From ZZounds...
- Discrete ins/outs -- there's no channel sharing in the 8pre; the mic inputs, ADAT optical I/O, headphone out and main outs are all handled as separate channels
- CueMix DSP near-zero monitoring system
- Multiple CueMix DSP mixes -- create different monitor mixes for the main outs and headphones. Add send/return loops for outboard gear with no latency
Don't know this box, but I see the possibility of four monitor mixes with just 2 8pres. Two stereo main outs, two headphone outs. I know you probably have monitors on Main A outs, but there are many ways to dual task those, splitter cables, patchbay, etc.
There is even a possibility you could get 8 mono monitor mixes if CueMix lets you split stereo outs, and my 2408s can. You'd have to cable them right to get sound in both ears.
My advice to you is to ease into this, more on your own, than following help here that you don't fully understand. Two reasons...one...nothing kills the vibe faster than..."&&^%$$^^$, I can't find the bass signal for the guitarist's cans....**^$##"
Two...make a mistake with cans on everybody's head, and you can cost somebody their hearing. I have an iron rule here...cans do NOT come off heads with levels up. Silence them before removing them or be cast out. I monitor LOUD and the systems are easily capable of hearing damage.
(Edit, this is important. I also set my cellphone to vibrate in my pocket after 20-25 minutes of high SPL monitoring. (In airplane mode.) You can monitor loud, you can monitor long, but if you monitor loud for long periods, you're going to roll off your hi freq perception real quick. Last I checked, I'm still hearing close to 22k, and that's by DESIGN, not accident.)
The way to ease into this, that worked for me....was to extensively diagram the system as it evolved, and POST those diagrams in easy view of the main monitor mix controls. I started at both ends of the signal chain, drawing in what output channels I had available, and what headphone jacks I wanted where. In between was empty white space, I didn't know how to get from A to B, instead, just the definition of what A and B were.
Each of those two layers in the diagram allowed me to fill in the adjacent layers, which is pretty simple, this many outs go to....the next logical step. This many headsets are fed from...well obviously, this many 1/4" TRS jacks, which are attached to...well...fill in the blank.
Eventually, the layers, filled in one at a time, met in the middle.
This approach, or something like it, is almost critical, for you to be able to USE what you create. Especially if you employ a real headphone amp. Think about it...your DAW is an effective multiplex...X inputs, Y outputs, myriad possibilities in routing, but ONLY ONE LAYER of variables.
Add in your interface, another layer of multiplex possibilities, and here things get real deep, real fast. At best, your variables will sum, they might multiply, and at worst, they can factor. Now add in any multi-channel headphone amp, and you have at least THREE LAYERS of nested multiplexes, which is "who knows how many chances" to:
A: Dial in the perfect mix for every artist.
B: Lose track or one or more artist's signals, and
C: Blow out one or more artist's eardrums.
Start with the simple, known outputs and desired headphone stations, diagram intensively, date those diagrams, and post them as you go.
Now...the good stuff...
You have ADAT ports on those 8Pres. That's 8 channels of I/O for $200 (Behringer ADA-8200), or 16 channels of I/O for $400. Expandibility. Easy midlength cable runs with no noise, since they're digital, and trust me, can amps can be cheap, set to high gains, and very noisy at times. Some good cans have comparatively high impedance inputs (coff coff, Sennheiser, coff coff) which will require you to push monitor gain higher yet. A 5 meter lightpipe might set you back $30, but it carries 8 channels of noise free audio. Compare that to 8 times 5 meter, high quality balanced XLR or TRS cables...mmmhmmm, tasty savings!
Bring another lightpipe back from the 8200, and you ALSO have 8 more inputs, with Midas-like Chinese pres. If Behr's not your cup of tea, you can get better ADAT terminals for more money.
The outs on the Behr unit are line level XLRs. Think this out ahead of time, or you may get a nasty surprise. They won't drive headphones well...and it can get EXPENSIVE to adapter those XLR outs. If you pick your can amps right, you can bypass some or all of this.
Don't forget...you're going to want verb in those cans, too, not high latency in the box plugin verb, but more likely, hardware verb. Here too, the right input connectors can get you around Behr's weird (for budget gear) XLR line outs.
That's all I got for now, hope it helps!
post edited by Jay Tee 4303 - 2014/04/07 12:25:36