connection/monitoring setup help

[Matt P]

I think i know the answer to this but before i start buying the parts to make the cables and attack the rack case with a drill and a dremel I thought i'd check first.

 

 

I've just re-jigged my recording setup and am hoping that the monitoring setup can be configured the way i think it can.

 

My interface is a gen2 Focusrite scarlett 18i20 and i've just bought a Behringer HA4400 headphone amp (and an octopre and a trakmaster platinum), am I right in thinking that i can run stereo/balanced jack to jack cables from outputs 3-6 of the scarlett into the 4 aux inputs of the HA4400 and then setup mixcontrol to give me 4 individual headphone mixes? they don't need to be stereo outputs, mono will be just fine. we are a 3 piece band so only really need 3 connections but with the 2 dedicated headphone outputs on the Interface this will give us effectively 6 separate mixes?

 

setting up this way will involve running 4 cables from the front of the headphone amp to the back of the interface but i'm prepared to make the required cuts to the case (everything is mounted in a SKB rack case as this is set up to be portable for "as live" recording wherever we can find the space.) i have access to suitable edging to protect the cables as well as sleeving to make it all neat and tidy.

 

If someone can help with the optimum way to connect this that would be excellent.

 

for the Trakmaster platinum which of the 2 outputs should i use to plug into the scarlett? one is +4dBu, the other -10dBv, i'm assuming that a balanced jack lead into one of the inputs is suitable? the manual seems to say that the +4dBu is for balanced inputs into professional equipment.

 

 

apologies for all the questions, this is a more complex setup than we probably need and the old setup of a gen1 18i8 and the octopre with a simpler 4 channel headphone pre was probably still overkill but owing to certain circumstances this is what i have now so i want to get the best out of it.

 

Thank you in advance

 

Matt

[Matt P]

has anyone got any thoughts on this before i order £40 worth of connectors to make up the connection cables?

 

Matt

[BigRedX]

I'd be wary of cutting into the surround at the front of the case as this provides much of the structural integrity. It would probably be OK for a static set up but not as good if you intend to move this around.

 

If you do, I would suggest drilling the smallest holes required to get a cable through when fitted with a protective grommet (you will absolutely need these protective grommets), and space them out evenly across to front to avoid having a single large weak spot. That will mean you will need to add one set of plugs after you've threaded the cables through the holes. However since this will be fairly permanent you can get away with much thinner installation cables rather than the standard chunky microphone or instrument cables.

 

And remember to fit the lids before attempting to move this rack as this will help prevent the case becoming distorted.

 

For the rest of this I can't really help other than to say read the manuals carefully to check the operating levels of the various inputs and outputs. I would check that you definitely need more than two separate headphone mixes, as this would allow you to get rid of the Behringer headphone amp and the problem of drilling holes in the case and replace it with a headphone splitter attached direct to one of the interface headphone outputs.

[Matt P]

cutting into the case surround is my last resort for this, I'm a mechanical engineer by day so I am well aware of changing the structural integrity of the case. the case will always have it's end covers on before being moved and i'm pretty careful with my kit in general so i'm fairly happy that it will hold up fine, i might add some additional support to the inside of the case to compensate (possibly a strip of aluminium glued and rivetted in place, it will depend what i can scrounge from the scrap bin at work)

 

I have some Van Damme Installation cable for this (can't remember the diameter off the top of my head but it's thin enough that i'll have to add some additional thickness with heatshrink to get the strain relief on the plugs to hold it.

 

my plan was to probably make 2 small cuts into the surround and pair up the cables before they go through, then put a couple of stick on tie points inside the case to guide and hold the cables. all edges will be rounded over then protected with edging as well.

 

Before i do anything i plan to  test the theory with a cable round the outside to make sure it works how i expect, we were using a 5 way headphone preamp before and the mismatch of levels on the different channels due to wildly differing headphones means that separate volume controls are a must, and from previous sessions the mixes that we wanted were pretty different too so having separate mixes would be beneficial.

 

Matt

[Wolfram]

To be honest, if you're a three piece band then I would just use the stereo mix input on the rear of the HA4400. This will give you three separate stereo headphone mixes, with one mix accessible from each of the four HA4400 headphone outputs. Do you ever envision needing six headphone outputs? (and if you do, do you need six different mixes?)

Remember, summing to mono as you're proposing before you've properly mixed your material can be problematic. Probably ok for a basic tracking monitor, but I would not rely on it for anything else.

[Sibob]

Focusrite Control allows you to send anything you like out of those Scarlett outputs, either routing/monitoring from your DAW or from the Scarlett inputs (direct monitoring).

 

With regards to your Trakmaster, yeah one of the +4dBu outputs will do the job, making sure that the corresponding input on the Scarlett is set to Line level (or rather NOT set to Instrument level).

 

Si

[Jakester]

I'm not sure you need to rejig the outputs that much - I have an 1820i and a Saffire Pro 40 via ADAT and I can send different mixes to each of the headphones outputs on both interfaces, giving you four separate stereo headphone mixes.

[Matt P]

3 hours ago, Jakester said:

I'm not sure you need to rejig the outputs that much - I have an 1820i and a Saffire Pro 40 via ADAT and I can send different mixes to each of the headphones outputs on both interfaces, giving you four separate stereo headphone mixes.

the Octopre doesn't have any headphone outputs so only the ones on the scarlett are available.

 

18 hours ago, Sibob said:

Focusrite Control allows you to send anything you like out of those Scarlett outputs, either routing/monitoring from your DAW or from the Scarlett inputs (direct monitoring).

 

With regards to your Trakmaster, yeah one of the +4dBu outputs will do the job, making sure that the corresponding input on the Scarlett is set to Line level (or rather NOT set to Instrument level).

 

Si

I have some time off in a few weeks so i plan to test out various options and configs before getting the dremel and the soldering iron out. 

 

thank you for all the help, i'll report back once i've got it finished.

 

Matt