Monitor Desk recommendations

[Nutcracker]

Hello.

 

I am about to begin hunting for a dedicated monitor desk for live sound work at small to mid sized festivals & club gigs and would value your opinions on a suitable unit.

 

This is my wish list so far...

 

24 or 32 channel

8 mixes output.

Less than 40kg

mic splitters built in

 

The only desk I've seen so far is the A&H GL2800M which looks ideal, but what else is there out there?

 

Also regarding the channel count...if I got a 24 channel monitor desk (if such a beast exists) and we use 32 channels for FOH could the extra 8 channels be fed back into the monitor desk from FOH on a subgroup or aux without causing a loop or problems other than the lack of individual control for the monitor engineer on those 8 inputs?

 

Thanks for any help.

 

Col

[james.sealey]

I'll shout a +1 for the GL2800M, used it on a festival this summer for the first time and found it very easy to get to know my way around.

 

Definitly a desk geared up ready for IEMs, as can provide you with 8 x Stereo mixes, or 16 x mono. Plus it's 32 ins should be more than enough to cope with most gigs, and (if I read your post correctly) will match your FOH desk input for input.

 

There may be better suited/priced desk out there, but based on what I have used recently this has been my favourite.

 

James

 

The only desk I've seen so far is the A&H GL2800M which looks ideal, but what else is there out there?

[Doug Siddons]

With regards to the 24 channels on the monitoring desk and 32 FOH, as its working monitors this shouldn't be a problem provided you think about what you feed the monitor desk. For instance on a drumkit its is very rare that you need to feed the toms and overheads back into the monitor mix

[mervaka]

however, if you do plan on using FoH returns, I'd isolate them. like doug said, skipping unneeded channels just seems a better idea. 32ch would obviously be better again, as you avoid this problem entirely.

 

oh, and another +1 for the 2800M

[savage1]

I know it's discontinued but you may find a Soundcraft Spirit Monitor or Monitor 2 somewhere.

[Wilflet]

With regards to the 24 channels on the monitoring desk and 32 FOH, as its working monitors this shouldn't be a problem provided you think about what you feed the monitor desk. For instance on a drumkit its is very rare that you need to feed the toms and overheads back into the monitor mix

 

Not to mention any channels taken up by things at FoH like playback and effects (assumeing they are not lost on stereo channels on the foh desk)

[Nutcracker]

Thank you for your answers guys, looks like the A&H is the one then.

 

Mervaka - Could you please clarify what you mean by "isolate them"?

Do you mean ensure the FOH return channels cant be sent back to FOH creating a loop?

 

however, if you do plan on using FoH returns, I'd isolate them. like doug said, skipping unneeded channels just seems a better idea. 32ch would obviously be better again, as you avoid this problem entirely.

 

oh, and another +1 for the 2800M

 

 

 

 

A concurrent post has been automatically merged from this point on.

 

Thanks, hunting it out now to compare the 2 options so far.

 

I know it's discontinued but you may find a Soundcraft Spirit Monitor or Monitor 2 somewhere.

[mervaka]

I mean electronically, ie with a transformer. the splits are already isolated but the returns will need similar isolation.

[Simon Lewis]

I mean electronically, ie with a transformer. the splits are already isolated but the returns will need similar isolation.

 

 

The GK2800M has passive splits - albeit with the provision of an earth lift switch between input and output XLRs. Furthermore, I regularly send stuff from the FOH desk to the monitor desk without the need for transformer isolation. As long as the return is balanced and pin 1 is handled properly, there shouldn't be too many problems. If the desk was in an OB truck running off its own generator, I'd be more worried!

 

Simon

[mervaka]

my mistake then :huh:

[TimmyP1955]

The Allen & Heath is the only one I'm aware of that has a built-in splitter and more than 16 channels. Much as I am an Allen & Heath fan (which makes being in my town difficult, as everyone has f'ing Mackies), I'd much rather have an outboard hard-wired splitter and an LS9-32. It's a lot more money of course, but much more full featured.

[Bobbsy]

Frankly your wish list could almost have been written with the 2800M spec in your other hand so it's going to be hard to beat. However, let me toss a different thought in just for fun.

 

I don't often mix monitors but, when I do, one of my favourite ways is to use one of the slighly older Yamaha digital desks. Ones like the DM1000, DM2000 and 02R96 have a handy little button that toggles your main faders from being channel faders to aux (and, on the DM2K, MTX) sends. This, coupled with the auxes being individually switchable on a per channel basis between pre and post fade) makes creating a tweaking monitor mixes an absolute dream. Just leave the toggle in "Aux" position and switch among the various aux sends to create separate mixes for each monitor feed as easily as doing a FOH mix.

 

The 2800M is a great unit but, if you could find a used DM1K for the right price with the right expansion cards...and could use external splitters...I'd probably go the digital route.

 

Bob

[paulears]

The monitor desks that have come through my venue this year are all .......... Yamaha 7's and 9's. It seems that the hire companies are just dumping their dedicated monitor desks and simply buying a single product that ca do all jobs. Most have used simple passive splits, and the guys opping them find the automation features a huge plus, and don't mind the different operational style. It does look like analogue dedicated monitor desks at anything other than stadium spec are a rare beast now. Second hand is a cheaper posibility, but a good old one isn't much cheaper than a new one now?

[Biro]

Could wait until PLASA and have a looksie...but I think that the Allen and Heath is your best bet, I can't find fault with it and does exactly what you want it to.

[Stan Hope-Streeter]

For instance on a drumkit its is very rare that you need to feed the toms and overheads back into the monitor mix

 

That used to be the case, but these days anybody using IEMs will expect to be able to request anything up to a full mix. Plus a couple of channels of ambient / audience mic, which won't be on the FOH console.

 

It is becoming increasingly unwise to provide a monitor board with less channels than FOH. How long a service life will need from your monitor console?