Latency Free Monitoring; Monitor Levels - Focusrite TwinTrak Pro User Manual

The inclusion of two custom peak-reading meters in the TwinTrak Pro's output
section allows the user to accurately monitor the levels being sent to external analogue
or digital equipment from the TwinTrak Pro's analogue and digital outputs. The peak-
reading meter displays levels from –24 dBfs to 0 dBfs. An overload LED shows when
levels are excessive - if this lights, reduce the level of signal being fed to the outputs
using the controls in the MID SCOOP EQ and COMPRESSOR section (this
assumes that your input LEVEL is already set correctly).

LATENCY FREE MONITORING

The LATENCY FREE MONITORING section is used in conjunction with the
MONITOR LEVELS section to provide flexible monitoring of both the signal being
recorded and an existing stereo mix.
Latency can be a major problem when recording to a computer-based digital audio
workstation (DAW) via a sound card. If the signal being recorded has to pass through
the DAW before being monitored, significant delays may occur as a result of the digital
conversion and processing that takes place, making it difficult or impossible to sing,
speak or play in time with any pre-recorded tracks being played back.
The TwinTrak Pro's LATENCY-FREE MONITORING section allows the user to
monitor a mix of both the mono or stereo signal being recorded (fed directly from the
unit before it passes through the digital recording system) and a stereo mix of pre-
recorded tracks (acting as a mini mixer). Thus latency is eliminated and the recording
artist can speak, sing or play along to the pre-recorded tracks in perfect time.
The controls in the LATENCY-FREE MONITORING section allow the engineer
or artist to construct a headphone/external monitor mix as follows:
- Allows you to adjust, within the monitor path, the
INPUT BALANCE (knob)
stereo balance between the two input channels.
– sums together the two monitor input channels, sending a
MONO (switch)
mono signal to both left and right monitor outputs.
- Allows you to balance, within the monitor path, the
FX RETURN (knob)
amount of effected versus dry signal. The dry internal signals can be blended with the
effected signal in the monitor mix by adjusting this knob, which runs from DRY (no
effects) to WET (full effects).
This is a better than adding plug-in effects with the DAW for two reasons; firstly it
eliminates any latency issues between input and playback signals, and secondly all the
adjustments are localised conveniently on the front panel rather than being spread
throughout the recording system. See FX SEND AND RETURN in the following
section for further information on feeding FX units into the monitor path.
Note: The stereo FX SEND AND RETURN can also be used as a dual mono FX
send and return, allowing you to feed different effect units to each channel. However,
the FX return control is global, controlling the effects levels on both sides in equal
proportions.
- Allows you to control the balance between the
HEADPHONE MIX (knob)
signals being tracked and the pre-recorded stereo mix fed to the monitor inputs from
the DAW.

MONITOR LEVELS

- Allows independent control over the level being fed to
MONITORS (knob)
external monitors.
- Allows independent control of the overall level being
HEADPHONES (knob)
fed to the headphones.
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