Monkbam Pro Audio Marketing Blog

I finally found a monitor solution that works so well, I wonder how I’ve survived for the past ten years without it. The Dangerous Monitor ST is about the coolest thing a Pro Tools studio without a console could have. At my own private studio, I missed the ability to switch seamlessly between two or three sets of monitors and immediately compare the sound. It took years for me to finally admit that I needed to solve this problem (and finally get a talkback system in place), so I went looking and after comparing all of the options that I found, I chose the Dangerous Monitor ST.

Since the features can be found at the Dangerous Music site, I’ll just cover a few of the most useful things I’ve come to love about this beautifully built unit.

There are four inputs, but forget one through three for a second and go to input four: you can pad the volume of this input on the rack unit. Why do this? Because you can turn down the volume of that input in order to compare mastered mixes to your own (probably) un-mastered mix. Designer Chris Muth thought of everything, and being able to compare a smashed to hell label release with your client’s mix AT THE SAME LEVEL is startlingly simple and yet such a useful feature. This is the first Dangerous unit I’ve owned, but if they put such foresight into all of their products (they have – I checked!), then I love this company.

The whole unit is completely flexible, expandable, can accommodate prosumer gear, and if it can’t do it (like surround), then there’s a module for that too. Need to switch video? Need to have pristine D/A straight into the unit? Yeah, yeah, yeah. The sound quality is outstanding. The switching is seamless and ultra fast. The thing looks like gold and I love the design.

Speaking of design, it not only looks amazing, but it’s laid out perfectly and is ergonomic and so frikkin’ useful. On the first day of having it setup, I felt like I had used it for years and everything was where I expected or wanted it to be. I love having a volume knob that is accurate and doesn’t crap out when you turn it down! I can program the system any way I want and it doesn’t make a fuss. Programming is dead simple – the battery-powered talking monkey on my console could do it if I left him alone with the unit and a beer. I have not found a single thing (yet…) that the designers hadn’t thought of.

A Decision

Getting back to my decision and why I chose this: My budget was reasonable, but not unreasonable. Quality was paramount, or why would I waste my money on something that would only take the signal I had and make it worse? Believe me, I got through years of sessions while yelling down the hall. Design was secondary to the decision, because I don’t like using things that look like a Transformer shit them out. Features were third – I needed some basic features and compatibility down the road was more important than the monitor controller’s ability to autotune vocals. Finally, price came in last. If price were of no concern, I’d be looking at an old API console instead of a monitor controller.

Choices

Other units that hover within a grand around the price of the Dangerous Music ST ($1900) are:

• the Crane Song Avocet ($2800)
• the Coleman Monitor Controller line ($1100)
• the SPL Monitor and Talkback controller ($800?)
• the Presonus Central Station ($650 with remote)

Crane Song

Here’s a quick breakdown of why I made the choice I did: The Crane Song was admittedly too expensive for the budget and I like the aesthetic look of the Dangerous controller better. Crane Song makes awesome products, but $2800 was simply out of my budget for this purchase. However, audio quality was top notch (so I’ve heard) and it has digital converters built in. If you added the DAC option to the Dangerous ST, you’d be in the same ballpark. I didn’t need this option yet.

Coleman

The Coleman looked too utilitarian to me and I wanted a remote. I also didn’t want to use an external mic if I could help it. In all honesty, I don’t like the look of this unit and I feel like Coleman hasn’t done enough to convince me why I should consider it. At that price point, I’m much more inclined to spend more to get something that I am 100% happy with. Design and marketing for this one: FAIL. And that’s why I didn’t buy it. Perhaps this might be a good company to look at for a future article on why design is so important, and how it ties into the marketing.

Sound Performance Labs

The SPL was packed into a small enclosure designed to be used on a desktop. But, you’d have your entire system running into and out of this thing. Who wants that on their console? I don’t. Even though this could be construed as a type of a “remote”, it is anything but a remote. My response to SPL would be to make this a single space rack unit with a remote, or just forget the remote part. Either way, get this and all the cables needed to connect it off my console. I don’t have a wall I can push it back on. Note that I used the term “console” here because I have an Argosy console, not a traditional console with faders.

Presonus

The Presonus Central Station. Who hasn’t thought, “$500? What a steal! They even used to include the remote!” However, just head over the Gearslutz and see the trove of user stories of broken units and “hazy” sound. Note that I have not used one of these, and anything you read on Gearslutz has to be taken with a 50lb bag of rock salt. However, I’ve used many a Digimax before and can attest to paying (sometimes more) for what you are getting. It works and it’s fine, but it’s not what one would call the pinnacle of audio quality. I went through two units many years ago that had problems before I finally found one that worked. To Presonus’ credit, it worked for many years after without a hiccup.

But I digress… I wanted high quality monitoring, and I wasn’t shopping to get the best value. I’d suggest checking this out if you need talkback control and a remote, and have not yet spent much on the other necessary studio items, like mics, preamps, or even monitors. It will probably function fine for this use. If audio quality is also a high priority, I’d just go for the Dangerous D-Box, or look at the Coleman options, or check out the SPL cable caddy…er, monitor offering.

Conclusion

So what is the point of going over a bunch of units I haven’t heard personally? I suppose that you might be in the same position as I was and may just be looking for some editorial fodder to pull the trigger on the Dangerous unit.