No matter what area of audio production you work in, you're constantly listening. Loud and proud or whisper quiet, through headphones or speakers, in your studio or on the road, you're constantly listening. And naturally, you need to hear your productions through various transducers to accurately assess how they translate.
What you don't want is to be relegated to a life of vibe-killing, time-wasting repatching—you know, power-down those speakers, unplug them, plug in the other speakers, power them on, etc.—or adjust your DAW's master fader to change monitoring volume. When it comes to that process, you need something that lets you bypass the hassle of physically disconnecting and reconnecting your array of sound-producing contraptions. You need something with buttons, knobs, jacks, and routing capabilities. You need a monitor controller! A monitor controller will grant you the power of button-based selection of a source (e.g. your DAW output or your smartphone) and destination (e.g. speakers or headphones), plus easy volume adjustment and more. There are many models on the market, and I'd like to highlight ten examples from PreSonus, ESI, Heritage Audio, Palmer, Audient, Drawmer, and SPL.
Portable and Passive for Speakers Only
Not only are the following monitor controllers small, lightweight, and portable, but they also boast the additional convenience of being passive—no batteries, bus power, or wall warts required! However, the lack of active circuitry means that they can't drive headphones; they output line level for connection to power amps or active speakers. Still, they're great for tabletop or mobile use with a couple of pairs of monitors.
First up is the Heritage Audio Baby RAM, a fully passive 2 x 2 unit about the size of an open hand that is designed to perfectly preserve your stereo audio at any level. With two sets of gold-plated stereo 1/4" inputs and outputs that accommodate unbalanced or balanced equipment, it's plays nice with a ton of gear. Operations are simple, thanks to buttons for source and monitor selection, mono, mute, and dim, plus a large 24-step volume knob.
The Mackie Big Knob Passive, is another 2 x 2 unit that offers two sets of 1/4" inputs and outputs that accommodate unbalanced or balanced equipment, making it friendly to lots of gear. A 3.5mm input is present should you need to check out music from a mobile device. Operations are simple, thanks to buttons for source and monitor selection, mono, mute, and dim, plus a large volume knob. Simple!
Portable and Passive/Active for Speakers and Headphones
Compact, easy-to-use, and a great fit at home or on the road, the PreSonus MicroStation combines a Bluetooth receiver with the functionality of conventional monitor controller, allowing you to stream audio from any Bluetooth-enabled source to your setup. The MicroStation also offers two 1/4" balanced inputs, which you can route your mixer or interface through, then route the sound via the 1/4" jacks. Now you'll have a big volume knob to surgically control the level of signal going to the monitors. Headphone monitoring and auxiliary inputs are also on hand to round out the system's functionality.
The Palmer Monicon L G2 G features passive and active operation, with a fully analog, latency-free signal chain. One great function of the Monicon is a manually switchable mono third output channel when active—great for a subwoofer—and independent source selector for the headphone output gives it added versatility in recording and mixing scenarios. Along with Bluetooth support and the ability to monitor stereo audio completely passively, this robust yet compact monitor controller is a versatile choice.
Active Desktop Models with Special Powers
The next four products expand flexibility while remaining moderately compact for desktop setups.
The PreSonus Monitor Station V2 packs in facilities for three sources (including one S/PDIF digital), three pairs of monitor outputs with separate trims, line outputs, and four headphone outputs! It even manages to squeeze in a talkback function, stereo meters, and a level-adjustable dim. Oh yes, it has a main volume knob, mono, and mute, too!
Like the Monitor Station V2, the Heritage Audio RAM System 2000 has three sets of monitor outputs, talkback functionality, and stereo meters. It also features a 64-step master level control, a dedicated subwoofer output, two headphone outs, and five stereo inputs—three 1/4" pairs, one S/PDIF, and oh-so-slick Bluetooth. Say hello to streaming reference tracks wirelessly from your smartphone!
The Audient Nero Monitor Controller is a pro-grade speaker and source-management processor. This unit can handle three switchable monitor paths (each of which you can assign your dedicated subwoofer to), advanced talkback routing, and precise, user-assignable monitor profiles.
Another cool beast is the Drawmer CMC7. The CMC7 is an 8-channel controller featuring an ultra-low-profile design and Drawmer's signature oversized master volume pot. It utilizes eight active analog channels and features D-sub25 connectors for handling 5.1 or 7.1 (and quadrophonic and Digital Theater Sound, if you're into that) audio directly from your interface, making this controller an ideal choice for handling surround audio setups. Thump protection via a timed relay system is a nice bonus feature that prevents loudspeaker-damaging pops during a sudden power loss.
Rack Ready and Remotely Controllable
These last two monsters are designed to reside in a standard 19" equipment rack (perhaps one that's out of reach) without compromising ergonomics and usability. How? They come with full-featured desktop remotes that need just a single cable, keeping your work surface neat.
At the expense of sounding like Heritage Audio fanatics, the Heritage Audio RAM System 5000 remains a widely celebrated choice in this price range and allows for immense versatility. It uses a premium 64-step relay ladder attenuator for precision stereo matching. It also offers a host of useful and uncommon features, including a wireless, rechargeable desktop remote control, Bluetooth audio input, and the audiophile-grade Wolfson DAC. With native support for 5.1 configurations, the System 5000 can easily handle surround audio.
Last up is the SPL MC16, available in red, black, or all black. This 16-channel controller utilizes a 120 VDC audio rail for unmatched headroom and is designed specifically for handling formats like Dolby Atmos and Auro 3D. In the rear you will find a whopping 16 XLR speaker outputs, eight XLR inputs, and three analog DB25 inputs, each sporting eight channels, allowing you to mix and match DB25 and XLR connectivity to meet the unit's 16-channel limit. You can select each speaker channel independently, select between banks of inputs, program and select between three monitoring presets, and of course access typical monitor functions like solo, dim, and mute. The big main control knob is ganged for perfectly even control.
Conclusion
Even if your setup technically works without a monitor controller, having one will positively affect your workflow, speed, vibe, and results. For more information about these monitor controllers, including additional features, specs, and highlights, be sure to check out the detailed product pages.
