Monitor button in Cubase 12 pro and the lead vocal live recording

Cubase
1

In my Cubase 12 professional DAW software I use two VST effects, reverb and IQ from HOFA

When I activate the monitor button I can hear the live reverb and IQ through my headphones via my focusrite 18i8 audio interface

Please correct me if I’m wrong but it seems my microphone TLM 103 Neumann is more sensitive to the outside ambient noise, is this possible? Is the ambient noise getting recorded into my audio recording of my lead vocal? Or should I turn off the monitor button to get a cleaner lead vocal recording or take? Your professional advice is greatly appreciated.

Alan Russell

2

Sure, totally possible, more sensitive to everything, not only ambient. A microphone is just the same as your ear. It hears what’s there.

Assuming audio isn’t leaking from your headphones (and you are wearing headphones)

3

SO the main question is do I turn off the monitor button on Cubase 12 Pro in hopes I will not pick up any extra ambient sounds - my microphone is shielded in a wraparound tent. I use the beyer dynamics Pro X headphones completely leakproof.

4

The monitor button in Cubase, when activated, will send the live input of that channel to your monitoring bus. When turned off, the recorded data is sent to the bus you routed that channel to (see the routing rack in the mix console).

Activating the Monitor button does not change how your microphone picks up ambient sounds.
If I were you, I would just do a quick test to see what happens with the Monitor button turned off. It should take you less than 5 minutes.
If the recorded results between Monitor On and Monitor Off is vastly different, something else is wrong.

5

I will conduct the experiment thank you.