Which outputs do you use to monitor: SUB or MAIN? (Model 12)

[Ugly Bunny]

Any reason to use one over the other? What's the best scenario for just home studio recording? Is this just so you can have your monitoring sound levels be reasonable without blowing out your speakers using the MAIN outputs when you have ideal/strong MAIN meter levels? Any clever/useful/practical suggestions for using MAIN & SUB outputs? I kinda feel stupid since I bought extra mic cables to connect to the MAIN outputs, but I could have just used the cables I already owned to connect to the SUB outputs - but I'm still not sure I'm using it the best way.

Also, a small/easy follow-up question: AUX 1 & 2, in a live situation, would typically be used as two separate monitor mixes, correct? But in a home studio, they can be sends to external FX, right, and then the external FX would need to take up channels on the mixer?

 

[Max Relic]

Practical solutions are relative and dependent on your favorite workflow. You could opt for using the SUB bus as a mix subgroup (i.e. 4-6 drum mics), as Fx send, or for monitoring purpose if you only have TRS jacks (Main outs are XLR).* Since the Model 12 doesn't have separate Control Room fader you could use a Big Knob (passive potentiometer box) attached to the Main out to feed your monitors at a suitable level for your need, freeing the SUB bus for other tasks.
I wouldn't overlook the presence of two headphone outs that could work as additional Aux in case of emergency.
Flexibility of use is the keyword: I tend to consider all the studio gear (mixer and recorder included) as instruments which can be connected in any (non-destructive!) way to create something new, in this perspective knowing your studio gear is a fundamental requirement.
Aux 1 & 2 can be used to feed monitors or/and effects, be careful that Aux 2 defeats internal effects when plugged in. Since the Model 12 doesn't offer Aux returns (thanks Tascam for cutting corners) each external Fx unit would need an input channel, in case you have many external fx units just connect them to a small low-noise line mixer and plug its output to one stereo input on the Model 12.

* When monitoring from the SUB out you won't hear playback from the Main mix tracks when SD MAIN MIX Return is switched on.

 

[Ugly Bunny]

Thanks, @Max Relic - and, just for clarification, the reason I'd want a volume control (like the Big Knob) between the MAIN outputs and my monitors is so that I can have the MAIN fader level at the appropriate level on the meters to get the best S2N ratio without blowing out my speakers, correct? In other words, to separate the MAIN mix level from the actual volume heard, correct?

I did discover that there are output pads that can be applied to the MAIN and SUB outs, which gets me in the neighborhood, but I still think it'd be better to have a way to independently control volume so my mix level can be at an appropriate setting.

 

[Max Relic]

Correct, using a passive volume control between the Model 12 and the monitors lets you adjust the listening sound pressure while maintaining the Main mix fader at 0 dB (or whatever it needs to be), or even abruptly shut off the speakers to answer the phone during a mixdown (not recommended but who knows). Output pad option are indicated to adapt the output level to the input sensitivity of the destination device, this mainly addresses distortion and noise floor problems.

 

[Ugly Bunny]

I have a small Behringer Xenyx mixer that could go between the Model 12 and the speakers. From what I understand the components are decent. I'm not crazy about introducing more components in there, but as long as it's not in the recording path, that should be fine and I don't think I'd need to worry about sound quality.

 

[Max Relic]

Agree, it's a quick fix. IIRC the Xenyx series is "inspired" by Mackie

 

[-mjk-]

I have the Studio XL monitor controller (early adopter) and it is a fantastic device.

 

[shredd]

Studio XL monitor controller

Yeesh. That thing is KEWL.
If anyone's looking for it, Behringer makes it. Available as of this writing...

 

[-mjk-]

I wore out 2 previous monitor controller models because the ganged stereo pots stopped tracking together. Every time I would change volume levels, the stereo image shifted because the audio was on the potentiometers. The Behringer controller only uses a single pot to control a VCA which then controls the audio volume. When I set it up, I used a DAW project with a mono track of identical white noise (single recording, copied to 2 tracks). I used that to find the null with the Control Room volume knob on my console. After that, I have never touched the console volume knob and all monitor adjustments are made on the controller. That thing nulls perfectly and does not change. My stereo image has been solid ever since.

Edit: I was discussing the feasibility of having JTS design and product the ultimate studio monitor controller when the Studio XL came out. That one had everything I had specified in our discussion so I showed it to JTS and told them it was too late, lol.

 

[shredd]

The Behringer controller only uses a single pot to control a VCA which then controls the audio volume

I noticed that, reading up on the unit. What a brilliant design feature!

 

[Ugly Bunny]

@-mjk- Holy crap! That Studio XL is noice!! I'll definitely be adding that to my studio. That will save me so many headaches.

Can you clarify what "find the null with my control room volume" means? I'm not quite sure I'm tracking why you did the white noise test or what the problem was that this solved (though I do get that the stereo image wore out on the previous unit)