Hello everyone ,

I use two set of monitors on my studio , the Yamaha ns10 and KRK 5 , im at the position of
Monitor Controller needs , there are many brands on the market like
Mackie Big Knob Studio , PreSonus Central Station Plus ...ect.
some are affordable other are high end products as Dangerous Music MONITOR ST ,Dangerous Music CONVERT-2 ,Antelope Audio Satori ...ect.
My audio interface is an Universal Audio Apollo , and i'm satisfied with it's inputs , i don't really need to pay more for something i don't really need , what i need its just Monitor Controller no less no more something stable with accurate volume knob and gentle switches , I would like to read you guys recommendations as well any ideas about this kind of device experiences. Thank you

 

I like passive controllers myself, as you obviously want to avoid coloring the sound, which the OG Mackie Big Knobs did do etc.... Obviously the Dangerous Music stuff etc is nice, but I am not willing to pay that much for my home studio for that.... I think Mackie has a new little Big Knob that has 2 outputs etc which may cover your needs, doesn't have the phono inputs or talkback etc... BUT is passive, so hopefully will be fairly neutral.... I was also looking at the tc electronic level pilot for awhile, but that's probably no good for you with just one stereo in/out...

 

If you know how to solder and you are just trying to build a 2 way 4 channel router, you could probably just make a really nice one yourself for about $180, passive stepped Potentiometers and true bypass switches or toggles.

Outside of that you can find some acceptable 1 in 2 out boxes, low volume performance will not be as spot on as on a passive stepped pot but the cost of the raw materials and switches is going to be a 1/10 of the price.

Off the top of my head, I would recommend JBL M-Patch, probably in the $110 to $140 range. Or if you need more switching I think Palmer makes a monitor controller that is 4 to 2 x 2.1, that will probably set you back $250 to $275. Look 'em up. I've use the JBL stuff in the past a tier up from those, and some other stuff that you probably are not going to consider, it's OK, it doesn't color the sound but once you get to really low volumes and near the top of the attenuation range, it doesn't hold perfect balance. The Palmer stuff used to be a bit better, but they are not making them in the same place anymore, I doubt it will be awful, but as with everything else in audio when you start setting high standards you are going to pay an exponentially higher price.

 

Onto the suject of passive controllers, would it suffice it to grab one of those oldie Tascam PB-32 patchbays and route the outputs of your sound sources to active speakers? How would you do so? It'd be the first time in many years that I find a use for those patchbays.

 

You can't go wrong with Dangerous Music. I own Source and it's brilliant controller for the price. Excellent quality, I go through all the way to AES input. Crystal clear path and D/A converters.

 

You could, you would probably be swapping plugs as the switching function to turn on and off different monitors and if you are only using a single source as an input. You can put your pots, mono-sum and dim switches on the first INs before you jump to an out circuit. The thing is that's a lot of outs. Unless you have a lot of monitors pairs It's a bit of more complexity for no real gain. You can use the parts inside though to great effect if you want to use those unbalanced plugs.

 

https://www.presonus.com/products/Monitor-Station-V2

 

If you only need to switch between two pairs of monitors and don't need monoing or headphones out, you can't go wrong (or cheaper) with the nowsonic switcher.

 

How's your experience working with it? I used to have version 1 and the sound was kind of colored. I sold mine in the end.

 

I personally own a Palmer Monicon L to switch between a pair of A7X and the HS5s. It has passive circuitry and still sturdy controls after two years of use. It features mono summing, aux input, and a headphone amp - which needs power and is not really used.
I consider it the best monitor controller under 250 bucks. The rest is sheer hype.

 

Same path here. Had V1, sold it and now I have V2 for almost 2 years. I love it. Presonus built in better converters, the sound is much better (could not hear any coloration at all) and better build. + black looks sexy in my setup

 

I use a Dangerous D-Box. I also use a RADIAL MC-3 :

http://www.radialeng.com/mc3.php

You could have a look at MAMMOTH CAVE AUDIO :

http://mammothcaveaudio.com/products/

I would not Recommend Presonus, Mackie or SMPro monitor controllers.

 

Last edited: Dec 13, 2017

don't forget the steinberg UR28m is worth a look .....

 

I have 3 X pairs of monitors so went for the Drawmer MC3.1.

Build quality is fantastic. 2 X headphone ins, low /mid/high band cuts to quickly check frequencies.

My mixes have improved 10 fold since I can now switch between my budget, mid level and high end speakers for reference, instead of having to bounce the projects to mp3. Then move around the house using different equipment.

I've then got 3 sets of head phones ill switch between.

If all 3 monitors and headphone sound clean I know I have a good mix.