Case Study: Fixing Headphone Mix Levels with Focusrite Control

By Paul Andrews, Founder

The Challenge

A home recording artist was stuck in a frustrating cycle while tracking vocals in Cubase with a Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 interface, and booked a Live Diagnostic Call to resolve it. If the backing track was at a comfortable volume, their own voice felt lost in the headphones. However, if they turned their vocal track up in Cubase to hear themselves better, the signal would record too hot and risk digital clipping. They couldn’t perform at their best without hearing themselves properly, but adjusting the monitor level was actively ruining the actual recording.

The Amazing Audio Solution

We connected remotely to untangle their signal flow. The core issue was a common misunderstanding: the client was monitoring their vocals after the audio had made a round trip through Cubase. This not only introduced latency but inherently tied their headphone volume to the DAW’s recording fader.

• The “Stage Mix” Analogy: I explained the concept using a live concert analogy. Cubase is the “Front of House” mix for the audience (the final clean recording). The headphones are the “Stage Mix” for the singer. The singer needs their own voice cranked up loud to stay in key, but we don’t want that overly loud vocal printed to the final recording. The two mixes must be completely separate.
• Shifting to Hardware Monitoring: Modern interfaces like the Focusrite Scarlett contain a powerful internal digital mixer. We needed to bypass Cubase for monitoring and build a “zero-latency” mix directly on the hardware itself.
• Configuring Focusrite Control: I guided the client to open their Focusrite Control application. In the ‘Output Routing’ section for their headphones (Line Output 3-4), we changed the source from the default ‘Playback (DAW) 1-2’ over to ‘Custom Mix’.
• Balancing the Custom Mix: Instantly, a new mixing panel appeared on screen. This allowed us to balance the raw, zero-latency microphone input (‘Analogue 1’) against the Cubase backing track (‘Playback 1-2’). We dialed in the perfect, loud vocal blend for their headphones without touching a single fader inside Cubase.

The Result

The client was delighted to unlock this hidden feature within their interface. They now had an intuitive, tactile way to control their monitor mix on the fly, completely independent of their recording levels. By separating what they heard from what they recorded, they could finally perform comfortably and capture flawless takes without any risk of digital clipping.