Traveler mk3 - configure an extra headphones output?

[moonboy]

Hi, I'm a new user to the Traveler and I'm wondering about the best solution for creating 2 headphone outputs when recording.

If I use one of the other analogue outputs for extra headphones, I'm guessing the extra phones will sound in both ears as a 1/4" balanced output socket is the same as stereo socket, but as all the outputs seem to be paired, will I have to set up a separate mix pan everything hard left or right (depending on whether it's the L or R of the output pair I use) in order to send a complete mix to the extra phones? Or can I 'unpair' them and send a stereo output signal to one output?

I have got the interface working great for recording, but am still a bit confused about what Cuemix is actually good for and when to use it!

Thanks in advance!

[4stripes]

Normally you would need a headphone amp inbetween, because the MOTU outputs are line level low impedance (not designed to directly drive headphones). You can try, but it may be: 1) quite loud 2) strange Freq response.

[moonboy]

Thanks for the reply, that makes sense. I was wondering why there was nothing in the manual about how to do it.

[rockitcity]

...I have got the interface working great for recording, but am still a bit confused about what Cuemix is actually good for and when to use it!

Cue Mix is good for exactly what you want! It provides 8 stereo submixes of your input sources with no latency. So basically, you can have one mix going to your main outputs (I believe these go out Traveler 1&2) and main headphone output, and another phones mix going out Traveler 3&4. You can provide your talent with their own mix when tracking while you listen to a different mix on your own phones. If you have the need, you could provide different mixes to different players using additional Cue Mix (and Traveler) outputs.

You really do want to have a headphone amp connected to the additional outputs instead of trying to drive headphones directly from the Traveler outputs. If you really want to try the Traveler outputs, you should get a Y connector to merge the output pairs into a stereo jack for the phones. Your typical "insert" type 2M->St F adapter might work, but will likely have the channels out of phase in the phones.

Now if you just want 2 headphones, just Y the phones output to feed two pairs.

[moonboy]

Thanks. The outputs supply sound to both ears in the phones without the need of a Y connector (mono will be fine for tracking) but I think you're right a headphone amp will be much better.

So with cuemix, if the live players are overdubbing, and each wants a different amount of the prerecorded element on the track - how is that possible? Cuemix can only mix the live inputs, is that right? so if one player wants 'more track' then I would have to turn all the live inputs down in their mix and the master phones up on their headphone amp?

The only way I can think of creating full individual mixes including all prerecorded tracks, in the situation that one player wants 'more (prerecorded) guitar' and another wants less, is to create an aux send for every prerecorded track in logic and send the output from that aux channel to say Motu outputs 3&4, then feed that back to an input on the Motu, in order for cuemix to have control over it for each mix... which might create a latency issue against the inputs I guess. Hopefully I won't need to do this!

[rockitcity]

The only way I can think of creating full individual mixes including all prerecorded tracks, in the situation that one player wants 'more (prerecorded) guitar' and another wants less, is to create an aux send for every prerecorded track in logic and send the output from that aux channel to say Motu outputs 3&4, then feed that back to an input on the Motu, in order for cuemix to have control over it for each mix... which might create a latency issue against the inputs I guess. Hopefully I won't need to do this!

This is correct except you don't have to feed the sends back into cuemix. They will go directly to the MOTU outputs and be blended with the live inputs coming through cuemix. You could also send the pre-recorded tracks through some Aux inputs to control groups of tracks. You could even add your sends to the aux masters to provide more control over individual mixes. (example: sends from drum tracks to a stereo drum aux fader going to outputs 3&4. Pre-fader sends from the drum aux going to outputs 5&6 for another cue feed.) It can be as simple or complicated as you want to make it. You could also put in some master faders to control the output levels.

BTW, this is how you would handle the situation with a traditional console as well.

Hope that helps!

[moonboy]

Thanks, yeah that's very helpful. Looking forward to getting started!

All the best!

[rhoulian]

Hey !

this is what I need to do !

Can you help with the settings of cuemix to mirror the main outs (analog 1-2) so signal is routed also in analog 3-4 (and going to the headphone amplifier from there)

Thank you so much