would you send the CR outs anywhere instead of just using the monitor sends (3 & 4)?
bouldersoundguy
Well-known member
Why do you need to eq the control room output? For studio use you want the control room output to be flat. For live use you don't use the control room output.
bouldersoundguy
Well-known member
You could do that, but use the Aux 1 output (sends set to Pre) from the board into a mono or stereo (L/mono) line input and assign that to Alt 3/4.
I wouldn't be too happy losing the ability to mute things. An outboard eq would be much better.
I wouldn't be too happy losing the ability to mute things. An outboard eq would be much better.
Indeed, I agree, but with their budget 4 patch cords is much cheaper. If I may expand a bit, they are using a peavey PV-C4 amp, it has two pair of inputs and I think 8 outputs. Using the alt 3/4 outs as discussed above is there a way to utilize some of the power there separately to the monitors?
Only two ins and two outs currently are used.
Only two ins and two outs currently are used.
Ok, the only way I see to make this work is to run the main outs through the right side of the power amp and the monitor mix through the left side in order to have separation, although I was trying to circumvent them from doing that as that will deny them the ability to use any pan control for separation. ...So if I understand Boulder Sound Guy, the Aux sends is the same mix, pre-fader, as the main outs? I'm sorry to be slow to grab this concept but why do I not want them to use the control room outs for monitor sends? And (bear with me again, I know its starting to sound like a broken record..) am I correct in thinking that if I bus a channel to the Alt3/4, by activating the mute/Alt3/4 button, the total signal of that channel is routed away from the mains and through a isolated bus (Alt3/4) independent of any other channels that are going to the mains? I apologize again, I have downloaded the owners manual and the tech manual, but they are vague, to say the least, with very limited information. Its been 25+ years since I worked with sound equipment, I am confused a bit with the solo/pre fader listen buttons, mute/Alt3/4 buttons, the Pre buttons (Pre amp for mics? only active with the button pressed?) and the mid EQ frequency pot, how do you know where your at with that one? Again Boulder Sound Guy, I really appreciate your help, and Mass Master as well. Time is a precious thing and I am grateful that you have spent yours on my lack of knowledge.
bouldersoundguy
Well-known member
The Aux 1 output lets you create an independent monitor mix. If you need more or less of something in the monitors you adjust the Aux 1 send for that channel and the main mix is unaffected.
The Control Room output is for a recording studio, to feed the studio monitors. Solo/PFL buttons let you listen to various things other than the main mix. If you solo a channel you'll hear just that channel, through the Control Room out. The headphone output gets the same signal and can be useful when mixing live.
Use PFL (pre fade listen) mode when setting levels. Solo a channel, make some noise on whatever is connected to it, adjust the gain so the meter is bouncing around 0dB, not too far over.
Use SOLO (after fade listen) mode while doing a live mix so you can listen to each channel in your headphones, post fader and post pan. You can solo more than one channel to compare pairs or groups of channels.
The Control Room output is for a recording studio, to feed the studio monitors. Solo/PFL buttons let you listen to various things other than the main mix. If you solo a channel you'll hear just that channel, through the Control Room out. The headphone output gets the same signal and can be useful when mixing live.
Use PFL (pre fade listen) mode when setting levels. Solo a channel, make some noise on whatever is connected to it, adjust the gain so the meter is bouncing around 0dB, not too far over.
Use SOLO (after fade listen) mode while doing a live mix so you can listen to each channel in your headphones, post fader and post pan. You can solo more than one channel to compare pairs or groups of channels.
Wow, ok, so the control room outs and headphones are the only busses that the pfl/solo buttons send to without any effect to the mains or the aux1 sends. and the aux1 has a pot on each channel for independent mixing to that independent buss. that's really neat, I was trying to work way too hard. Cobweb clutter in the brain I guess. You just explained in two paragraphs what I 've been trying to figure out for days reading the manual. Thanks a billion! I drug out an old EQ from the attic, a Peavey EQ-215 that seems to still work that they could use to EQ some of the feedback from the foldback that I was trying to accomplish for them by routing the monitors through an individual channel. Still gonna lose the pan ability with out a separate amp. If you don't mind, If I may be so bold to ask something here, the midrange EQ on the board has an adjustment pot and another pot below it to switch/designate three different mid frequencies. If one is to adjust one frequency then dial to another, how is he to know where he left the first one? My old sliders always gave me a clear picture where the levels of each frequency were, but that selectable pot is darn confusing to me. I 'd have to eat Ginko Biloba by the pound to keep up with that one. Any insight?
bouldersoundguy
Well-known member
It's a semi-parametric eq. You can control not only how much you cut or boost, you can control precisely where the cut or boost occurs. But it only cuts or boosts at the frequency you select. You may want to cut 200Hz on a vocal and boost 500Hz on an acoustic guitar. With this type of eq you're not stuck with it set to one frequency for all channels.
Put some signal through the channel, boost it all the way and sweep the frequency around. That will give you a sense of what it does.