Studio Cue System

Using a fairly typical layout of a console with four Aux Sends, here is what you could do to send audio to the input module to create a monitor mix. Again, remember that you can use any of the different types of audio signals available on your particular audio mixer to create a monitor mix (direct outputs, bus outputs, etc.).

The example will use a band with a rhythm section (keyboards, bass, drums, and guitar) and a lead singer. Assume that all of the instrumentalists sing background vocals. The example assumes that you do not want to use any other type of output from the mixer. With four Aux Sends available on the mixing board, four independent sub-mixes can be sent to the input module and then on to the Personal Mixer units.

The first task is to separate the instrumental and vocal parts into four sub-mixes. Imagine that we want a separate controllable level for the lead singer, background singers, drums, and the rest of the instruments. So, Aux Send 1 is assigned to Lead Vocals, Aux Send 2 is assigned to Background Vocals, Aux Send 3 is assigned to the drums, Aux Send 4 is assigned to the instruments. All that’s left to do is connect four cables from the mixing board’s Aux Sends to the input module.

Turning up the Aux Send 1 level on the mixing console sends the lead vocal to the input module. Since there is only one singer, there’s no sub-mixing or balance setting required.

The four musicians who sing background vocals will need to be blended at the main mixer. This will be done by sending audio from each of their microphones into Aux Send 2. By changing the aux send level, you control the blend of the four singers, without affecting the mix created by the faders on the main mixer.

The same concept used to create a mix of all the background singer’s microphones is used for the drum kit and the instruments. The drums are sent to Aux Send 3, while the instruments are sent to Aux Send 4. At each musician’s Personal Mixer, a custom mix can now be created. The singer can have more instruments, the drummer can have less background vocals and no drums in the mix, the instrumentalists can have their own back- ground vocal level, etc.

In the studio, the flexibility of the Personal Monitor Mixing System will give performers more control of their headphone cue mix. At the same time it allows the engineer to spend less time fussing with the cue mix and more time making the tracks sound great.

Making a cue mix from a recording console is essentially the same as when using a live mixing board. If your board has direct outputs or unused