Radio mix rack local monitor

[paulminott]

Hi guys , I'm looking for a multiway headphone monitor for my radio mic racks (sennheiser ew300 ) , I need 16 to 24 inputs to 1 output ina 1u rack space

I have used an audionics MCX4 before with hire kit but that seems to be obsolete now ,

Any ideas great fully received , thanks

[david.elsbury]

X32 rack? I think you're being optimistic, wanting something for a 1u rack space...

[henny]

24ch patch bay and a flying lead to a mono headphone amp ?

[MarkPAman]

Behringer RX1602 has 16 inputs.

[david.elsbury]

Behringer RX1602 has 16 inputs.

Technically, yes. (I wouldn't consider an 8 channel stereo mixer to have 16 inputs, personally)

 

But having to turn up and down a tiny knob for the channel, then twist the pan knob hard left or right to select odd or even, and having to sum the outputs might be in the "far too hard" basket?

[TonyMitchell]

24ch patch bay and a flying lead to a mono headphone amp ?

 

that's not much different to plugging/unplugging the cans in/out of the individual RX... is it?

[sameness]

JoeCo Blackbox - http://www.joeco.co.uk/BBR1MP_spec.html

 

Rather expensive, but it fits your requirements

[Peter F]

Hi Paul,

 

I can't think of anything as an immediate replacement for that Audionics unit, it seems to have been a pretty niche product. I can think of a few ways of doing this but nothing that is as immediately simple and tidy as the original Audionics solution would have been.

 

What is your budget?

How limited for space is the rack? Is there any spare space in the rear for mounting something larger and then a 1U panel perhaps on the front?

How are you splitting the outputs from the radio receivers to foh/your local monitor?

Does the theatre use digital to distribute signals? (I'm thinking maybe there's a different way to monitor lines)

Can you solder?

 

Cheers,

 

Peter

[cedd]

Could you do something as simple as a bank of 16 double pole toggle switches to switch the audio to a single headphone amp? Assuming you only want to monitor one at once of course.

[Brian]

eBay is always awash with 1U audio routers pulled from analogue installations. One of those and a headphone amp and the jobs done.

[chelgrian]

Hi guys , I'm looking for a multiway headphone monitor for my radio mic racks (sennheiser ew300 ) , I need 16 to 24 inputs to 1 output ina 1u rack space

I have used an audionics MCX4 before with hire kit but that seems to be obsolete now ,

Any ideas great fully received , thanks

 

I know it sounds silly but a way of achieving this is a Behringer Powerplay P16-I Module and a Powerplay P16-M Personal Mixer.

 

I do wish Behringer would make these things with Ethercon on them though :/

[paulminott]

Thanks for the replays ,

The black box solution I'm afraid Is a bit out of my league price wise

I am limited in space I could mount the headphone amp severally in the back of the rack and just gave the switching element on the front

I'm quite handy with a soldering iron so so self build ideas are more than welcome

[Peter F]

Thanks for the replays ,

The black box solution I'm afraid Is a bit out of my league price wise

I am limited in space I could mount the headphone amp severally in the back of the rack and just gave the switching element on the front

I'm quite handy with a soldering iron so so self build ideas are more than welcome

 

Sounds like the DIY solution could be the way forward.

A variation on cedd's very sensible suggestion might be to build something using a 24 way rotary switch like this: 2 Pole, 24 Way rotary switch.

Not sure how clear it would be which receiver you were listening to, but it would prevent you from selecting more than one at once.

 

 

Cheers,

 

Peter

[henny]

Jump to a 3 pole 24 way and link 3rd pole out to 24 led's , either on the same panel as the switch or stick each led next to each Rx

[Stuart91]

What console are you using? Are there any remote control options for it?

 

The way I've seen this done (with a Roland M400 / 480) is that the headset wrangler (in the wings beside the receivers) has a small PC which runs the RCS remote software. This is separate from the iPad remote on the M480. The RCS software allows them to select mic channels (either via the solo bus or an aux).

 

The receivers just connect to the stage box as normal, the only additional wiring is a headphone amp and a USB extension via CAT 5.

 

One drawback with this approach is that computer has access to almost anything on the desk - so you need to trust that the person controlling it is only going to touch what they're meant to and not anything else.