Since 2003, I've relied on a Furman HDS-6 headphone distribution amplifier and HR-6 personal mixers [Tape Op #38] for artists' monitoring. All the bands that I recorded in my Boston studio were happy creating their own headphone mixes on the HR-6, with its four mono and one stereo channels. When I moved to Nashville, I quickly learned that the musicians in this city expect more channels on their cue mixers, as well as EQ, so the Furman wasn't going to cut it. The centerpiece of my control room is an analog 24-channel, 8-bus Wolff Audio Console ST with a traditional patchbay, plus a software-controlled, relay-based analog Wolff ProPatch 128R [#169] – all interconnected in a modular scheme with DB25 cables. I wanted my artists' monitoring system to be analog too, for zero latency as well as ease of integration. I also wanted the headphone mixers to have one knob per function on every channel – no paging through channels or on-screen menus to change volume, pan, or EQ on a particular element of the mix. After looking at several options, I settled on the only off-the-shelf product that met these needs… and more!
Wolff Audio's MeMore is a compact headphone mixer with inputs for eight mono channels and two stereo channels, all with level, pan/balance, and "T-Q" tilt-style EQ – with every control assigned to its own dedicated potentiometer. Inside are two high-power headphone amplifiers, each feeding a multed pair of standard 1/4-inch headphone jacks through its own volume pot (four jacks total). Signal level is indicated by LEDs on the input channels and output amps. Thankfully, the input LEDs are pre-fader, while the outputs are post. All of these controls are laid out in an obvious manner, and I have yet to meet a musician who doesn't just "get it" immediately: see blinking LEDs, turn knobs, hear change. It's really that simple. As with other multichannel artists' monitoring systems, the premise is that all the musicians have their own MeMores sitting next to them as they track. The engineer sends individual tracks or stems to all the MeMores so that cue mixes can be individually tailored by the musicians themselves. (If there are more musicians than stations, MeMores can obviously be shared.)
Additionally, the MeMore features a built-in mic with a large, backlit, momentary Talk pushbutton, allowing an artist to communicate back to the engineer as needed – also dead simple to understand. A 1/4-inch footswitch jack on the back of the MeMore can also be utilized to trigger Talk. Because the mic signal is routed through an internal 2:1 compressor before it's sent line level back to the source, all you need to do is bring it up on the console (or in the DAW), and the artist's voice is very intelligible without additional processing. A nice Easter egg feature is that the built-in compressor turns the MeMore into a room mic that's worth recording. To do that, all you have to do is insert a shorted 1/4-inch plug into the footswitch jack (or use a latching footswitch), and the Talk function will remain on. This trick is also useful for engineers who prefer to control when to listen to the MeMore's mic instead of reminding the musician to always hit Talk. For example, I use a DAW channel that goes into listen mode only when the transport is stopped. Note that the Talk signal isn't broadcast to the other MeMores, but you can always route that signal through your console or DAW to one of the regular inputs of your MeMore system as needed. For example, I prefer setting up my cue feeds so that every MeMore's channel 1 is the global communication channel, incorporating the engineer's talkback mic as well as the Talk mics of all the MeMores; even if some of the musicians are in separate rooms, everyone can hear and take part in the conversation. Meanwhile, a latching Hear Me button and corresponding level knob allow the musicians to add some of their Talk mic to just their own headphone mix. That way, if an artist desires natural room ambience in their headphones, they can easily hit the Hear Me button and turn the room up. Plus, the aforementioned 2:1 compressor really makes the ambience sound natural.
An external power supply, compatible with many 500 Series racks, connects to the back of the MeMore with a 5-pin XLR. Regular 3-pin XLR jacks provide a means for connecting local balanced sources to stereo inputs 9/10 and 11/12, while an unbalanced stereo TRS jack with level trims is an alternate input for 11/12. A pair of XLRs provide daisy-chainable output for the Talk function. Moreover, all of MeMore's input channels (including 9/10 and 11/12) can be fed balanced line-level audio through two DB25 jacks on the back, with two additional DB25s serving as hardwired mults for daisy-chaining more stations. The Talk signal is also sent across the DB25s. Ingeniously, the bottom of the chassis is equipped with the same array of four DB25s, so if the MeMore is mounted on a stand using its 1/4-20 UNC threaded hole (standard for camera tripods) or included 5/8-27 adapter (for North American mic stands), the cables can be dressed downward to minimize strain on the connectors. In my studio, all of my MeMores are threaded onto Neewer ST72 stands <neewer.com>. These have heavy, wheeled bases with three legs that fold out to a 9.5-inch radius – just wide enough to hold the MeMore steady but not too wide to be a tripping hazard. An adjustable column raises the controls of the MeMore from 23-inch (sitting) to a maximum of 32-inch (standing). All three of the ST72's casters are lockable, but I prefer to keep them unlocked so the MeMore will easily roll (vs. tip over) when subject to an unintentional headphone cable pull. I have attached the included headphone hanger onto one side of each MeMore – very handy. Wolff also sells a drink holder that's compatible with most water bottles – and even square Jack Daniel's bottles – that you can attach to the opposite side.
My MeMore stations are interconnected with 16-channel analog snakes that pigtail to a pair of DB25s on each end. Optionally, with the purchase of a Wolff Audio RAT (SoundTools RatCAT compatible) or RAD (Radial Engineering) adapter that screws onto any pair of the MeMore's DB25 jacks, audio can be carried across four standard twisted-pair Ethernet cables plugged into the adapter's RJ45 jacks – a cost-effective solution using easily replaceable cables. A second set of four RJ45 jacks on the same adapter facilitates daisy-chaining to the next MeMore. If you prefer homeruns over daisy-chains, you can purchase the Wolff Audio RJ45 HomeRun BOX, which offers eleven parallel sets of four RJ45 jacks, allowing up to ten MeMore stations to connect directly to the main set of RJ45s. There are countless products that convert standard audio connectors (XLR, TRS, DB25) to RJ45. In my studio, I have many American Recorder RJ45 adapters <americanrecorder.com>, and I appreciate that the company is very clear about their pinout, grounding, and shielding implementations. I tested my MeMore system with long runs of both shielded CAT6 and unshielded CAT5e cabling through the HomeRun, and I heard no degradation in sound quality, as all of MeMore's I/O is correctly balanced. But I still prefer my custom DB25 snakes from Trace Audio <traceaudio.com> [Tape Op #150] for their flexibility and robustness.
I love my MeMore system, and more importantly, all the musicians that visit my studio do too. I'm convinced it's the best zero-latency cue system you can buy. My only complaint is that the MeMore could use additional real estate below the level knobs for labeling the input channels. Even 3/4-inch flatback "console" tape is too wide for the area between the level knobs and signal LEDs; and applying the usual 1-inch flatback tape above the T-Q knobs isn't as intuitive for the user. But that's a very minor gripe for a product that excels in every other way.