List Price: $120.00
Sale Price: $73.95
Today's Bonus: 38% Off
- Microphone, Line and Instrument Inputs: The PM351 features 1/4 inch phone line and instrument inputs as well as 3-pin XLR microphone input
- Discrete Level Control: The front panel features independent level control over microphone, line and instrument signals
- Microphone Thru and Line Level Output: 3-pin XLR microphone thru and line level outputs provide sufficient output to consoles, monitor speakers, recorders, etc
- Stereo or Mono Selectable Line In: The PM351 features a single 1/4 inch TRS phone input that can be jumper switched to accept mono or stereo signal
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Over the years, I have transistioned from loud, hearing-wrecking wedge monitors to isolating full headphones to in-ear monitors. As a singing drummer, monitoring vocals (mine and everyone else's) as well as whatever else I can get from a monitor mix has always been a challenge. A few years ago, I started using a Mackie 1202-VLZ mixer, with an old DBX compressor/limiter and a complicated system of patch cables to get the desired audio (which sometimes included a click track) into my Shure in-ear monitors. This worked well, but required a lot of stuff to carry around, and a lot of time to set up and tear down.About a year ago, I began to look around for an easier solution, and found the Rolls PM351 Personal Monitor Station. I was familiar with the Rolls line, as I have worked at radio stations that used their other headphone amplifiers, AM/FM receivers and other gear. I ordered one, and when it arrived, I was amazed at how compact--yet well-built--the unit is! The box is metal, not plastic. At first, the "jumpers" for changing inputs from stereo to mono, turning phantom power on/off, etc., seemed a little strange, but after reading more on their website about why they use jumpers instead of switches (the recessed jumpers are much less prone to breaking compared to switches), it made sense. I just carry some small needle-nosed pliers with me, in the rare event that I might need to alter a setting.
As a singing drummer, being able to quickly use the "more me" feature to boost or cut my vocal level balance against the monitor input is a God-send! The Line Input uses a 1/4-inch jack, but I have an XLR female-to-phone plug male adapter, allowing me to get a mix back from the board regardless of the output configuration. For some gigs, I also use a click track (which comes from the Tempo app on my iPhone these days!). I simply plug the 1/8-inch-to 1/4-inch stereo patch cable from my iPhone output into the Instrument input on the Rolls, and with the input on that set to mono, I get a great click track feed with its own independent level!
As for set-up/tear-down, I have gone from carrying around the Mackie (in a carry-on suitcase bag!) and a bunch of cables, to a very compact rig: I bought one of those aluminum briefcases they sell for around $25 at Harbor Freight Tools that has the customizable foam rubber cushioning on the inside. I created places to store the PM351, AC adapter, a few cables, my Shure SM-58 bag, and a 20-foot XLR cable (coiled up after the gig). The case only weighs about 5 lbs., and it has everything in one case for my entire monitoring setup! Talk about easy!
I have had to get used to not having any compression or limiting, but that just requires some careful level-setting on my part. I believe Rolls makes a similar-sized compressor/limiter unit to work with the PM351, and I may order one down the road; but for now, I give this 5 stars. It does what I need it to do, the sound quality is great, and the ease of carrying, setup and tear-down has made a big difference in the amount of time I spend assembling and disassembling my monitoring system. I highly recommend it to any gigging musician who doesn't have the big $$$ to spend just to be able to hear properly on stage!
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I engineer sound for a praise band at a small church. We both practice and present in a small chapel with an odd shape where the noise level can quickly get out of control. I recently added some small monitors to the platform so the vocalists could hear a mix for themselves separate from what the instrumentalists hear. The challenge is that within our small space, only the keyboard runs through the system, and the piano and drums are completely unconstrained. We'll be remedying that, but for now I needed to find a way for the keyboard player to be able to hear herself without cranking up the monitor to accomplish this.Having already rolled out a Rolls PM50s for the drummer, I decided to put in place the PM351 for the keyboard. Installation was a breeze, and the results were immediately apparent and appreciated! Passing her mic through the box, as well as the keyboard, has given her the ability to hear what she wants without changing what the other vocalists and the drummer hear. This has added no volume to the already loud platform, and has answered all my requirements for a very reasonable price.
I plan on caging the drums, and insulating the piano over the next several months as finances allow, and I'll be rolling out a PM50s for the pianist and PM351 for the bassist. I am aiming to drop the platform volume significantly so that the sound heard in the hall is the conditioned sound as compared to the raw noise of the band, and using these Rolls units is going to be key to accomplishing that.
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I recently purchased this unit to set up an IEM system for my guitar rig. I play electric guitar in my church's worship band. I run direct into the sound system with a Line 6 POD X3 Live and a selection of other pedals. I was using a Tech 21 Power Engine active speaker cabinet as my guitar monitor as I am not a fan of my guitar tone coming back from our monitor mix, but we started having problems with stage volume.That's where the Rolls PM351 comes in...
Our monitor mixes on stage are controlled at each station with Aviom mixers. Most of our singers and musicians use IEMs directly out of those units. The PM351 allows me to blend the direct signal from my POD (pre-monitor mix) with the Aviom output into a set of headphones or IEMs.
The sound is fantastic. Even with some cheap Skullcandy Ink'd ear buds, my guitar reference tone sounds great. I mix everyone else in the Aviom (making sure to turn myself off in the mix) and then balance the signal levels with the PM351 volume controls. Perfect solution.
The Rolls PM351 Personal Monitor Mixer is an excellent product. Solid build. Metal casing. Low signal/noise ratio. High output (my volumes are set at about 10 o'clock). Easily powered by the supplied 12V adapter or by a pedalboard power supply. I have also found a significant signal boost from its XLR direct out versus the POD direct output. This makes my tone and overall signal much better when it reaches the soundboard.
I have two small quality concerns... When I received my PM351, I noticed that it would not sit flat on a table top. The housing was screwed together crooked so it sits uneven. Not a big deal to me though as I attached mine to my pedalboard with velcro. My other concern is the longevity of the headphone jacks. They appear to be plastic and simply board mounted. This may never pose a problem though as long as I don't abuse the jacks too much.
Overall, I am extremely satisfied with the Rolls PM351. At under $75, this provides excellent bang for the buck. I would highly recommend this to any musician using headsets/IEMs who would like to hear their true unadultered sound/tone in their ears while still maintaining the rest of the monitor mix.
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I love this little personal mixer. Very clean/loud headphone amp. (easily twice as loud as the Behringer MA400)If you play Classic Rock then this mixer is for you.
If you don't have to compete with 110 DBA drums then maybe consider the MA400.
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