Did my first session sans mixer today.

Do you have any unused outputs on your I/O?
 
My MOTUs and the Cue Mix can send out 4 unique monitor mixes and I have lots of extra outputs to use.
 
I always figured RME had the same sort of options.

I've got an old Mackie headphone mixer with a monitor matrix that makes it easy to combine discreet outputs with Cuemix (and honestly I rarely use Cuemix now that I round trip through the DAW) but that Mackie has a rough and noisy sound. That is probably why they discontinued it.
 
I have two other cheap headphone amps. One is Behringer 4 banger and one is a 6 Channel unit I made myself. The home made one sounds best.
 
I also have a couple dozen 25' headphone extension cords because as you say; it happens where it happens.
 
It seems to me that many of the satellite mixer units cost as much as the cheap multi channel headphone amps so I am inclined to just use several cheap multi channel headphone amps.
 
I don't see any need for placing mix controls out with the musicians as it seems for me that you can anticipate most of their needs or preferences and once you are set up that consistency has it's merit.
 
Another idea is that if you place the control of the monitor mix in the proximity of the musicians they may or may not have the experience to make useful decisions. From my experience with live mixing I have learned that sometimes the person who wants more me isn't playing with the band because they can't hear the rest of the band and so you have to coax them into listening to the whole. I like being able to know what the musicians are hearing so I can make helpful adjustments. For example; if the bass player is diverging from the drums and requests more bass this may or may not be a useful solution. It may be that the bass player needs more kick and less bass in their monitors. I like to listen and try to help make it work.
 
That's just an opinion and an anecdote. As you know there are many choices and there is something to cater to every desire.
 
Good luck shopping!!!
 
:-)
 
best regards,
mike
 
 

Thanks for the different ways at looking at this.  I think I'm going to buy one of those Rolls units and try it out.  Also the TCE Level Pilot.  Short money and if they don't sound good, I'll pack them back up and send them back after a weeks test.

I'm going to try to use my old Soundcraft mixer for a OTB mix to see if it pleasantly surprises me or if it just another hyped opinion.

Going mixerless is kinda liberating, isn't it?
 
In the beginning the lack of tactile faders and buttons and knobs was weird, but I got over it pretty quickly when I realized that my in-the-box mixes were the best I'd ever done.
 
I still miss having one sometimes, especially when I have guest instrumentalists to plug in, or need headphones for more than 1 or 2 people. Or when a civilian visits, looks around and says "I thought you said you had a studio. I just see a computer."

First time I ever recorded in a studio that had switched to an ADAT system, the guitar player was kinda freaked about the fact the Reel to reels were sitting idle, He said what kind of studio is this, nothings turning ,, So the engineer fired up the 2 track and said, "there, does that make you feel better?"  The guitar player got back to work.. 
 
So with that in mind I keep all my old gear stacked and sitting around in a workman like way so that people feel comfortable. Just make sure the lights still work.. 

oh...and as for summing, I would not expect a mid budget mixer to "wake up" your mixes by summing in it.  Some of the highend outboard gear....supposedly so.  Otherwise I'd just bounce it down to a cassette!