The Best Monitor Controllers for the Studio: A Buyer’s Guide [UPDATED 2023]
Why You Need a Good Monitor Controller
It cannot be overstated that monitoring is one of the absolute most important stops in your signal chain, whether tracking, listening back, mixing, or mastering.
Your entire monitoring chain is the lens through which every studio decision is made (thousands per day), and those decisions will follow you all the way through to mastering.
A poor monitoring setup can cause you to make moves that can potentially be destructive to your production in the long term. Scary! And as your controller can potentially have an impact on the sound of your audio chain, it’s important to select one that’s as transparent as possible.
But just about as important as good sound quality are ergonomics and ease of use. Good monitor controllers make switching sources and speakers easy for quick referencing changes and even providing alternate mixes for headphones, printing mixes, streaming or broadcast.
Understanding your needs
When looking at monitor controllers, there are several features to consider:
How many inputs do you need, and of what variety? Do you just need 1/4″ TRS? What about RCA or 3.5mm inputs? Do you need digital inputs, like S/PDIF, AES, or even Bluetooth?
And how about outputs? How many speakers will you be switching between? Do you need talkback functionality? How about dedicated subwoofer control? And what about alternate headphone cue mixes? How many of those?
What’s Your Budget?
For this list, we’re leading with some of the best monitor controllers ever made. At the top end, the units you’ll find here can run for well over $3,000.
But there are also far more affordable options that we’ll dive into later on, from as low as $69 to a totally manageable $400. Here’s the list of what we believe are very the best products available in this category.
Everyone’s needs are unique, so without further ado, let’s check out some key options, spanning all budgets and applications, for your central monitoring hub.
Best High End Monitor Controllers
1. API MC531
The API MC531
Buy it new on Sweetwater, Thomann, or Amazon. Look for deals on Reverb.
The newest of all offerings listed here, the MC531 provides three stereo balanced line level inputs, a digital input which is selectable between AES3 and USB, and a 3.5mm jack on its front panel—all individually buffered with API’s 2510 op amp.
On top of all this, you’ll find Bluetooth connectivity as well, the importance of which cannot simply be overstated for in a monitor controller in this day and age.
On the output side, we’ve got three stereo balanced line level outputs, each offering individual trim, and a mono balanced line level output for feeding a sub—also with its own trim.
For me, the inclusion of a dedicated sub output (especially one with onboard trim) is extremely welcome. The expected mute, dim, and mono controls can all be found here as well, along with two headphone outs with a source selection of cue or control room. (The “cue” source selectable from any of the five inputs).
Also included is a built-in talkback mic with gain control and a dedicated activation button, an attractive 18-segment LED meter, and a balanced unity level meter output if you need to connect to any external metering.
Priced for professionals, the MC531 is far from the cheapest option on this list and carries an MSRP of $2,495.
2. Dangerous Music Monitor-ST
Dangerous Music Monitor ST
Buy it new on Sweetwater, Thomann, or Amazon. Look for deals on Reverb.
This attractive crescent-shaped desk controller with corresponding single rack unit can be found in many high-end studios across the globe.
Highly flexible and programmable, the Monitor-ST features a robust 20-watt per channel headphone amp, five analog inputs, three analog outputs, and a dedicated stereo subwoofer output which also offers programmable trim and—get this—an adjustable filter.
The Monitor-ST offers advanced programming power, including the ability to store and adjust differences in level as you are switching between devices, as well as selection for -10 dBv and +4 dBu sources. And, of course, a unit this advanced would be remiss to not include talkback functionality—so no worries there.
At $2,199, the Monitor-ST is also targeted at professionals.
3. BURL B26 Orca
BURL B26 Orca
Buy it new on Sweetwater, Thomann, or Amazon. Look for deals on Reverb.
As with all of BURL’s builds, expect nothing but top-notch components used here; the signal path is class-A, direct coupled and discrete throughout, built on BURL’s NexGen Analog circuit technology.
This unit, unlike the two preceding it, does not live on your desktop whatsoever, but rather fully in your rack. Built around the BOPA10 and BOPA8 op amps, the B26 Orca guarantees to deliver tight, clear bass and transparent 3D stereo imaging.
On offer I/O-wise are three stereo mix inputs, two stereo tape return inputs, an RCA input, and two stereo speaker outs with control for mono.
There is an external meter output (no onboard meters here as seen with the API), control room and studio headphone outs, and independent studio/phones send and level controls.
Priced at $3,499, this unit will surely attract only serious and professional users.
4. Grace Design m908 and m905
Grace Design m908
Buy it new on Sweetwater, Thomann, or Amazon. Look for deals on Reverb.
The larger m908 is suitable for applications up to 24 channels, with support ranging from stereo to SONY 360RA to Dolby Atmos 22.2, and “any format in between”. The system in its entirety is comprised of a main rackmount control unit, remote control unit, and a power supply which features dual-redundant universal input power modules.
The features of this unit go very deep, so suffice to say you can get signal in and out of this thing just about any way you can imagine; a visit to the product page here is definitely warranted in order to fully wrap your head around what it can do.
Most notably, what sets this unit apart from its contenders are twelve bands of parametric room correction EQ offered on each channel, with variable numbers of bands per channel, totaling a massive 85 64-bit fixed-point filters for room correction and bass management.
Also included is a reference-quality headphone amplifier, built-in talkback mic (with the option to add externals) and a whopping eight stereo cue paths. It is also worth noting that the more streamlined model, the m905, is not for the faint of heart when it comes to features. Again, a product page visit here is warranted.
With an offering this comprehensive, MSRP is predictably high at $7,595 for the m908; the m905 carries an MSRP of $3,795.
5. SPL MTC
SPL MTC
Buy it new on Sweetwater, Thomann, or Amazon. Look for deals on Reverb.
Six stereo inputs (four balanced TRS, two unbalanced RCA) are on offer with the SPL MTC, labeled Musician, Mix, 2Track A, 2Track B, 2Track C, 2Track D.
The inputs are all additive, meaning the unit mixes all of the input signals together. There is also a slate stereo output which passes the selected input signal(s) unprocessed (not including the Musician input); external metering can be carried out via this connection.
Connect up to three sets of speakers with the MTC; sum them to mono and dim them directly from the front panel, which is also where you can turn your headphone feed on and off.
On the subject of headphones, the MTC’s cue section features level controls for the Musician input, the mix, and overall volume; with these you can deliver a perfectly balanced mix to your performer.
There’s a stereo output on the back of the unit so this signal can be sent to a headphone amp at another location. Talkback functionality on the MTC features a built-in electret mic and has a dedicated switch and volume control, as well as a connection for a footswitch on the back panel—always handy!
Also worth noting is that SPL offers surround-focused monitoring solutions in the SMC and SMC7.1, a solution for larger-format applications with the MC16, and super-streamlined offerings like the Volume 8. Take a deeper dive with a visit to their respective product pages.
The SPL website notes a hefty price point of €946.90 for the MTC.
Best Affordable Monitor Controllers
6. PreSonus Monitor Station V2
PreSonus Monitor Station V2
Buy it new on Sweetwater, Thomann, or Amazon. Look for deals on Reverb.
With a far more accessible price point than any of the options above, PreSonus aims to corner the prosumer market with their updated Monitor Station V2.
For inputs, you’ll find two stereo pairs of ¼ inch TRS, one RCA input, and one S/PDIF input. For outputs, we’re looking at three stereo monitor outs via ¼ inch TRS, one stereo cue output for headphone amps (also TRS), and four ¼ inch “screaming loud” stereo headphone outs on board.
The controls are simple, yet complete. There is a source selection for the above mentioned TRS, RCA, and S/PDIF inputs, along with selection for the three speaker outputs.
Your cue section has a source select with corresponding level trim for both stereo TRS inputs and RCA input, along with an activation switch and trim for the auxiliary S/PDIF input.
Lastly, all the expected controls for mute, mono and dim (with variable attenuation) are also included.
There is a major gap in pricing between the Monitor Station V2 and the units previously noted here; MSRP is listed at $428.95.
7. Mackie Big Knob Series
Mackie Big Knob Series
Buy it new on Sweetwater, Thomann, or Amazon. Look for deals on Reverb.
If you’ve been through more than a studio or two in your day, it’s likely you’ve listened back through a Big Knob at some point in your life. With three tiers on offer, Mackie aims to have you covered no matter your application. See the Big Knob Passive, Big Knob Studio, and Big Knob Studio+ to see which fits your needs best; prices range from as low as $69.99 up to $349.99.
8. Audient Nero
Audient Nero
Buy it new on Sweetwater, Thomann, or Amazon. Look for deals on Reverb.
Covering all of your basic monitoring needs such as multiple input and output sources, cue section, onboard talkback and metering, sub control, dim, cut, and mono summing.
This unit doesn’t leave you wanting for much in the way of features. And with Audient’s custom Precision Matched Attenuation Technology, you can take comfort in knowing that the levels of your left and right signals are always perfectly matched.
Take a look at the product page to wrap your head fully around what this unit offers. MSRP: $499.
Honorable Mentions
• Kali Audio MV-BT
Kali Audio MV-BT
Buy it new on Sweetwater, Thomann, or Amazon. Look for deals on Reverb.
Not so much a monitor controller as a “bluetooth module”, this tiny and sleek black box adds one kind of input to your studio: Bluetooth!
It has two options for a single path of stereo outputs via TRS or XLR.
As a satisfied owner of this unit myself, I find it most useful to pair with a larger-format controller with multiple sets of analog inputs.
MSRP: $119.
• Coleman Audio LS3
Coleman Audio LS3
Buy it new on Sweetwater, Thomann, or Amazon. Look for deals on Reverb.
This bidirectional line level selector can function as a monitoring source selector, alternate speaker selector, or even a general signal router.
Use it as a monitor source selector to switch between up to three separate stereo sources to a powered set of speakers or power amp.
Use it for alternate speaker selection by feeding a single stereo input signal to three different sets of monitors.
Use it as a signal router, monitor switcher, or to send one signal to three separate destinations all at once. Switching here is all passive, and all eight ¼ TRS jacks on the back are balanced. MSRP: $130.
Summing it Up
Of course, this roundup doesn’t cover every option available on the market. If we missed ne of your favorites, let us know about it in the comments!
Everyone’s needs and studios are different. We hope this has given you a good idea of what’s out there, and perhaps even helped to distill a clearer vision of what features may be important to you and where to find them. Happy listening!
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Speaking about studio monitors… here’s out 2021 article about the best nearfield studio monitors under $2000.
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