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AVIOM A360 | Aviom’s sleek A360 personal mixer offers the "best of both world," with tactile controls combined with an option for multi-view status monitoring on an iPhone or iPod Touch.
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MACKIE MY FADER | Mackie’s My Fader app is optimized for iPhone and iPad and gives clear, easy-to-adjust screen faders which can be custom named.
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MOVEK myMix | The myMix system includes the input module, distribution switch and individual mixing modules equipped with inputs, outputs and full multi-track recording functions.
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PRESONUS Qmix AI | The Qmix AI app allows each musician to customize his or her monitoring interface, and features large, easy-to-read metering optimized for the smaller iOS devices.
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ROLAND M-48 | The rock-solid M-48 from Roland Systems Group sports a rear panel ambience mic plus a full complement of inputs and outputs that will not be found on an iOS device.
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ALLEN & HEATH ME-1 | With its slender profile and small footprint, the ME-1 has a discreet stage presence while still offering full-featured personal monitoring capabilities.
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DIGITAL AUDIO LAB CS-DUO | The CS-DUO is a cost-saving "two-fer" that provides in-performance control and outputs for two musicians with combined set-up facilities and color LCD screen.
If there's one thing about mixing sound for worship that I'm grateful to give up forever, it's trying to mix front-of-house and monitors at the same time on an analog console. There's nothing more frustrating than flipping your headphones on and off, struggling to maintain a balanced house mix while various musicians are gesticulating insistently at the monitor wedges, at each other, or up in the air. Certainly my church's musicians and singers don't miss it either.
The age of personal monitor mixing is, thankfully, fully upon us as an integrated byproduct of the transition from analog to digital mixing consoles. If your church has yet to make the leap, or is looking to upgrade, it's important to be aware of all options available. Once you step off in a direction, going back and choosing another route could prove costly and frustrating. Also, of course, the bean counters on certain committees would prefer that you not spend more than necessary.
Two Basic Technologies
The two new approaches to personal monitor mixing are parallels to two old approaches from the analog world. One approach is to create monitor mixes using auxiliary (aux) buses on the main FOH console. But instead of one harried engineer trying to balance multiple mixes (while praying for telepathic powers), now the musicians on stage can control their own mixes. Each can directly access all necessary parameters on an aux bus of the FOH console by using a dedicated app on a Wi-Fi-connected mobile device, usually an iPad or iPhone.
The other old approach was the dedicated monitor console and monitor engineer. This was definitely a step up, though prayers for telepathic powers often were entertained in monitor world, as well. The parallel solution for the digital era is a networked system of dedicated hardware mixing modules. Essentially, each musician gets his or her own one-output, full-featured monitor console. We’ll examine the ups and downs of both approaches, along with the hardware and software products available, accompanied by commentary from some major players in the game.
Remote Your Auxes
With this approach, the mixing part of the solution is built into the digital console and accessed by a mobile device app, usually downloadable for free. All control is via the mobile device, so if you have a compatible one on hand, that’s a done deal. You’ll also need a Wi-Fi router, but that’s hardly a great expense. And your mix needs to go into some kind of analog device over an analog cable, usually a headphone amp, although it could be a wireless IEM rig or monitor loudspeaker. (That latter option is discouraged with all personal monitoring solutions since it could lead to “volume wars” on stage.)
“The main and obvious advantage here is cost,” says Nicola Beretta of Allen and Heath. “Everybody owns a smartphone or a tablet, so this avoids investing in additional hardware. Also, it’s a familiar user interface based on touch and gestures, so the learning curve is virtually non-existent.”
Allen & Heath offers two apps, Qu-You for its Qu Series consoles and OneMix for the GLD Series. Qu-You allows up to seven separate mixes, with features including thumbwheel level controls for four groups of sources, plus a master mute and output level control. One Mix is a limited version of the GLD Remote FOH mixing app, and it allows an administrator to deny or allow control of advanced functions by each mobile device. “Mobility is a big advantage with these apps,” says Ben Olswang of Mackie, which offers the My Fader app for its DL Series mixers. “Plus the interface is very user friendly, with easy-to-read graphics and icons, and each device’s control level can be customized for the user.”
"One advantage to these apps is that, because it’s all happening on the main console, the FOH engineer can quickly step in if a novice user on stage gets into trouble,"
Mackie’s My Fader supports up to 10 small iOS devices (iPad or iPhone), and includes snapshot recall (to adjust to changes during the show), channel naming and photo ID, and channel/aux linking for controlling stereo sources.
“One advantage to these apps is that, because it’s all happening on the main console, the FOH engineer can quickly step in if a novice user on stage gets into trouble,” points out Wesley Smith of PreSonus, which offers Qmix-AI for its StudioLive AI consoles. This app features a “Wheel of Me” that allows users to adjust their channel volume relative to the rest of the mix, with a protective feature that automatically lowers the other submixes relative to the Me channel to prevent “too much me” from causing clipping.
A number of other digital console makers offer remote apps for their products, though some of these are full control apps and not specifically tailored to personal monitoring. These include Behringer’s X-32Q for its X-32 Series, TouchMix Control from QSC, and ViSi Remote for Soundcraft’s Vi, Si Compact, Si Performer, and Si Expression mixers.
Networked Hardware Solutions
Digital audio networking was the game changer for this solution. With the ability to run dozens of audio channels over a single thin Cat-5 cable, suddenly it was possible to break up the single, full-featured, multi-output monitor console into multiple one-output monitor consoles—most with an abundance of flexible features that can be custom-tailored to each user’s needs and level of expertise.
Of course, these hardware solutions are more expensive than the app-based ones above. So, why upgrade? “Wi-Fi is never 100% reliable, especially in busy venues,” admits Nicola Beretta of Allen and Heath, one of the few companies offering both solutions. “Also, the headphone amplifiers are built in and you can easily accommodate local auxiliary inputs and ambient microphones.” Allen & Heath’s ME-1 mixers can accept up to 40 input channels, often eliminating the need to rely on FOH-generated submixes for the personal monitors. Although designed to work hand-in-glove with the company’s own mixers, it also offers compatibility with other networking protocols (Dante, Aviom, Wave Soundgrid, Ethersound, and MADI) though the companion ME-U hub.
“Our personal mixers have a performer-centric user interface that allows a user to quickly make changes to a mix,” points out Aviom’s Ray Legnini. “The dedicated, tactile buttons and knobs are much easier to access and adjust, and you don’t get distracted by menus and layers. Also, you don’t have to worry about the battery on your mobile device giving out.” Aviom’s A360 package offers a 36-channel mix engine, selecting from up to 64 sources on the network, with mono or stereo on each channel. Other features include a dual profile channel (two configurations instantly selectable), ambience button, and compatibility with either Aviom’s own A-Net or Dante networking protocols.
“Speed and reliability are the two biggest advantages of a dedicated system,” adds Andy Swanson of Digital Audio Labs, a relative newcomer to this marketplace. “For one thing, many churches are now using tablets for chord charts, and trying to switch apps just to make a volume adjustment is extremely awkward. With dedicated devices, everything is immediately accessible.”
Digital Audio Labs’ CS-DUO mixing module is unique in that, as the name implies, it serves up two separate mixes from two color-coded sets of controls. This concept recognizes that adjacent musicians only need a few controls while playing; during set-up, the controls can be shared. The result is cost-savings by halving the number of mixers needed. Features include up to 24 mix channels, individual effects control, touch-screen with nameable channels, “Mirror Mix” for controlling other mixers on the network, and a stereo mix return back to the input rack module for use with wireless IEMs. “Personal monitoring is personal, which means you want to create a real, three-dimensional sound image for yourself,” maintains Kelli von Heyderkampf of Movek, creator of the unique myMix system. “This requires full control of all panning and effects per channel, which is not always possible when mixing from an aux bus.”
"Speed and reliability are the two biggest advantages of a dedicated system,"
With myMix, Movek moves somewhat in its own particular direction, with a flexible and expandable system that is as much a multi-track recorder (up to 18 tracks in .wav files on SD-type media) as it is a live sound mixer. Each module includes local inputs, and with other inputs (as from a console) routed over the network from 16-channel input modules. Up to 32 mixers can be on the network. A large LCD shows status, and a single large knob works with a few buttons to build the mix.
“Only a dedicated hardware control surface–equipped with rotary encoder knobs, dedicated buttons and built-in effects–can offer the precise, tactile and individual control that’s needed to make accurate adjustments on the fly,” states Rob Read of Roland Systems Group. Roland’s sturdy and intuitive M-48 personal mixer allows each user to assign up to 40 sources, grouped in 16 stereo pairs in any order on the source. The ample supply of knobs and buttons gives immediate, tactile access with no menu scrolling required. An “Engineer’s Monitor” function allows remote control from FOH, with other features including three-band EQ (with swept mids) and reverb send for each group, built in ambient mic, and a full array of local inputs and outputs. Although primarily intended for use with Roland’s own mixers via the company’s proprietary REAC network, it can integrate with MADI-compatible mixers via an optional MADI-REAC bridge.
More Mixers in the Mix
Behringer’s Powerplay system utilizes the company’s proprietary Ultranet network and is the monitoring companion for the X-32 digital console series. Connection to other consoles is possible via an inputs module with ADAT and analog inputs. Each mixer accepts up to 16 audio channels.
The dbx Professional PMC16 connects to other Harman Pro products via the proprietary BLU Link network, and includes built-in Lexicon reverbs and (naturally) dbx limiters and 16 recallable presets. Connections to other systems is possible via a 16x16 analog I/O interface. The Elite Core PM-16 is a tank-like, all-steel mixer with volume and pan controls for each of the 16 available input channels. Input modules are available for analog or ADAT, and up to eight mixers may be connected to each DM-8 distribution unit via Cat-5 cable.
For those who want a compact, no-frills solution, the Hearback system from Hear Technologies provides eight channels of mixing using a rack-mount input hub (analog or ADAT) that sends signals and powering to the mixer modules. Each mixer controls 10 channels (eight on network plus two local aux) and includes DSP output limiting.
And finally, the odd duck. Pivitec’s e32 is a hybrid solution wherein the local output module, that connects to the I/O hub via an AVB-based network over Cat-5e cable, contains only the headphone, aux in and balanced TRS line out connectors. All mixing and effects functions are accomplished on an iOS device using a sophisticated mixing app that accesses two banks of 16 channels and allows programming of up to 16 mix snapshots. The system can connect directly to Yamaha consoles via a MY card option.
Think & Play
If you’ve already made a recent digital console purchase, you’ve likely been pointed in one direction already. But not necessarily. As competition heats up, more system makers are loosening up and moving away from total reliance on proprietary networks. MADI and Dante network options are becoming more the rule than the exception.
So research carefully and, if you have an iOS device, you can start by downloading various apps and trying them out in “demo mode.” Play around. Check out the features and compare for user-friendliness. You won’t hear the perfect monitor mix–yet–but it never hurts to imagine one. “Ah, my acoustic guitar is crystal clear! Our harmonies are spot on! My ambient mic picks up the congregation exuberantly singing along with the chorus…. ” All under your personal control.
