Mono mixes, Phone output as Monitor out

Hi,

I’ve a couple questions, that are somewhat related.

  1. I would like to be able to select eight mono mixes, instead of four stereo ones, for live works. Is this possible in some way? The manual shows settings from the control panel, that make me fear mixes/busses are hardwired to stereo output pairs. If this is true, does anybody knows a workaround? I don’t know, maybe using extreme panning can help simulating mono mixes?

  2. Can one of the Phones outputs be used as a dedicated Monitor out? Is there the right power and impedence? This would allow for an additional output line for control room monitors, while all Line Outputs would remain free for stage monitor mixes.

Cheers,
Paolo

Trying to find a solution myself to question #1. I guess panning can help. The idea is to use Mix 2 to send a separate monitor signal to the lead singer and the background vocalists.

  1. On the Mix 2 page, the lead vocal is hard panned to the left; the backing vocalists are hard panned to the right.

  2. Line Output 3 (Mix 2-Left) is sent to the stage monitor/headphone amp for the lead vocalist; Line Output 4 (Mix 2-Right) is sent to the stage monitor/headphone amp for the backing vocalists.

  3. On the Mix 2 page, I can separately control the volume for each channels of the mix; this setup is different than the one sent to the main speakers. I can’t understand if compression/EQ and reverb send can be separately set for each mix, or are a general setting for all mixes; also, I cannot still understand if reverb is available to all mixes, or just to a single mix. In any case, I guess volume control is enough for an individual monitor signal; I’m not sure a dry monitor signal is good for vocalists (as it might be for bass players).

Paolo

Hi Luo,

you should be able to use inputs and outputs any way you want, even in some weird way like input 1 & input 3 in a stereo bus.

While I hope there will not be any problem in routing from a sequencer (I will mostly use Logic), I see that the dspMixFx console only allows four stereo Mixes (busses). By reading the diagrams on the back of the manual, it seems that these busses are hardwired, as if you couldn’t choose separate mono outputs.

You should have a look at the UR series specifications

Unfortunately I don’t have enough data, or I’m not skilled enough to read the data. The useful information is that these ouputs can work at max. 40 Ohm (versus 75 Ohm for the Line Outputs). They can output 75mW per channel, but how does it translate in dB? According to this useful converter (Convert dBm to dB conversion to volt mW voltage V dB dBu dBV dBm converter conversion and calculation analog audio milliwatt milliwatts kilowatt power level power watts convertor converter audio engineering sound recording - sengpielaudio Sengpiel Berlin) it should be about 18.7dBm, that should be the same as the Line Outputs (that is given in the specs in dBu). So, about the same level with a different impedence: how does it translate in the real world?

The RME Fireface 400 can use the Phones output as additional (unbalanced) monitor output; as the Steinberg’s, this is a low-impedence output, but RME declare it to work (and I could verify it can work well).

I would be glad to hear some clarification from someone that can read the spec tables better than me, or has done some tests.

Best, Paolo

On the UR28M (and I can’t see why it should be any different on the UR824), you can link and unlink channels by clicking at the top of the strips on the chain links icon between channels 1 & 2 or 3 & 4.

Sure, but the Input channels (either mono or linked in stereo) can only be output to stereo Mixes (busses). These correspond to the four MIX buttons you can see on the right of the dspMixFx console. If you check the signal flow diagram on the back of the manual, you will see that they look like they were always paired.

What I’m trying to understand is how viable is the UR as a studio/live mixer. The interface has just arrived, so I will immediately check if (a) the DSP and zero-latency monitor mixer can be controlled via Midi, and (b) how many separate headphone and monitor mixes I can manage right from its hardware.

Paolo

Don’t worry, you were useful in lending another voice and helping me to think aloud. As for being late at night, that’s the nice part of all the jobs in music… :slight_smile:

Paolo

It looks like Logic 8 can only send signal to stereo pairs on the UR824. While this might be different in Logic 9, I guess this pairing is prescribed by the Steinberg driver, and will be the same in any software.

I guess I can do this way, to have more stage monitor sends:

  1. Once the mix is done, create an additional (mono) Aux strip for each stage monitor (or headphone amplifier).
  2. Send an Input channel to be monitored to one of these Auxes. For example, send the “Lead Voice” Input channel to the “Lead Voice Monitor” Aux.
  3. Pan the “Lead Voice Monitor” Aux all to one side. In this case, pan it hard to the Left.
  4. Route the “Lead Voice Monitor” Aux to Out 3-4. The (mono) signal will be sent, through the Out 3, to the lead vocalist’s stage monitor (or headphones).

It should work.

Better yet, a new firmware (or driver) version allowing for separate mono outputs would work even better! :slight_smile:

Paolo

i’m trying to figure this out too! my purpose is for using external effects.

i just want one of the outputs to send out a mono or a stereo mix. instead you either get left or right.

did you ever figure this out?

Ted,

No, I couldn’t figure any alternative solution. I hope Steinberg will come out with some hints (er… or updated software?), but their prolonged silence doesn’t promise anything good.

Paolo

i’m wanting to reamp a track tonight and man, way is it so difficult to get the line outputs working correctly on this thing. my only gripe with this unit is that external routing is basically useless which basically keeps me using it on most of my mixes