Does this exist: Mini mixer for in-ear cuing and monitoring?

DJ Life & Community General Discussion
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1

Does this exist: Mini mixer for in-ear cuing and monitoring?

I have this idea in my head, and it seems so simple and obvious that I can’t imagine that it doesn’t already exist. But I have searched around quite a bit, and haven’t been able to track it down.

It is a small mixer, to take the monitor out out of a mixer, and the cue out, and be able to mix those two together, separately on each ear.

So: Two linear crossfaders, one for left ear, one for right ear. Say bottom of the faders is main mix, top is the cue. This would allow you to to use in ear monitors the way a standard DJ monitors, one ear gets fully the main mix going out to the room, and the other ear can mix between 100% cue, to 100% main mix (the equivalent of headphone on ear, 50% on ear, off ear, etc). But of course even more powerful than this, as you can vary to suit your needs.

And I have lots more ideas and wish list for this device, if I were to build it myself, such as: toggleable mono mixdown, trim for each input channel, room mic, volume limiter/compressor, etc.

Anyone heard of such a thing? Or do I have to build it myself?

BTW, if this does not exist, and anyone (or DJ Techtools) wants to build this thing commercially, I would be happy to collaborate on it, I have a pretty firm grasp of the electronics needed, and lots of ideas, as mentioned.

2

Isn’t that just split cue on most mixers.

3

And what will it Change to your Mix?
In Which way does the Crowd you are mixing to get the difference?

Over 90% of Party attenders would not realise it if you Loop & Sample the same track for around 1h and just would Play with the effects so how should they realise that you have that “So revolutionary In-Ear Mixer”?

I might see a fun potential for a handfull of Technic-Freaky-Geeky-DJs but not for the mass of DJs and certainly not for the Crowd at Gigs, so I personally don’t see a Commercial success…But I might be wrong and you just started the next Revolution in DJ-ing.

4

Well, yes, split cue is the 100% cue in one ear and 100% master in the other. I’m talking about a way to do other than that 100% split, as needed. I guess I am just used to fudging one of my ear cups partway off, when using dj headphones and booth monitors, to get a 50/50 cue/room mix in one ear, and full room in the other. Perhaps I’m just being resistant to this, how isolating it sounds to be mixing in IEM’s, I feel like I loose the feel of the room if I’m always hearing cue in one ear and room in the other ear. I’m looking for a way to bring some of that back, but still keep the benefits of IEM’s.

[quote=“Stephen Nawlins, post:3, topic:74416, username:Stephen_Nawlins”]
And what will it Change to your Mix?
[/quote] Huh? I am talking about monitoring, not anything the room hears. Not sure what you are on about.

5

Ha! You’ve just described my hacked solution for split ear cueing when I can’t have my speakers running!

I’ve got a separate mixer (Behringer XENYX 1002FX) that I route my main output to, then I also route my DJM850 CUE to the Behringer mixer too - BUT - only to the RIGHT INPUT on the Behringer mixer. That way, I can control the volume of the CUE signal, in one ear only, using the cue volume on the DJM850.

Like I said - it’s a bit of a hack so that I can mix comfortably when it’s too late to have speakers on…

Audio routing is fun. This is why we all have tons of cables/splitters/adaptors and “spare” mixers lying around… :thumbsup:

6

Split cue. Yup

7

And btw…You all use the AUTOSYNC Button Nowadays so why do you Need an IN-Ear Monitor System???
(And yes it’s an grumpy old man asking LOL)

8

I understand your idea but it really sounds like your trying to re invent the wheel.

9

Yep, I think you are quite correct, I am trying to reinvent the wheel. Split cue does functionally work, but it is missing something for me. I think I would have more fun DJing if I had more flexibility to hear mix vs. cue in my IEMs setting (and varying) the mix percentage in each ear. And for me, that’s what it is all about, having fun. I can mix using IEMs with split cue, I just feel more disconnected from the room that way, and I wish to get some of that back. Of course I don’t really know if my idea will make things better for me, as I haven’t tried it, its only theoretical. Since it seems such a thing doesn’t exist, perhaps I am crazy.

10

Not sure if you use Traktor but if you mix internally you can get something similar with some clever audio routing.

Headphone (L): Monitor L (Mono)
Headphone (R): Record L (Mono)

This basically still allows you to control the cue mix on one ear while always having the master mix (record in this case) audible on the other.

11

Just buy a real mixer mate. Problem solved :wink:

12

You need a second mixer with split cue. Take the master from the first mixer to ch1 and the headphones out to ch2. Work with both to get the balance you need. Just a thought.

13

Just whipped up a proof of concept in Abelton, using these: http://mc-audio.com/blog/?p=72 as constant power crossfaders.

I like it! I guess this is just a particular itch I have. I’ll use the software version for a while, see if it is something I want to bring into hardware.