when recording i cannot turn off monitors

[SheHadTheJack]

Hi
I have this irritating problem. When i want to record my guitar i use headphones, but i cannot turn of my monitors - only by turning the power of to them.
Im using a Lexicon Omega, cubase sx3 and Event TR8. I guess the problem is in the Lexicon. Is there something i have overlooked, or perhaps some simple solution.

Thanks
Carsten

 

[xistenz]

i had a similar issue, i made a volume control for the speakers.

500k audio taper dual gang pot
4 1/4" jacks
dpst switch (if you want a mute)
suitable enclosure

you could probably simplify it to just a switch.

 

[littledog]

Another less elegant, but fairly easy way, would be to run the signal to the monitors through a patch bay, and then you can activate the monitors by inserting or removing two patch cables. If you already have a patch bay anyway, then it won't cost you anything.

 

[SheHadTheJack]

thanks both

 

[TheTrickster]

If you got more outputs on the soundcard, hook the monitors up to outputs 3/4 and then use the connection manager (F4) to switch between 1/2 and 3/4 through cubase.

 

[amra]

Get yourself a Behringer MON800 - it is a basic monitor control/ headphone amp and only costs like $35. You will be fixed right up. You can mute, dim or even turn down several sets of monitors, plus run 2 sets of headphones..

There are other units from other brands that do this kind of thing, but they run from $100-$500 and they don't really do much for the home recorder type that the MON800 doesn't do.

 

[j-boy]

If I'm not mistaken, the Event TR-8's have pushbutton power switches at the rear of the enclosure. I have the TR-6's and that's what they've got. I mean it's not that hard to turn a switch on and off.. is it? Am I missing something?

 

[littledog]

If I'm not mistaken, the Event TR-8's have pushbutton power switches at the rear of the enclosure. I have the TR-6's and that's what they've got. I mean it's not that hard to turn a switch on and off.. is it? Am I missing something?

Depending on how you are set up, that could actually be an ergonomic nightmare. I'd plug them both into a switched power strip of some sort, so at least you could keep the switch within reach.

 

[PhilWilson]

I think amra has the right idea. I use a headphone amp that's also a monitor control. Several people can use headphones, and there's an output that goes to the monitors with a volume control and a mute switch.

 

[j-boy]

I think amra has the right idea. I use a headphone amp that's also a monitor control. Several people can use headphones, and there's an output that goes to the monitors with a volume control and a mute switch.

The problem is, for $39 you're going to severely compromise your monitoring sound quality. Read the user review here to get some idea what to expect:

http://www.homerecordingconnection....product=Behringer+MON800+Stereo+Monitor+Mixer

There are solutions such as the Mackie Big Knob, Presonus Central Station, etc. which would not compromise the sound quality, but they involve spending about $500 or more, and finding real estate on your desktop, rack, or whatever, plus another power supply or cord, wall wart... and all this to avoid pushing two buttons.

Alternately, you could look into a passive solution, which should be "cleaner" sounding: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/prod...h-Passive-Volume-Control?sku=180202&src=00633

In the old days, we used mixers which were an elegant solution for this situation. Unfortunately, as we went to mixer-less DAW systems, the soundcard manufacturers neglected to add this monitoring control to their products (for the most part). By this I mean most soundcards lump the monitor and headphone sends together with one common volume control. Hence the need to push buttons.

 

[orksnork]

im not particularly familiar with the exact items in question...but

if you have headphones in one output
and monitors in another

why not just go into the DAW and mute the master track for that output??

ex: master track for 1/2 monitors
master for 3/4 headphone amp.

i can mute the first master track...and have the other one still working...