Good small monitor controller.
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Re: Good small monitor controller.
The TC is just fine - simple big knob with a nice action and you won’t notice any problems.
Bob
Bob
- Bob Bickerton
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Re: Good small monitor controller.
What Bob said. ^^^
It's the ideal tool for the job you want to do.
It's the ideal tool for the job you want to do.
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Re: Good small monitor controller.
Arpangel wrote:After all this talk I’m regretting ordering my TC, sounds like passive is verboten from what you all say!
You're really not good with decisions are you? Or technical descriptions, come to that...
A passive controller is absolutely fine when used appropriately. And inherently compromised when not used appropriately.
Your application is an appropriate use for a passive controller, and hopefully you can be trusted to install it correctly as previously advised.
The alternative is a well-designed active controller and that's going to cost you £200+ as a minimum....
Last edited by Hugh Robjohns on Tue Apr 06, 2021 10:47 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Good small monitor controller.
Hugh Robjohns wrote:Arpangel wrote:After all this talk I’m regretting ordering my TC, sounds like passive is verboten from what you all say!
You're really not good with decisions are you? Or technical descriptions, come to that...
A passive controller is absolutely fine when used appropriately. And inherently compromised when not used appropriately.
Your application is an appropriate use for a passive controller, and hopefully you can be trusted to install it correctly as previously advised.
The alternative is a well-designed active controller and that's going to cost you £200+ as a minimum....
Thanks, I’m using short leads, as I said, so it should be OK.
I know it’s not a good idea, but there are Youtube reviews that have said it sounds very good, more transparent than the Mackie for instance, but who knows, I’m sure it’ll be fine.
Re: Good small monitor controller.
Arpangel wrote:Thanks, I’m using short leads, as I said, so it should be OK.
Yes, it should.
...there are Youtube reviews that have said it sounds very good, more transparent than the Mackie for instance...
I was very disappointed with the sound quality of the original Big Knob (I haven't listened to the later models). I found it a little noisy and veiled... but PW thought it was fine and used one for years very happily...
- Hugh Robjohns
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Re: Good small monitor controller.
The original Big Knob is active, isn't the one discussed up-thread the BK Passive?
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Re: Good small monitor controller.
It's my age...
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Re: Good small monitor controller.
Sam Spoons wrote:The original Big Knob is active, isn't the one discussed up-thread the BK Passive?
I've lost track... but it's hard to imagine a comparison with a passive BK involving comments about a lack of transparency. But I could see how that comment might be levelled at an active BK, and especially the early ones.
- Hugh Robjohns
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(But generally posting my own personal views and not necessarily those of SOS, the company or the magazine!)
In my world, things get less strange when I read the manual...
(But generally posting my own personal views and not necessarily those of SOS, the company or the magazine!)
In my world, things get less strange when I read the manual...
Re: Good small monitor controller.
Both BK's were mentioned early in the thread with the discussion moving towards passive controllers later.
WRT my possible DIY job*, I'm trying to get a schematic drawn out and was wondering what app you used to draw your diagram? All the ones I can find for Mac seem to either be general drawing apps or for PCB design (or hugely expensive and/or complicated).
* Costed out at around £65 but if I can make it work I have some DT4P toggles switches, a large knob and a bucketload of XLR and phono sockets so just need a box, stepped attenuator and a bag of suitable resistors which ebay will provide for the princely sum of £36.56. That said a Big Knob passive would pretty much get the job done for £65 and save me the hassle
WRT my possible DIY job*, I'm trying to get a schematic drawn out and was wondering what app you used to draw your diagram? All the ones I can find for Mac seem to either be general drawing apps or for PCB design (or hugely expensive and/or complicated).
* Costed out at around £65 but if I can make it work I have some DT4P toggles switches, a large knob and a bucketload of XLR and phono sockets so just need a box, stepped attenuator and a bag of suitable resistors which ebay will provide for the princely sum of £36.56. That said a Big Knob passive would pretty much get the job done for £65 and save me the hassle
- Sam Spoons
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Re: Good small monitor controller.
Sam Spoons wrote:...was wondering what app you used to draw your diagram?
Coreldraw. Straightforward vector drawing program.
That said a Big Knob passive would pretty much get the job done for £65 and save me the hassle
So often the case! Unless you want something particularly unusual a commercial product will often work out less expensive than a custom DIY job.
Last edited by Hugh Robjohns on Tue Apr 06, 2021 6:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- Hugh Robjohns
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(But generally posting my own personal views and not necessarily those of SOS, the company or the magazine!)
In my world, things get less strange when I read the manual...
(But generally posting my own personal views and not necessarily those of SOS, the company or the magazine!)
In my world, things get less strange when I read the manual...
Re: Good small monitor controller.
Still pondering, the features on the BKP are almost spot on :-
Stereo balanced input - (X32 control room outputs)
Stereo unbalanced input - (Logitech BT receiver)
Stereo balanced output - (Quad 522/Kef 104bAs)
Mono balanced output - (Avantone Mixcube)
Volume control
Input switching
Output switching
Mute
BKP features not required on custom box :-
Mono (output 2 is mono)
Dim
Stereo balanced input - (X32 control room outputs)
Stereo unbalanced input - (Logitech BT receiver)
Stereo balanced output - (Quad 522/Kef 104bAs)
Mono balanced output - (Avantone Mixcube)
Volume control
Input switching
Output switching
Mute
BKP features not required on custom box :-
Mono (output 2 is mono)
Dim
- Sam Spoons
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Re: Good small monitor controller.
You could see how much John at Orchid would charge you?
Takes the fun out of it of course...
Takes the fun out of it of course...
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Re: Good small monitor controller.
True, and at least I'd be sure he'd design it properly... But the fun aspect would definitely be a loss...
- Sam Spoons
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Re: Good small monitor controller.
Sam Spoons wrote:Still pondering, the features on the BKP are almost spot on :-
Stereo balanced input - (X32 control room outputs)
Stereo unbalanced input - (Logitech BT receiver)
The details aren't entirely clear from the manual, and the block diagram indulges in a fair bit of 'artistic licence', but it appears that the BKP is actually unbalanced throughout. It appears to ignore the cold leg of the inputs completely, and the outputs appear to adopt an impedance-balanced approach, although its hard to see how that would work reliably given the inherently variable source impedance of the volume control.
That's not to say that being unbalanced won't work -- it obviously will and does -- but it could lead to oddities...
BKP features not required on custom box :-
Dim
I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the Dim function. When using a conventional pot (rather than a stepped attenuator), channel tracking is inherently poor at low listening levels. Using a Dim switch extends the useful working range of the control downwards by 20dB which is very useful for late night working, checking mixes at low level, and for answering the phone or having a conversation without having to tweak the volume knob.
Last edited by Hugh Robjohns on Tue Apr 06, 2021 10:59 pm, edited 2 times in total.
- Hugh Robjohns
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Posts: 38984 Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2003 12:00 am
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Technical Editor, Sound On Sound...
(But generally posting my own personal views and not necessarily those of SOS, the company or the magazine!)
In my world, things get less strange when I read the manual...
(But generally posting my own personal views and not necessarily those of SOS, the company or the magazine!)
In my world, things get less strange when I read the manual...
Re: Good small monitor controller.
Hugh Robjohns wrote:I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the Dim function. When using a conventional pot (rather than a stepped attenuator), channel tracking is inherently poor at low listening levels. Using a Dim switch extends the useful working range of the control downwards by 20dB which is very useful for late night working, checking mixes at low level, and for answering the phone or having a conversation without having to tweak the volume knob.
Dim is, I believe, easy enough to implement so I will draw it in the schematic even if I don't build it into the first version.
- Sam Spoons
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Re: Good small monitor controller.
Sam, the BKP is indeed flawed, the input resistance of the ring input is low at 1k and can therefore cause distortion with some sources. As you say, the output is not even close to balanced but AFAICT there is a 'cold' signal.
Other than those flaws, the box works very well and if it seems to satisfy your requirements I would suggest you get one and simple make NE5532 buffers for the inputs and a pair of symmetrical outputs ? The LM4562 will be even better, lower noise and greater drive capability though I doubt you would hear any difference.
Lot less trouble than a 'New Wheel'?
Dave.
Other than those flaws, the box works very well and if it seems to satisfy your requirements I would suggest you get one and simple make NE5532 buffers for the inputs and a pair of symmetrical outputs ? The LM4562 will be even better, lower noise and greater drive capability though I doubt you would hear any difference.
Lot less trouble than a 'New Wheel'?
Dave.
Re: Good small monitor controller.
Arpangel wrote:Review, Pilot now set-up, it’s completely transparent, it works, review over.
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Re: Good small monitor controller.
Arpangel wrote:Review, Pilot now set-up, it’s completely transparent, it works, review over.
Think of how many ads we could get in the mag if all my reviews were that short...
- Hugh Robjohns
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Posts: 38984 Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2003 12:00 am
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Technical Editor, Sound On Sound...
(But generally posting my own personal views and not necessarily those of SOS, the company or the magazine!)
In my world, things get less strange when I read the manual...
(But generally posting my own personal views and not necessarily those of SOS, the company or the magazine!)
In my world, things get less strange when I read the manual...