PreSonus Desktop Monitor Station

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Category: On Gear

Published on Tuesday, 27 December 2011 00:16

Written by R. H. Amaro

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I will just throw out there right off the bat that aside from musical instruments, your monitor system should be given first bids on your priority list within your D.A.W.  Which is why I want to talk about the PreSonus Monitor Station Desktop Control Center.

Ideally, you want to have at least two sets of monitor speakers.  But how do you switch between the two sets to hear your mixes?  One way of course, is to route one set through your 1 & 2 outs and the other set through your 3 & 4 outs of your audio interface (if you have enough outs). Then you can set up a sub where you can route your mix to your speakers inside you DAW software as you please to compare mixes.

Or you can just buy the PreSonus Monitor Station and do a lot more.  It has

• 3 stereo inputs (two balanced TRS, one RCA Aux/Phono)

• Three sets of balanced TRS speaker outputs each with level adjustment

• Talkback microphone with volume control to feed headphone and Cue output

• XLR input for external dynamic talkback microphone

• Accurate dual 8-segment LED for metering

• 4 loud and clear headphone amplifiers with separate volume control and independent input source selection

• Main and Cue stereo output with independent input source selection

• Dim with variable level adjustment

• Aux and Phono level adjustment

• Mute and Mono

Input Switching

The Monitor Station allows you connect up to three input audio streams (TRS1, TRS2, Aux/Phono) allowing you to switch between and compare different inputs. One application is used to connect your computer recording system main outputs to the TRS 1 inputs and a CD player's outputs to the Aux inputs on the Monitor Station to compare your mix with a commercial CD with the touch of a button.  But would not recommend it unless you are mastering straight from your DAW, you won't get the loudness straight from the mix to match CD loudness.

Speaker Switching

Three sets of speaker outputs are loaded on the Monitor Station allowing you to audition your mix on different speakers to take the guessing out of how your mixes will translate in the real world.  I have a couple KRK VXT8's, M-Audio BX8a's Deluxe, and a pair of computer speakers.  The latter really helps narrowing down your mono mix to translate better when your listener uses their laptop to sample music, yes people actually listen to new jams through their laptop cheapy speakers...

***I have to add that ever since high school the goal has been to get a better car stereo or boom box or stereo system for your room, etc. So why do people choose to listen to music through a laptop, especially when they're trying to decide if they like the tune or not, it's beyond me.  Have you seen the movie " I love You Man", where Paul Rud is trying to showcase Rush through his laptop to his fiancée and it just sounded weak!  Oh well, you can't teach people to get better gear so you just mix it right!***

Main and Cue Routing

The Monitor Station allows each of the stereo inputs (TRS1, TRS2, aux) to be routed to one of two audio paths, main and cue. The Monitor Station allows you to route two separate signals (Main and Cue) to each of the four headphone amplifiers. Send a mix with click track to TRS 2 input while sending the main mix to TRS 1. You can then enable the headphone amplifiers to listen to either cue or main mix. The main audio path always feeds what you will hear in the control room.

You Can Read The Right Lyrics To Your Blind Vocalist

Communication during recording is essential. No more yelling when you need to talk to the musicians wearing headphones. Use the Monitor Station talkback system with onboad or external microphone to communicate with the musicians.  This, is a great feature!!!  Because you can also dim a playing session while you talk.

Customize Your Monitor Station, It's Easy!

Three different functions on the Monitor Station can be set and saved during power up so that you can customize your recording system for the way you work.

Input selection can be set in either summing mode (TRS1, TRS2, and Aux/Phone are summed together when engaged), or in toggle mode (TRS1, TRS2, and Aux/Phono can only be selected one at a time).

Speaker selection can either work in all on mode (speaker A, B and C can be engaged simultaneously), in toggle mode (speaker A, B, and C can only be selected one at a time), or in subwoofer mode (A and B are selectable while C can be selected with A or B).

The Monitor Station's LED signal meters can also be set in three different modes for various signal levels (-10dB, +4dB and +10dB).

Each of the four headphone amplifiers loaded in the Monitor Station deliver 150 milliwatts and are able to power any headphone with as much loud and clear volume needed for everyone in the band, including the drummer.  You can also route from the Cue to another set of headphone amplifiers, if you need 8 headphones, that is.

This little piece of gear has simplified my life so much I don't find myself ever thinking about it as I used to before.  Hek, I even have my Reel to Reel connected there so I don't have to turn on my mixer just to listen to my old recordings!

Price $299.99 or cheaper in Ebay but... good luck with that.

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