Hear Technologies HB-Mix Hub
Hear Technologies·Model Hear Back Mix Hub·hear-back-mix-hub
About the Hear Technologies Hear Back Mix Hub
The Hear Back Mix Hub is a rack-mount distribution hub that takes eight channels of analog audio via DB25A 25-pin D-shaped connector carrying 8 channels of analog or AES audio in one multicore — the Tascam pinout is the de-facto standard. and distributes them to multiple personal mixer stations over Cat5Standard network cable grades. In an audio rig one cheap Cat5e run can replace a 48-channel copper snake; AES50 wants it shielded. cabling. Each musician gets their own Hear Back mixer to create a custom blend, while the hub handles the conversion and distribution from a single 1UThe standard slice of rack height: 1U = 1.75″. A 3U box takes three slices; half-rack gear pairs two units side by side in one. rack space. It is a cost-effective personal monitoring solution that scales well for bands of up to eight musicians.
The Hear Back Mix Hub is the rack-side brain of a personal monitoring system built around giving musicians individual control over their own ear mix. It lives in your monitor rack or IEMIn-Ear Monitor — earpieces that replace floor wedges, feeding each player their own mix. The reason this whole rack exists. rig, accepts eight channels of analog audio over a single DB25A 25-pin D-shaped connector carrying 8 channels of analog or AES audio in one multicore — the Tascam pinout is the de-facto standard. connection from your console or patch bayA panel of front-facing jacks wired to everything behind it — re-route any signal with a short cable instead of climbing behind the rack., and then pushes that audio out to up to four personal mixer stations via Cat5Standard network cable grades. In an audio rig one cheap Cat5e run can replace a 48-channel copper snake; AES50 wants it shielded. cabling. Each musician plugs into one of those stations and builds their own blend without touching the monitor desk. For a band that's tired of the 'more me' conversation mid-set, this is a real answer.
The DB25A 25-pin D-shaped connector carrying 8 channels of analog or AES audio in one multicore — the Tascam pinout is the de-facto standard. input is the connector to plan around — you'll need your console's direct outs or aux sendsAn auxiliary mix output — each aux is its own independent blend of the channels, typically one per monitor mix or effects send. wired to a DB25 breakoutA cable that splits one multichannel connector (like a DB25) into individual plugs — the octopus that turns 8 channels into 8 XLRs., which is standard gear if you're already living in the analog sub-snakeA multicore cable bundling many channels into one stage-to-console run. A sub-snake collects one corner of the stage into a drop box. world but worth accounting for if you're not. At 1UThe standard slice of rack height: 1U = 1.75″. A 3U box takes three slices; half-rack gear pairs two units side by side in one. and 200mm deep, it fits comfortably in a shallow rack, and the 15-watt draw is negligible on a standard outlet. The four Cat5Standard network cable grades. In an audio rig one cheap Cat5e run can replace a 48-channel copper snake; AES50 wants it shielded. outputs mean you can cover up to four stations from this hub, with each station then supporting individual headphone monitoring for one musician. If your band has more than four players who all want personal mixes, you'll need to think about how you're assigning outputs.
This hub earns its place in smaller touring and rehearsal rigs — think a four- to eight-piece band where musicians are done fighting over wedgeA floor monitor speaker angled up at the performer — the thing IEMs replace, and the thing you fall back on when they die. levels and the monitor engineer is done babysitting mix tweaks between songs. It's a clean, low-overhead solution at a price point that makes the whole Hear Back ecosystem accessible. It is not the right tool if your show demands more than eight discrete mix channels per musician, or if your musicians need stereo in-ear capability with full wireless freedom — for that, you're in dedicated IEMIn-Ear Monitor — earpieces that replace floor wedges, feeding each player their own mix. The reason this whole rack exists. transmitter territory. But for wired personal monitoring in a fixed or fly-date rig, it delivers exactly what it promises.
In the rack
- Wire your console's direct outputs or aux sendsAn auxiliary mix output — each aux is its own independent blend of the channels, typically one per monitor mix or effects send. to a DB25A 25-pin D-shaped connector carrying 8 channels of analog or AES audio in one multicore — the Tascam pinout is the de-facto standard. snakeA multicore cable bundling many channels into one stage-to-console run. A sub-snake collects one corner of the stage into a drop box. ahead of load-in — showing up with a pigtailA cable that splits one multichannel connector (like a DB25) into individual plugs — the octopus that turns 8 channels into 8 XLRs. and adapters wastes soundcheck time and introduces fragile connections.
- Label each Cat5Standard network cable grades. In an audio rig one cheap Cat5e run can replace a 48-channel copper snake; AES50 wants it shielded. run at both ends before the cable leaves the rack; on a dark stage with four identical RJ45 ports, unlabeled cables become a troubleshooting problem fast.
- Keep Cat5Standard network cable grades. In an audio rig one cheap Cat5e run can replace a 48-channel copper snake; AES50 wants it shielded. runs away from power cable bundles where possible — even though the signal is relatively robust, long parallel runs next to AC can introduce noise into the system.
- If you're only using three musician stations, leave the fourth Cat5Standard network cable grades. In an audio rig one cheap Cat5e run can replace a 48-channel copper snake; AES50 wants it shielded. port capped and reserve that position for a tech or MD who wants to monitor the mix without standing at the desk.
8-channel personal monitor hub with Cat5Standard network cable grades. In an audio rig one cheap Cat5e run can replace a 48-channel copper snake; AES50 wants it shielded. distribution.
I/O Ports (6)
| Port | Connector | Direction | Signal | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input 1-8 (DB25) | DB25 | input | analog audio | 8 |
| Cat5 Out 1 | RJ45 | output | digital audio | — |
| Cat5 Out 2 | RJ45 | output | digital audio | — |
| Cat5 Out 3 | RJ45 | output | digital audio | — |
| Cat5 Out 4 | RJ45 | output | digital audio | — |
- Power (IEC) (IEC C14)
Deciding between two?
Rack space, watts, weight and every connector, side by side.
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