Which would you choose?

PreSonus Monitor Station | Sweetwater.com

Mackie Big Knob | Sweetwater.com

I use this and love it!!

SM Pro Audio M-Patch 2 Monitor Control Station from zZounds.com!

Peace.
Carmen

I have the Big Knob and I think that it has worked ok, but I did have a problem with noise and found out the hard way Mackie's service has gone down the drain.

It was under warranty and they kept dragging their heals to fix it until I got pissed off over the phone and told them that 6 weeks is too much to wait on a part and they needed to send me a new one. They did...slowly but they did and then a couple weeks later I received a bill for it from them which I was uber-pissed off about. Turns out there authorized place was waiting on them to give them the word to send the broke one back to them after they had already sent me the new one.

I love the piece but I don't think it's in it for the long haul and expect to end up buying a replacement in a year. The first one lasted about a year or so. If the Monitor Station is like the Central Station, it's passive and the sound will be less affected unlike the Big Knob also. I wish the Monitor Station was around when I got the Big Knob...very easy choice if you have the desk space.
cam

Presonus Central Station is the way to go.
1. It's passive compared to the Big Knob, and this new Presonus unit which means it should give a cleaner, more transparent sound.
2. All the wires on the Big knob and ill be on your desk. With the Central Station your desk will be cleaner with all the wires in your rack.
3. They have a nice small remote which can go on your desk.

Actually this is a comparison to the presonus monitor station.

PreSonus Monitor Station | Sweetwater.com

Not to speak out of school, but I think what Tube World was saying is that the Central Station is a better choice than either the Big Knob or the Monitor Station. Of the three it's the only passive monitor controller.

Uhhh did someone miss this recomendation...

Enough said! Anyone ever done a comparison between the two? The Central station is a lot cleaner. Plus you have the option of a remote! Cmon, IMO there is nothing out there in that price range that can compete with it. You have meters, a Passive circuit, 2 Headphone amps plus cue mix and main mix outputs, and you can connect up to 3 monitors or 2monitors with a sub (You chose the way you want it) You just can't beat it! I prefer the central station over the Monitor Station.

I've got a Big Knob I'm not using if ya want to buy it.thumbsup

Keith Moore what are you full requirements, which I feel should determin the decision. As an owner of a Presonus Monitor Station what sealed the deal for me was the talkback function and the ability to switch between speakers and create cue mixes for talent. I come from a mixing desk back ground where I had all these functions at my finger tips then I went fully ITB and lost all those functions until I got the Monitor station. If the talkback functiion is a big deal to you then consider the monitor station, hope that is helpful.

This research is actually for a friend who I'm helping get him home project studio up and running. He was looking at the SM Pro Audio M-Patch, but I recommended something with a talkback option. I was just wondering how the users of these units felt about them. So far I'm in the Presonus's corner.

I have to say I love working with my DAW and the Presonus Monitor Station. The talkback function on the Presonus Monitor Station actually works well. You can either toggle the talkback button by pressing it once for it to stay on, and pressing it again to go off or hold it down for short communication in which it goes off soon as you release it. There is also a dimmer control so you can adjust the speaker volume when talkback is engaged and if you read through the maunal for the Presonus Monitor Station their are about 3 different modes in which the unit can work in depending on speaker setup. I also like the big light up buttons for instant visual feedback on what buttons are engaged. This unit really works for me and I would recommend it in a heart beat! Between my Presonus Monitor Station and my Frontier AlphaTrack I have all the functions I need to mix and record.

I got a steal of a deal on a Mackie Big Knob and it seems to work just fine. I have it mounted under my mix desk so the wires are not an issue.

So far it sounds just fine and for $100 is well worth the price.

I'v had monitor station for year now and I just love it. Flexible, lots of options, doesn't color the sound (like big knob) and price isn't that bad. There's basically everything you need...

Simo Orpana
Studio Bad Mama

the Presonus monitor station is transparent, works, and you can configure it several usable ways, plus it is well built. The headphone amps are ok for what I record, (light jazzy acoustic, folk and blues), but I don't know if it would work with full drums and such. Talkback function works like a charm, but I don't care for the talk and hold function,

I replaced my Mackie BIG KNOB, with a CENTRAL STATION. It was a major upgrade to my ears. The routing options on the CS fit my work style very well. I have 3 sets of monitors hooked up to the CS, and it just works.

I love your avatar man.

AWA (against Warhead's advice), I took a chance on this today. I also noticed a UBK post that noted that you can always replace the attenuator pot and switches with better ones at some point.

Hi,......

Sorry for crashing into your thread but it is just what I'm looking for----a monitor controller - that is the advice from some folks from planet z for Pulsar 2 soundcard. As I'm no expert I needed some good advice and was given advice to buy M-Patch 2 for passive control and "engineers mix" with headphone amp only problem is there were not enough outputs for me so I was looking at the Mackie Big Knob or Presonus Monitor Station until I found this thread about the Presonus Central Station!!! - So thanks to you folks I should make the right choice first time on this......


The Central Station is a fair bit more expensive than than big knob so on the addage of you get what you pay for this unit must actually be alot better - Is this correct?

In general terms is Presonus pretty damn good stuff??? compared with "the rest" of the companies that we all discuss on these boards?

+1 I have one too and it works just like it's suppose too. It's best to get something passive especially if you have a high end converter. Only time I use something powered is for headphones. It's also only $200! Best affordable passive one I could find that's even under the budget of the 2 you mentioned.

This comment is helpful - thanks.

I was also considering these models. The short-term need I have is for a headphone amp (4 channels preferred, with independent click control). I will also need monitor switching capabilities for future purchase of a second set of monitors.

The options:

1. Monitor Station - get four flexible headphone amps, but sacrifice a little on sound quality in the mix.

2. Central Station - better sound quality (since it's passive) on the mixing / monitors but sacrifice two of the headphone amps, and more $$. I'd probably end up using headphone splitters.

3. Presonus HP60, then get the monitor switcher when I buy the second set of monitors. Same $$ now, but more $$ later.

Not trying to hijack the post, but any thoughts on this would be appreciated. I use the Presonus Firestudio Project x 2 with M-Audio BX5A monitors, DBX compressors and equalizers. This setup is for my tracking my band, writing / recording / re-writing. The room I currently have is not acoustically treated, and will probably never be used for "final" mixes or mastering.

Thanks again!

What about the one from Radial?

Radial Engineering MC3 Monitor Switcher/Controller Overview - Sweetwater Sound - YouTube

I've been using the Big Knob and have no complaints. I can reach it easily from the mix position and have the cables routed behind it.

Three of my friends had problems with the Presonus - unit going down, features not working etc. That was a while ago so maybe QC has improved.

I also had the HP60 but found it way underpowered. Best Presonus gizmo I have had is the Digimax FS. that thing is unbelievable!

Does anyne know why my Talk Back feature will not work? I have even tried to hook up an external Mic as well and still no luck with Talk Back Feature. HELP PLEASE!!!!!!!!! Presonus Monitor Station

Talk back will duck and interrupt the cue mix only. Make sure the headphones are monitoring cue mix, not main mix


Sent from my iPhone

If you're listening from the 4 headphone amps, make sure you have the black "Source" button under the trim pots set up right. I think it needs to be pushed down for "Cue", if this is not pushed you will probably NOT hear the talkback through the headphones...

I haven't tried the Big Knob, I've had the Monitor Station for maybe a year now. I love it! I'm using my DAW as one monitor source, and my Akai DPS16 recorder for another, so now I move between the two easily. I have a set of monitors, and I just bought a powered pair of Mixcubes, so I'll be able to quickly switch between when mixing, which will be *awesome*!

And then there's still room to grow into it, so I'll probably keep this thing until I find some kind of "real" board, and even then use it as a mixer, or something. I'm a happy customer, this thing definitely glued my crappy home-studio together...

Hi camerondye,
what are you using these days? I have had the BK for about 4 years and am thinking about the presonus!
any one else have an opinion? Thanks

Videos: Sound Performance Lab

I use it and it's awesome...It also got a Crossfeed Button when mixing with headphones.