How to Set Up a Cue Mix in Studio One (Complete Tutorial)

Getting a great recording starts before the artist sings, plays, or drops the first take. If the performer cannot hear the beat, their own voice, the click, or the right amount of reverb in the headphones, the performance suffers fast.

That is why learning how to set up a Cue Mix in Studio One is so important. A clean cue mix lets the artist hear a custom headphone mix without changing what you hear in the control room and without affecting the final mix, master, or bounce.

This tutorial shows you how to create a proper Studio One Cue Mix for vocal recording, guitar overdubs, beat sessions, podcast recording, and performer headphone monitoring. We will also cover common mistakes, interface requirements, latency tips, and how to save the setup inside a reusable Studio One template.

What Is a Cue Mix in Studio One?

A Cue Mix is an independent monitor mix routed to a separate physical output on your audio interface. Most of the time, that output feeds headphones for a vocalist, guitarist, instrumentalist, podcaster, or another performer in the room.

The important word is independent. The performer does not always need to hear the same mix as the engineer. You may want the full track at a balanced level, but the vocalist may need their own voice louder, the instrumental slightly lower, a clear click, and a little reverb for confidence.

A Cue Mix lets you do that without changing your main mix.

Why Cue Mixes Matter During Recording

Recording is not only technical. It is psychological. If the artist feels uncomfortable in the headphones, they will usually perform worse. They may sing too loud, pull away from the mic, rush the timing, lose pitch confidence, or stop trusting the session.

A good headphone mix helps the performer stay locked in. When the cue mix feels right, the artist stops thinking about the headphones and starts focusing on the performance.

A Cue Mix is useful when:

• A vocalist needs more of their own voice in the headphones
• A rapper wants the beat lower and the click louder
• A guitarist needs more direct input and less drums
• A singer wants reverb while recording, but you do not want to print it
• Multiple performers need different headphone balances
• You want to keep the control room mix untouched while tracking

In a real session, this can be the difference between a tense recording and a smooth one.

Cue Mix vs Main Output vs FX Send

Before setting it up, it helps to understand what a Cue Mix is not. A Cue Mix is not your main output, and it is not the same as a normal reverb or delay send.

A Cue Mix is linked to an output path. It exists so the performer can hear a custom monitor balance while the engineer keeps the main mix separate.

What You Need Before Setting Up a Cue Mix

To create a real independent Cue Mix, you need an audio interface with more than one output pair.

For example:

• Outputs 1/2: Main studio monitors
• Outputs 3/4: Headphone mix for vocalist
• Outputs 5/6: Headphone mix for guitarist

If your interface only has one stereo output, you may not be able to create a truly separate headphone mix. You can still monitor through the main output, but the artist will hear the same balance as you unless your interface has its own internal mixer or headphone routing.

Step 1: Define Cue Mix Outputs in Audio I/O Setup

Open your Studio One Song, then go to:

Song > Song Setup > Audio I/O Setup

From there, switch to the Outputs tab. This is where you define the output paths Studio One can use.

Your main outputs are usually already assigned to Output 1/2. Do not remove those unless you know exactly what you are changing. Instead, create a new output for the headphone mix.

1. Open your Studio One session.
2. Go to Song > Song Setup > Audio I/O Setup.
3. Click the Outputs tab.
4. Identify your available interface outputs.
5. Keep Output 1/2 for your main monitors.
6. Create a new output for the performer’s headphones.

Step 2: Add a New Output for the Headphones

In the Outputs tab, click Add Stereo if you want a stereo headphone mix. If you need a mono cue mix, click Add Mono.

For most vocal sessions, use a stereo cue mix unless you have a specific reason to work in mono.

Name the output clearly. Good names include:

• Headphones
• Vocal Cue
• Cue Mix 1
• Artist Phones
• Performer Mix

Clear names matter because once the session gets busy, you do not want to guess which output is feeding the artist.

Step 3: Assign the Cue Mix to Physical Interface Outputs

After creating the new output, assign its left and right channels to spare physical outputs on your audio interface.

For example:

• Main Out L/R: Outputs 1/2
• Vocal Cue L/R: Outputs 3/4

If your interface has dedicated headphone output routing, check the interface manual or control software to confirm which outputs feed the headphone jack. Some interfaces mirror outputs 1/2 by default, while others allow headphones to receive outputs 3/4, 5/6, or custom mixes.

Step 4: Enable the Cue Mix Checkbox

This is the step that turns a normal output into a Studio One Cue Mix.

In the Outputs tab, find the new output you created and enable the checkbox in the Cue Mix column. Then click Apply and OK.

Once this is enabled, Studio One knows that this output should behave as a cue/headphone mix instead of just another standard output.

To properly use Cue Mix in Studio One, remember these four points:

• A Cue Mix must be linked to a physical output on your audio interface.
• Cue Mixes are designed for monitoring, not for final mix processing or rendering.
• You control Cue Mix levels with dedicated Cue Mix faders, separate from the main mix levels.
• You can create multiple Cue Mixes if your interface has enough outputs.

Step 5: Enable Cue Mix Monitoring in the Console

Open the Studio One Console by pressing F3 or by going to View > Console.

Depending on your layout, you may need to make Cue Mix controls visible. Click the small wrench/options icon in the Console area and make sure the Cue Mix section is shown.

Studio One should now display Cue Mix controls for the channels that can be sent to that cue output. These controls let you decide how much of each track goes to the performer’s headphones.

Each Cue Mix fader controls how much of that specific track is sent to the corresponding performer’s headphones, independent of the main mix.

Step 6: Configure Individual Track Levels for the Cue Mix

By default, Cue Mix levels can follow the levels and pan positions of your main mix. This gives you a quick starting point because the performer initially hears a version of what you hear.

But the real power comes when you customize the Cue Mix.

As soon as you adjust a Cue Mix fader manually, Studio One lets you control that performer’s monitor level independently from the main fader. This means you can make the vocal louder in the headphones without making it louder in your control room mix.

• Raise the live vocal if the performer needs more confidence.
• Lower the instrumental if it is overpowering the voice.
• Keep the click track clear if timing is important.
• Lower distracting sounds like loud hi-hats or bright synths.
• Adjust pan separately if the performer needs a more focused image.

For example, a vocalist may want their own voice loud and centered, while you may prefer a more balanced stereo mix in the control room. Cue Mix lets both things happen at the same time.

Step 7: Build the Performer’s Headphone Mix

Now build the actual headphone mix. Start simple and adjust based on what the performer asks for.

A good starting point for vocal recording is:

• Lead vocal clearly above the instrumental
• Instrumental loud enough for energy, but not overpowering
• Click/metronome audible if needed
• Small amount of reverb or delay for comfort
• No distracting low-end rumble or harsh hi-hats
• Safe headphone volume

Ask the artist what they need more or less of. Some performers want their own voice very loud. Others want more beat and less vocal. The cue mix should serve the performance, not your personal listening preference.

Step 8: Add Comfort Reverb Without Printing It

Many vocalists perform better with a little reverb or delay in the headphones. The key is to give them feel without recording that effect permanently unless you intentionally want to print it.

A common approach is:

1. Create an FX Channel with a short reverb or subtle delay.
2. Send the live vocal to that FX Channel.
3. Route or feed the reverb return into the Cue Mix as needed.
4. Keep the recorded vocal dry unless you specifically want the effect printed.

This lets the artist feel more comfortable without locking you into that reverb during mixing.

Step 9: Check Latency

A Cue Mix is only useful if the performer can play or sing comfortably. If the monitored signal is late, the artist will struggle.

Latency depends on your audio interface, driver, buffer size, plugin load, and monitoring method. If the artist hears a delay, try these fixes:

• Lower the audio buffer size while recording
• Use your audio interface’s native low-latency driver
• Disable heavy plugins on the recording path
• Avoid lookahead limiters, linear-phase EQs, and heavy mastering plugins while tracking
• Use direct monitoring if your interface supports it
• Record at a stable sample rate
• Close unnecessary background apps

Do not track vocals through a heavy mastering chain. It may sound loud, but it can add latency and distract the performer.

Practical Example: Vocal Cue Mix in Studio One

Let’s say you are recording a vocalist over a Trap, Pop, or RnB instrumental.

The vocalist asks for:

• More vocal in the headphones
• Beat slightly lower
• Click track louder
• A little reverb for vibe
• No loud hi-hats because they are distracting

Your engineer mix can stay balanced for recording decisions, while the Cue Mix gives the vocalist exactly what they need.

Vocal Cue Mix Setup

• Route the headphone mix to Outputs 3/4
• Enable Cue Mix on that output
• Raise the live vocal cue level
• Lower the beat slightly in the Cue Mix
• Add a small amount of reverb to the headphones
• Keep the main mix unchanged
• Record the vocal dry unless you intentionally print effects

This setup feels professional because the artist is not fighting the headphones, and you are not compromising your own monitoring.

Multiple Cue Mixes for Multiple Performers

If your audio interface has enough outputs, Studio One can create multiple Cue Mixes. This is useful when different performers need different balances.

For example:

The number of Cue Mixes you can create depends on your interface outputs and headphone amp setup. If you only have one extra stereo output, you can only create one true independent stereo cue mix.

Common Cue Mix Mistakes in Studio One

If the Cue Mix is not working, the problem is usually routing, not Studio One itself.

• No extra output is assigned: The Cue Mix has no physical output feeding headphones.
• Cue Mix checkbox is not enabled: The output exists, but Studio One does not treat it as a cue mix.
• Wrong interface output: You assigned the cue mix to outputs that are not connected to the headphone amp.
• Headphone output mirrors the main output: Some interfaces need routing changes in their control software.
• Console Cue controls are hidden: The Cue Mix exists, but you cannot see the controls.
• Performer hears latency: Buffer size or plugin latency is too high.
• Reverb is printed by mistake: The effect is routed into the recording path instead of only monitoring.
• Main mix gets changed accidentally: You adjust main faders instead of Cue Mix faders.

Cue Mix vs Listen Bus vs Reference Track

Studio One has several monitoring-related features, and they can be easy to confuse.

A Cue Mix is for performer headphone monitoring during recording. A Listen Bus is more useful for control room monitoring, room correction, headphone correction, and reference workflows. A Reference Track is a finished song you use for A/B comparison during mixing or mastering.

For recording, focus on Cue Mix. For mixing and mastering, a dedicated reference track or listen bus workflow may be more useful.

Save Your Cue Mix Setup as a Studio One Template

Once your Cue Mix works, save the session as a template. This saves time every time you start a new recording session.

Go to:

File > Save as Template

A good Studio One recording template can include:

• Input routing
• Main outputs
• Cue Mix outputs
• Vocal tracks
• Headphone reverb
• Click setup
• Talkback routing if available
• Bus routing
• Reference track setup
• Color-coded tracks and folders

If you want a ready-made structured workflow, check the DAW Zone Studio One Mixing Template. It is designed to help Studio One users start with cleaner routing, organized tracks, FX sends, reference workflow, and a better session structure.

You can also read Studio One 7 Mixing Template: Frequency-Based Workflow for a deeper look at template organization.

Best Cue Mix Settings for Vocal Recording

There is no universal perfect headphone mix, but this is a good starting point for vocal sessions:

• Vocal clearly above the instrumental
• Instrumental loud enough for energy, but not overpowering
• Click audible only if needed
• Small amount of reverb or delay for comfort
• No heavy master limiting while tracking
• Low buffer size for reduced latency
• Safe headphone volume
• Dry vocal recorded unless effects are intentionally printed

Always ask the performer what they need. Some artists want themselves very loud. Others want more beat and less vocal. The cue mix should serve the performance, not your personal listening preference.

Final Thoughts

A clean Cue Mix in Studio One makes recording feel more professional. The artist gets a headphone mix that supports the performance, and the engineer keeps the control room mix untouched.

The setup is not complicated once you understand the logic: create a separate output, enable it as a Cue Mix, assign it to real interface outputs, show the Cue Mix controls in the Console, then build the performer’s headphone balance track by track.

If your sessions involve vocals, guitars, overdubs, podcasts, or live performers, this is not just a technical detail. It is part of the recording experience.

Better monitoring leads to better takes. Better takes lead to better mixes.

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