Creating Custom Monitor mixes
The p16 system gives everyone in the studio the ability to create custom monitor mixes based on their wants/needs. It has a bit of a learning curve, but it’s well worth the time to learn the ins and outs. Once you have this set up to your preference, you’ll never have to set up a monitor mix for anyone ever again!
This guide is intended for the Neon room. If you’re working in the Loft, the concepts, and settings are the same. No matter which room you’re working in, this guide will be helpful (hopefully)!
Before you get started here, I highly suggest you watch this video below. It’s a guide on the functionality of the P16 mixer. Preferably, everyone in your session should be familiar with the how-to’s of the mixer, but at least you reading this should watch it and be able to set everyone up with some basic functions.
To really understand how to create these custom mixes, you need to understand how the p16’s are receiving the signals that you can then mix on each unit. Here’s a basic layout that covers it.
This is the best drawing i’ve ever done BTWThe P16 Rack takes in 8 channels via ADAT from Console, plus Cue mixes 1 and 2 (if they are assigned out line outputs 1/2 - 3/4). It also has two aux mixes from the PA mixer Aux 1 and Aux 2.
This setup allows anyone in the room to not only hear playback from anything that’s being played in the DAW, but to also monitor anything that’s being played via the PA.
Setting up Outputs in Console
An essential part of this process is understanding how to send the audio from Console to the ADAT channels of the p16. I’ll show you how to do this in Console and in Logic Pro.
Note: The rest of this guide will focus on how to send mixes using console. The Logic instructions are offered as an alternative to those who have not worked in console before.
CONSOLE - SETTING UP CUE MIX SENDS
Click “Cue Outputs” on the right side of console
In the ‘Mirror to Output’ section, set your desired output.
Few things to note:
I will have this default to Cue 1: Line 1-2 and Cue 2: Line 3-4
If you have selected an output (ex ADAT 1) on any other channel. It will not be available.
CONSOLE – SETTING UP INDIVIDUAL TRACK SENDS
In the Overview view, identify the track that you want to send and locate the “Output” section underneath the “Sends” menu.
Then select which ADAT channel you’d like to send to. (You may have to scroll down to find the ADAT channels)
Once you’ve selected the desired output channel, click “Mirror to Monitor” if you’d still like this mic to come out of the monitors in the control room. This will not affect anything going into the DAW. I usually select this option by default.
LOGIC – SENDING TO ADAT
In the mixer view, go to the sends section and set up a new bus.
In this example, I used ‘bus 32’ since it was unused.
Use the top of the channel to identify the new bus and click the ‘output’ section.
Then select your desired output destination for everything being sent to this bus.
This process bypasses the console app completely. You may encounter some latency / playback issues as well. This method isn’t one I’m completely familiar with, but I have seen used before.
p16 Audio inputs
These audio inputs will be updated as they are…updated. I will post an update in discord if any of them change.
1 - ADAT 1
2 - ADAT 2
3 - ADAT 3
4 - ADAT 4
5 - ADAT 5
6 - ADAT 6
7 - ADAT 7
8 - ADAT 8
9
10
11
12
13 - Aux 1
14 - Aux 2
15 - CUE 1 (Line 1-2)
16 - CUE 2 (Line 3-4)
This setup allows you to use the p16 mixers even if you’re not recording. Sending a mix from AUX 1 or 2 from the main mixer will work, regardless if you’re using Console. Useful for jam sessions or anything else you can think of.
Next comes some ways to set up the audio routing. All are useful and one is not better than the other, it’s all about what works for you and for the musicians you’re working with.
The nerd in me had trouble coming up with names for these, so I just used the difficulty settings from Duke Nukem.
Setup Examples
PIECE OF CAKE
This is a quick setup that gives everyone to set up a mix quickly without many customization options.
Set up 4 Cue mixes in console. Set ‘cue outputs’ to:
Cue 1 - ADAT 1-2.
Cue 2 - ADAT 3-4
Cue 3 - ADAT 5-6
Cue 4 - ADAT 7-8
Set up the cue mixes as follows:
Cue 1 - drum mics
Cue 2 - guitar mics
Cue 3 - bass mics
Cue 4 - playback and click
Then set each p16 mixer to group channels 1-8 in stereo pairs, and you’re done! Each member then creates their own mix. For more playback or click, you can adjust the panning of channels 7 and 8 on each mixer.
Pros:
• Easy to set up
• Easy to remember
Cons:
• Cannot create custom mixes on the fly. Since all the drums are on cue 1, you’dll have to adjust the cue 1 mix and that adjusts it for the entire group. So everyone will get more kick or less overheads or whatever your adjustment is. The same goes for all cue groups mentioned above.
LET’S ROCK
This setup gives you more room to set up an ADAT mix and utilizes the hard inputs of the p16. Keep in mind the inputs here, I’m using just as an example. You can swamp them out however you see fit.
This setup requires you to change the output of every mic input from ‘monitor’ to the desired ADAT channel. Please save your sessions when you get it the way you want it to save you time in the future.
Cue 1 - Line 1-2 - Only Virtual 1-2 (playback)
Cue 2 - Line 3-4 - Only Virtual 3-4 (click)
ADAT 1 - 1 - Kick
ADAT 2 - 2 - Snare
ADAT 3- 3 - One Overhead
ADAT 4 - 4 - Vocals
ADAT 5 - 5 - Vocals 2 / Keys
ADAT 6 - 6 - Gtr 1
ADAT 7 - 7 - Gtr 2
ADAT 8 - 8 - bass
Pros:
• Gives a lot more control for musicians to create a mix they are happy with.
• Allows the engineer to choose what they want the musicians to focus on.
Cons:
• Takes some setup time to get it right
• Will have to remind everyone what channel is what.
Note: to help with the last point, I usually have the band jam with the inputs on a notes doc big on the screen. That way you just have to look up to see what channel is what.
COME GET SOME
This setup is great for a live session. It requires use of the PA mixer as well. This could be a game changer for some vocalist as they will be able to hear themselves much more clearly.
Cue 1 - Line 1-2 - Only Virtual 1-2 (playback)
Cue 2 - Line 3-4 - Only Virtual 3-4 (click)
ADAT 1 - 1 - Kick
ADAT 2 - 2 - Snare
ADAT 3- 3 - One Overhead
ADAT 4 - 4 - Two Overhead
ADAT 5 - 5 - Keys
ADAT 6 - 6 - Gtr 1
ADAT 7 - 7 - Gtr 2
ADAT 8 - 8 - bass
Aux 1 - 13 - Vocals
Aux 2 - track playback
Since the vocals are coming out of the PA, you can set the ADAT sends for more recording instruments vs live ones. Of course, you can swap out what gets sent to each one of these channels as your situation permits.
Pros:
• Lots of control for the musicians
• Allows track playback from sources outside the DAW
Cons:
• Have to dial in the AUX mixes without clipping
• Two sources to troubleshoot if something goes wrong
Please refer to this every time you have a question. I promise, once it clicks—it clicks!