A-Mon Headphone Monitoring

I received an e-mail this morning from Paula Fairfield (Sound Designer on Game of Thrones) asking about headphone monitoring on her PD-3-AMon bundle. Paula is now now working in VR and headphone monitoring a big deal!

Paula's mail made made me think more deeply about this - with the existing software there are 2 solutions

1) Connect the Headphones to the Mini L/S output - I have customers doing this.

2) Use the Headphone Jack on the TMC-1 which is connected to the Headphone Cue send and "Link" the H/P Cue to the stereo down mix on the Cue Sends page

The main advantage of option 2 is that no extra cables are required, as it uses the existing connections between the TMC-1 and A-Mon complete with a headphone socket on the TMC-1/PD-3/TMC-1-S6.

The main problem with option 2 is that the Dim, Mute keys and Gain control do not control the Headphone Cue Output! You must use the [H/P] user key as a Mute key , and hold the [H/P]  user key depressed to adjust the H/P cue gain - not an optimal solution.

I have now updated the TMC-1-AMon software that simplifies option 2 by automating it within a single [Phones] user key that performs the following actions

[Phones] On

1. Display "Phones" as the speaker set
2. Set the Headphone Cue input to the Stereo Downmix
3. Mute the Main, Alt and Mini Speaker sets
4. Connect the Dim, Mute and Gain controls to the Headphone Cue Output.

[Phones] Off or select a Speaker Set

1. Display the current speaker set 
2. Restore the Headphone Cue input selection and Headphone cue gain to their previous setting
3. Enable the selected speaker set
4. Connect the Dim, Mute and Gain controls to the selected speaker set

This update will be available in the next release of TMC-1-AMon software, if you wish to use it before email me for a beta version of the software.

DADman, Mom, Eucon and TMC-1-Penta

I am often asked questions about the differences between these different controllers all of which can control the Avid MTRX, DAD AX32 or the NTP Penta. Can they can work together and what are their requirements?

Avid MTRX, DAD AX32 or the NTP Penta

Functionally very similar these units provide digital and analog i/o, digital patch and digital summing. In the description below I will talk about the DAD to refer to all these units. 

DADman

DADman is a software system for controlling signal gain, routing and summing (requires the Gain/Sum option) within the DAD. DADman requires a Windows or Mac computer to run and can be remote controlled from the Avid S6 via Eucon and/or by the MOM using a NTP protocol. The DADman software also provides metering.

EUCON

Software used by the S6 to control DADman, Then S6 includes a level control and talkback key. A touch screen can be used to control other functions.

MOM

The MOM hardware Remote is connected to the DADman software via Ethernet. The MOM has 10 user programmable switches and LED's, a single knob,  the current gain is indicated by a ring of LED's around the knob.  A Layer switch is provided to select up to 4 layers indicated by a LED.  The function the switches and knob are defined for each layer within the DADman program.

iPad MOM App

Available from the apple App Store the MOM app emulates the MOM and has the advantage that the switches may be labeled by the user.

Minimum Mom-DADman system

TMC-1-Penta

The TMC-1-Penta connects directly to the DAD. It does not require DADman to operate however DADman may be used to route other signals within the DAD.

The TMC-1-Penta I/O connections are defined on a windows or Mac computer using TMC1-Penta4 software and saved by the TMC-1-Penta.

The TMC-1 has 18 switches and one knob most of which are user programmable. It has a 4.3" TFT display that is used to indicate the current signal source, level and speaker set and 8 or 12 channel metering. The display also indicates the functions of the user keys and knob..

Minimum TMC-1-Penta System (A Mac/Win PC is required for setup only)

TMC-1 with DADman

Setup

I am biased! I found the setup easier using the TMC-1-Penta software, once the inputs and outputs are defined the routing is configured by the TMC-1 software. You can define more esoteric systems using the DADman software, but as yet I have not found a user who needed more that the TMC-1-Penta can provide.