Is a mixing desk necessary?!

[Mixedup]

but two headphone outs for so many musicians was a nightmare until I got that cracked!

The Focusrite saffire has two headphone outputs, but i'm sure you can route headphone signals to other outputs on the interface, so that would make sending 4 or 5 headphone mixes into the live room pretty easy wouldnt it?!

yes, but... only if you have a separate headphone amp with sufficient outputs where the levels, and "me versus the mix" levels were user-controllable... hence the post.

[Exalted Wombat]

Google "SM57 resistor". The 57 has been around a long time, from when inputs typically had a rather lower impedence than today's do. Paralleling a resistor across its output certainly changes the sound with many preamps. Only you can say if you consider it an improvement. The only downside is that you lose some level.

I'm cynical on this. I use 57s a lot on e.g snare, guitar cabs etc and part of the fun is that they get nice and crunchy when they get a big loud signal into them. If I want a different character I use a different mic.

If I only had a 57 to choose from, I'd sooner buy an in-line pad before making hardwired mods that would never be right for all circumstances.

Fair enough. The people who like the result say it reduces characteristics of the 57 that are often criticised. But maybe it's not for you. Anyone who wants to try - you don't have to take the mic to pieces. Just solder the resistor across the appropriate two pins inside the XLR. It's not just about padding the level down of course - that's just a side effect.

[Tomás Mulcahy]

...and you wouldn't wire a resistor network quite like that, if you just want a pad.

[Tomás Mulcahy]

I'm cynical on this.

I'm not, kind of. My Amek BCII has 200 ohm mic inputs, which would somewhat explain why the first time I used it I could not believe how good my SM57s sounded That desk is from 1985, so it's not vintage vintage. When did higher impedances become "a standard"?

[naypalm]

Thanks for all the responses Gents, could you explain to me why a headphone amplifier is necessary? I can route at least 6 different headphone mixes from the interface, so why the need for a headphone mixer?! Is it just in terms of volume?!

thanks, nathan.

[Exalted Wombat]

There are two headphone outputs on the Focusrite Saffire Pro 40. There seem to be comprehensive routing options allowing you to set up further monitor mixes, but these will have to be routed to Line Out sockets, which will need further amplification to drive headphones.

You may find it more convenient to ignore the Saffire's routing options and do it all in your DAW program, if (like Cubase 5 for instance) it offers this. Another option is to get one of those systems where every player has an individual mini-mixer, allowing him to adjust monitoring to his taste.

[naypalm]

There are two headphone outputs on the Focusrite Saffire Pro 40. There seem to be comprehensive routing options allowing you to set up further monitor mixes, but these will have to be routed to Line Out sockets, which will need further amplification to drive headphones.

Thanks wombat, this makes perfect sense now.

[Martin Walker]

Google "SM57 resistor". The 57 has been around a long time, from when inputs typically had a rather lower impedence than today's do. Paralleling a resistor across its output certainly changes the sound with many preamps. Only you can say if you consider it an improvement. The only downside is that you lose some level.

I'm cynical on this. I use 57s a lot on e.g snare, guitar cabs etc and part of the fun is that they get nice and crunchy when they get a big loud signal into them. If I want a different character I use a different mic.

If I only had a 57 to choose from, I'd sooner buy an in-line pad before making hardwired mods that would never be right for all circumstances.

Hi Steve!

I've followed the links on this mod and I believe it

After all, there are plenty of good mic preamps that provide switched input impedances by simply putting a few different resistors in parallel with the existing preamp rather than using a multi-tapped transformer - Audient's ASP008 for one). If it's good enough for Audient, I certainly buy the idea

This is what they say in the ASP008 manual:

"The timbral changes caused by this can range from inaudible to dramatic, involving a complex and interactive range of effects including level, frequency response, and transient response. The results will generally be most noticeable on older ribbon and dynamic microphones which are transformer coupled."

Martin