Intro
The HPFX is Applied Research and Technology's stand-alone stereo headphone
mixer/amplifier with microphone preamplifiers and built-in digital
effects. It allows singers and instrumentalists to control the volume, mix
and effects fed into their headphones without altering the master console'
s mix or another player's monitor mix.
Ratings
Ease of Use: 4
Value: 5
Functionality: 4
Your Own Mix
With most headphone mixer/amplifiers the overall volume of each headset is
the only variable a performer can adjust to personal taste. The engineer
and/or producer builds the best headphone mix possible for the performing
players. Newly recorded tracks are mixed in with other backing tracks and
sent back to the headphones. With HPFX, each musician is given more
extensive and independent control over his or her headphone mix. The HPFX
is a half-rackspace unit powered by the included wall-wart power supply.
Overcoming Latency
The HPFX expands the possibilities for headphone monitoring and also
solves a problem common to computer-based recording. First of all, the
HPFX takes care of the singer or musician who wants to control not only
the volume but also the relationship (mix) between themselves and the
backing track. ART takes this even one step further by providing the
ability to add a digital effect to the player's sound--an effect that
does not get recorded. Second, the HPFX lets the performer's voice or
instrument be heard "live,"directly from the microphone he/she is using.
This works around the latency inherent in newer (and especially
lower-cost) digital computer hard-disk recording systems. Some degree of
latency occurs in all computer audio systems because it takes time for the
system (the computer's soundcard and software) to convert incoming analog
signals to digital, process them, record to the hard drive and then
convert them back to analog signals so that we humans can hear and then
play along. Needless to say, excessive latency in the monitoring of a
performance makes recording untenable.
Built-in Mic Preamps in a Headphone Mixer?
The HPFX has two microphone preamps that "pick off" the microphone's
signal from XLR microphone input connectors on the unit's back panel. The
microphone is plugged directly into the HPFX and then its signal is passed
on to the engineer's recording console microphone input through the HPFX's
XLR mic output connector. The front panel has a mix level control for each
microphone that goes directly into the HPFX's headphone mix. These level
controls do not affect the recording level or the sound the
engineer is getting. It should be noted here that this is the raw mic
sound, without benefit of any processing that the engineer might add when
recording, like equalization or compression. In addition to level, the
front panel also has a separate digital effect level for each microphone
used. Finally, there is rear-panel jack called Effects Output that
provides just the preamplified microphone signals with or without effects
added from the HPFX. This is for recording the HPFX's output, if you
should so choose, to your computer's soundcard.
16 Built-In Digital Effects
There are 16 digital effects available to the microphone signal: four
slapback delays; four echo effects; five reverb settings; and three
special effects such as a flanger or chorus. ART says in the manual that
the effects are tailored for vocals but I found them to sound good on
guitars as well. These stereo and dual digital effects use 24-bit DSP and
20-bit D/A and A/D converters. There is a rotary Digital F/X selector on
the front panel which runs through all 16 effects in a proper and logical
order (e.g., the reverbs start short and go on to longer settings). Once
you have selected something you like, you can adjust the main parameter to
your taste with the Parameter Adjust control. There is also a main bypass
switch that mutes the effect quickly.
There are four separate headphone output positions on the HPFX. Each
output has its own level, jack and amplifier so there is no concern that
the sound will change when more than one person plugs in. Another
advantage of separate volume controls and amps is that different kinds of
headphones can be used at each input. There are line-level input jacks
(left and right) on the back panel for feeding a stereo backing track mix
from the recording console or computer. The initial level of this signal
is controlled by the recording engineer but the individual headphone
volume controls give you up to 18dB of additional gain if you need it.
In The Studio
I gave the HPFX a trial run in the studio at a tracking session where I
needed a second headphone system. The drummer wanted his phones loud with
a very hot metronome click track. The rest of the band couldn't work with
that mix so I used the HPFX to give them my control-room mix. As the
session progressed, everyone using the HPFX wanted more bass guitar than I
wanted to hear in the control room (probably due to the volume of the
drummer in the room or just the lack of solid low end in the cheap
headphones themselves). I took a tap from the bass player's direct box and
plugged it into the HPFX. Since I was recording analog 24-track (no
computers), there wasn't any latency issue between the live bass signal
and the bass signal in the control-room mix I was already sending to the
HPFX. It also worked out that the two bass signals were in phase. The
musicians could add more bass easily with the mic level control on the
HPFX's front panel.
A good headphone system like the HPFX makes a fine addition to any home or
project studio. This unit handily solves some of the problems that have
come with modern recording techniques, too, making the process simpler and
more flexible for the performer (you) and the recording engineer (also
you).
The HPFX carries a three-year warranty and sells for $299 MSRP. Applied Research & Technology at 215 Tremont St., Rochester, NY 14608. Telephone: 716-436-2720 or Fax: 716-436-3942. Web to: www.artproaudio.com
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