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Author Topic: Mixing monitors  (Read 14150 times)

Bob Faulkner

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Mixing monitors
« on: July 07, 2015, 09:47:39 PM »

Quick question about mixing monitors.  It's been a looonngg time since I mixed on a dedicated monitor board.  99% of monitor mixing we do is from FOH.  We've needed to make the move to having a dedicated monitor mixer for more and more shows.  We're getting there...

Question - when running dedicated monitors, is it "best practice" to run the channel aux-sends pre-fader?  Therefore, channel faders are all down, and all mixing is done by aux knobs (for the channels)?  There doesn't seem to be too much information on the internet about this. 

The last time I did monitor duty, everything was pre-fader - was a lot of work to get it mixed it right, but it did work.  Any new improvements in mixing monitors?

Monitor board: A&H GL2400   Switches set on the board to support monitors.  Aux 1-4 are grouped with pre/post; aux 5-6 grouped with pre/post




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brian maddox

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Re: Mixing monitors
« Reply #1 on: July 07, 2015, 09:50:34 PM »

Quick question about mixing monitors.  It's been a looonngg time since I mixed on a dedicated monitor board.  99% of monitor mixing we do is from FOH.  We've needed to make the move to having a dedicated monitor mixer for more and more shows.  We're getting there...

Question - when running dedicated monitors, is it "best practice" to run the channel aux-sends pre-fader?  Therefore, channel faders are all down, and all mixing is done by aux knobs (for the channels)?  There doesn't seem to be too much information on the internet about this. 

The last time I did monitor duty, everything was pre-fader - was a lot of work to get it mixed it right, but it did work.  Any new improvements in mixing monitors?

Monitor board: A&H GL2400   Switches set on the board to support monitors.  Aux 1-4 are grouped with pre/post; aux 5-6 grouped with pre/post

typical practice is to mix monitors on a dedicated monitor console post fader.  usually the faders all just sit at unity, but with the mixes being post fader you can make global changes to mixes with a fader move if the guitarist suddenly turns up his rig or whatever....
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Bob Faulkner

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Re: Mixing monitors
« Reply #2 on: July 07, 2015, 10:01:17 PM »

typical practice is to mix monitors on a dedicated monitor console post fader.  usually the faders all just sit at unity, but with the mixes being post fader you can make global changes to mixes with a fader move if the guitarist suddenly turns up his rig or whatever....
Thanks Brian.  Makes sense.

I couldn't see myself mixing (again) with pre-fader knobs.
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Jamin Lynch

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Re: Mixing monitors
« Reply #3 on: July 07, 2015, 10:42:23 PM »

Quick question about mixing monitors.  It's been a looonngg time since I mixed on a dedicated monitor board.  99% of monitor mixing we do is from FOH.  We've needed to make the move to having a dedicated monitor mixer for more and more shows.  We're getting there...

Question - when running dedicated monitors, is it "best practice" to run the channel aux-sends pre-fader?  Therefore, channel faders are all down, and all mixing is done by aux knobs (for the channels)?  There doesn't seem to be too much information on the internet about this. 

The last time I did monitor duty, everything was pre-fader - was a lot of work to get it mixed it right, but it did work.  Any new improvements in mixing monitors?

Monitor board: A&H GL2400   Switches set on the board to support monitors.  Aux 1-4 are grouped with pre/post; aux 5-6 grouped with pre/post

If you mix monitors post fader...whenever you move the fader for a channel, it will change the level in ALL the monitors

Pre fader gives you control over each monitor mix individually
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Bob Faulkner

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Re: Mixing monitors
« Reply #4 on: July 07, 2015, 11:09:51 PM »

If you mix monitors post fader...whenever you move the fader for a channel, it will change the level in ALL the monitors

Pre fader gives you control over each monitor mix individually
For sure.  Looks like it's done both ways.  My distant experience with all pre-fader was a "task" to keep everything under control.  I can see the benefits of each.  Though, I wish the A&H GL2400 allowed for more pre/post options on the aux sends.  I'm somewhat cornered with aux 1-4 being grouped together for pre/post settings.
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Matthew Knischewsky

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Re: Mixing monitors
« Reply #5 on: July 07, 2015, 11:14:29 PM »

Thanks Brian.  Makes sense.

I couldn't see myself mixing (again) with pre-fader knobs.

It's personal preference. I mix monitors a lot and I always set everything pre fader. The only time I use post fader is when I know I have to make changes on a per song basis, for example if there's multiple vocalists using the same mic during 1 set. If the band doesn't want hear the changes their mixes stay pre fader.

I know lots of people who mix monitors post fader. It's up to you as the operator.
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Stephen Kirby

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Re: Mixing monitors
« Reply #6 on: July 07, 2015, 11:18:59 PM »

When the guitar player hits the pedal of doom you probably need to grab the input trim first.  But the dedicated monitor boards I've seen are post fader, which is used as a sort of master level control.  Which does mean when you get one person happy with how much of something else they're getting, you have to compensate if you pull that down everywhere else with the fader.
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Brian Jojade

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Re: Mixing monitors
« Reply #7 on: July 08, 2015, 12:10:10 AM »

On a dedicated monitor console, there is an advantage to post fader, that it allows you to grab a channel and kill it everywhere immediately.  Normally, everything is at unity, but when crap hits the fan, it's nice to be able to kill it everywhere quickly.  An example would be a guitar that has a cable go bad and suddenly is a buzz machine.  Yeah, you can mute the channel too, but having an overall adjustment available to you is a convenience.  Each mix is still done with the aux knobs.

Additionally, on the GL2400, the default configuration is the pre mode is pre insert, pre EQ. So if you don't set it to post fader, you will have NO eq control unless you open the unit and set the jumpers to be post EQ for the pre setting.
« Last Edit: July 08, 2015, 12:19:39 AM by Brian Jojade »
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Bob Leonard

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Re: Mixing monitors
« Reply #8 on: July 08, 2015, 08:47:54 AM »

If you're using a dedicated board either at the side of the stage or from the FOH position the goal is to provide a separate mix for each monitor. The board will determine if the mix to that monitor can be pre or post fader, but usually that mix, eventually routed through an aux output to the monitor, will be pre fader so as to not effect the level of the mix when changing the overall main board fader level. In the old school "Y" cables were a way to share the incoming signal between two (2) boards.

In todays digital world monitor mix's are easy to obtain. On the Soundcraft Si series boards you are only limited by the number of outputs, and even the Expression 1 has 16. Press one of 14 mix buttons, assign the output for the mix, assign the channels that contribute, done.
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John L Nobile

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Re: Mixing monitors
« Reply #9 on: July 08, 2015, 09:02:12 AM »

I would use prefade aux mixes for monitors but use the faders to  run a sidewash mix.
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Re: Mixing monitors
« Reply #9 on: July 08, 2015, 09:02:12 AM »


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