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When it comes to immersive mixing systems, monitor management is an essential yet often overlooked aspect. In addition to providing complete control over your playback system, monitor controllers also allow you to solo or mute speakers for critical listening, A/B mixes on multiple sets of speakers, and even monitor reference tracks from multiple input sources.
In this blog, we’re breaking down how to configure an immersive mixing rig with one of the most advanced monitor controllers on the market, and one of our most popular here at Vintage King, the Grace Design m908 surround/immersive monitor controller.
The Grace Design m908 monitor controller builds on the brand’s best-selling M905 with advanced features tailor-made for immersive mixing. Offering support for speaker systems up to 24 channels, the m908 is perfect for surround sound and immersive formats including Dolby Atmos.
Equipped with Grace Design’s cutting-edge digital audio converters, s-Lock pll clocking technology, and powerful DSP processors, the m908 delivers impeccable clarity and detail. Combined with a convenient remote control and easy-to-use control software, the m908 is a versatile, all-in-one monitor management system.
The m908 system consists of three components:
All of the processing takes place in the Audio Control Unit, while the Remote Control Unit offers easy access to all of the system’s controls and calibration tools. Let’s start by talking about the inputs and outputs of the Audio Control Unit.
The m908 Audio Control Unit is a 2U rackmount hardware device with a host of input and output options, both analog and digital.
All standard models offer a total of 68 digital input channels via AES3 (24 ch), TOSLINK (2 ch), S/PDIF (2 ch), ADAT Lightpipe (16 ch), and USB2 (24 ch), making it easy to monitor audio from almost any source.
In terms of outputs, the m908 features 16 balanced analog output channels (DB25) and 24 digital output channels (AES). Up to 16 channels of additional analog inputs are available via two optional 8-channel ADC modules (DB25).
Thoughtfully, the CR 1 and CR 2 outputs both source audio from DAC channels 1-8 and are relay-switched, meaning only one set can be active at a time. This allows you to use the same output routing for A/Bing mixes on two monitor setups using the CR 1 and CR 2 outputs.
The CUE/CR EXT. outputs source audio from DAC channels 9-16, which can be used to drive additional speakers in immersive playback systems, or for cue outputs.
For studios who need even more I/O or simply want to interface with an existing networked audio system, the Option Module provides up to 32 channels of digital I/O via Dante, DigiLink, and Ravenna/AES67/st2110.
Additional rear-panel ports include Word Clock in and out, a USB-A port for firmware updates, a DB15 port for connecting the Remote Control Unit, and an ethernet port for connecting to the m908 Web Control Interface.
The Remote Control Unit, also known as The Remote, is the command center of the m908, offering instant access to all of the controls you need to set up and control your monitoring system.
Starting on the left side, you’ll find the large LCD screen, which displays system status, functions, and setup menus. Eight buttons above and below the screen select between the 16 inputs of the m908, making it easy to quickly monitor different sources.
The Main Monitor Control screen displays all active speakers and outputs for each channel, making it easy to visualize how your system is configured. In addition to output level settings, the monitor control screen also shows the current SPL levels in your room, measured using the built-in talkback microphone.
In the center of the Remote, you’ll find the high-resolution Volume knob, which is of course used to set output levels, as well as navigate menus. The Volume knob can be pushed to toggle between speaker and headphone output on the Main Monitor Control screen, or used to make selections in the setup menus.
Above the Volume knob, there are three Control Room Select switches (CR1, CR2, CR3), which are used to select between different speaker systems. Each speaker system can be stereo, 7.1 surround sound, or any configuration up to 24 channels.
Above the Control Room Select switches, you’ll find controls for the basic monitoring functions of the m908, including Mute, Dim, Mono, and Monitor to Cue. Finally, you’ll also find the Setup button in this section – more on that in a moment.
On the right side of the unit, you’ll find nine solo/mute switches used to solo or mute any individual or group of speaker channels being monitored. Each button engages solo or mute for the corresponding channel, while the Solo/Mute button in the center toggles between those functions. For systems larger than eight channels, push and hold LB / RB to cycle through additional channels.
The A, B, and C buttons at the bottom of this section can be used to save user presets, making it easy to toggle between different speaker configurations or quickly solo groups of speakers.
Before we dive into the menus of the m908, it’s worth mentioning that the setup process can be completed using the Remote or the Web UI, which allows you to control all monitoring features and system parameters directly from your computer or mobile device.
Introduced as part of the V2 firmware, the Web UI allows you to control all functions of m908 and gives you easy access to setup and configuration menus. Both the Web UI and RCU can be used simultaneously to operate the m908.
Best of all, the Web UI runs on any desktop, laptop, or mobile device browser that’s connected to the same LAN as the m908, including iPads and iPhones. Simply open up your web browser and enter the IP address of your m908 to start using the software, no downloads required.
Upon opening the Web UI, you’ll be greeted with the same controls as the Main Monitor Control screen with a few minor differences – most notably slider controls for speaker and headphone volume.
From here, you can begin operating your m908 as you would on the Remote, or click on the pencil icon in the top right corner to access the Setup Menu.
The m908 comes loaded with a variety of presets that make it easy to quickly configure the most common input sources, cue, and speaker system setups.
There are two setup menus for the m908: Workflow Setup and System Setup. The Workflow menu is used to set the mode that the DSP section of the m908 will operate in (stereo, 7.1, Atmos, etc.), while the System Setup menu is used to configure input sources and speaker outputs.
On the Remote, push the Setup button to enter the System Setup menu, or hold the Setup button to enter the Workflow menu. In the Web UI, click on the pencil icon in the top right corner and select either the System or Workflow tab on the left side of the screen.
The m908 ships from the factory with the 7.1.4 workflow installed. If you happen to be using a 7.1.4 system, you can skip to the System Setup section. Otherwise, you’ll need to load a new Workflow.
To access the Workflow menu on the Remote, hold the Setup button. In the Web UI, click on the pencil icon in the top right corner and select the Workflow tab on the left side of the screen.
The Workflow Setup screen is divided into two main windows. The left window is a graphical representation of the current speaker system, while the right window contains a menu list with a variety of workflow presets for traditional stereo, common surround sound formats, and immersive Dolby Atmos configurations. Simply select the Workflow that best suits your needs.
For more advanced setups, users can manually allocate up to 24 DSP channels for playback. Speaker system formats range from stereo to 24-channel monitoring. When choosing a speaker system format that uses less than 24 channels, the remaining processor channels can be assigned as cue channels, stereo headphone monitor, and talkback.
The System Setup menu is used to configure the input sources and speaker outputs of the m908. Input sources and speaker systems can be assigned to hardware connectors and routed to/from the desired DSP channels.
To access the System Setup menu on the Remote, press the Setup button and follow the prompt to hold Mute to access the System Setup menu. From here, you can access additional setup menus for a variety of functions including channel routing, input setup, speaker setup, and more.
In the Web UI, click on the pencil icon in the top right corner. From here, you can access any of the function setup menus from the left side, although we’ll use the Input and CR/ Speaker tabs to configure your playback system.
On the Remote, push the Setup button then any of the 8 Input Select switches to enter the Setup Input screen. From the Input tab, select Input 1 and click on Source to select the desired input connector (AES, USB, SPDIF, etc.).
The Channel Setup screen is where input channels are enabled and routed to DSP input channels. The left side of the screen window shows all of the available DSP input channels enabled in the current Workflow.
Speaker Icons that are white, green, amber, or red are enabled for the currently selected input. Channels that are disabled are indicated with the gray speaker icons. Here is a list of which speaker type each speaker icon represents:
Use the Channel parameter to select the desired channel number. It’s important to note that input connectors can be used for multiple inputs, like when routing channels to Cue. Mixes default to stereo. To add additional speakers, simply click on the corresponding speaker icon and update the Source and Channel settings.
Push the Setup button and then any of the CR1, CR2, or CR3 speaker select switches to enter the Setup Speaker screen. The Channel Setup screen is where speaker output channels are enabled and routed from DSP speaker output channels.
The left side of the screen window shows all of the available speaker locations enabled in the current Workflow. Speaker Icons that are white (or green if signal is present) are enabled for the currently selected Control Room output. Speakers that are disabled are gray.
Select the desired connector channel for the currently selected DSP speaker output. Select "disabled" if the selected speaker is not used in the current speaker system.
It’s also worth noting that the Matrix tab provides simple visual routing for inputs sources and speaker outputs if you’re looking to quickly configure your I/O.
The m908 also comes loaded with powerful bass management tools, which can be accessed via the Control Room Setup screen. Push the Setup button and then any of the CR1, CR2, or CR3 speaker select switches to enter the Setup Speaker screen.
When selecting a channel designated as a subwoofer, click on Channel Setup to adjust sub modes (mono, stereo, LFE Only, etc) crossover frequencies, filter slopes, and more.
Last but certainly not least, the m908 comes equipped with powerful speaker optimization EQ, which can be accessed via the Control Room Setup screen.
Push the Setup button and then any of the CR1, CR2, or CR3 speaker select switches to enter the Setup Speaker screen. Click on channel setup to enter the Channel Setup screen, then navigate to Room EQ.
The Room Correction EQ screen displays 1 to 12 parametric equalizer bands for the selected speaker. Here, you can adjust the shape, frequency, Q, and boost/cut of each band to fine-tune your speaker setup.
The Grace Design m908 is an incredibly powerful and versatile monitor controller. While we’ve covered the basics of how to use the m908 to control an immersive mixing rig, there’s still much more to learn.
Check out the Grace Design m908 user manual for more information on how to get the most out of your monitor controller by adding optional modules, connecting to a networked audio system, using the m908 as a USB audio interface, and more.
Those interested in creating an immersive Dolby Atmos mixing rig should also check out Grace Design’s Dolby Atmos Target Curve EQ Settings.
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