Monitor controller: Any advices?

Hi, does anybody have experiences with monitor controllers or is familiar with the market? I'm looking for a device that has an output for two pairs of monitors, two headphones and a talkback function. The SMPro Audio M-Patch 2 would actually be good, but for any reason it only has one headphone output. It should not exceed 200$ ... Thanks & Cheers M

I bought the SM Pro Audio M-Patch 2 to replace my dead Mackie Big Knob (dead PSU). You can get the M-Patch 2 for around $150USD, I believe. I bought mine used, and though it works well, the mute button causes audible scratchy sounds for about 5 seconds when I unmute the system. Overall, people have had good luck with them, and they do provide a very clean sound (minus the scratchy sounds, of course.) The headphone amp isn't anything to write home about, but for editing with headphones, it should suffice. I wouldn't use the amp for mixing. One drawback it has compared to the Mackie Big Knob and other controllers is that in order to route a talkback mic to it, you must use the toggle switch on the bottom-left "Input Selection" and set it to receive the "Aux" signal. You won't be able to hear anything through the monitor outputs when you have the signal routed from "Aux", so you basically need to keep a finger on this toggle button when communicating to people in your isolation booth. In this way it operates like a walkie talkie, not a phone. Only one person can be heard at a time. Also, the "Stereo Volume" dial, in conjunction with the "Headphone Volume" dial control the headphone output. This can be a bit annoying since the "Stereo Volume" dial is what controls the volume of your monitors. That's about everything I can think of at the moment. - Mike

I bought the SM Pro Audio M Patch too. It's no dissappointment at all. I only use the input and output selection, no headphones (I don't have the PSU plugged in...). Before that I used a small mixer (behringer) but this was definitely an improvement in sound. My brother uses a Big knob... I haven't heard any complaints about it either. That's all I can say about it. Maybe you can route the talkback mic through your DAW... if that a solution. Eddy