[BC] mix minus for codecs

[Evan Elrod]

Hello you brilliant minds...
I've got a fun one for you!

Ran into a issue with elections last night.  The answer is simple, but 
the solution may not be as easy... or at least I'm not seeing it.

Situation:
Consoles are R55e's and a couple of R60's.
I am taking the 'Studio' feed out of them and feeding the codec(s) as to 
best utilize the 'talkback' function, etc.
This setup works great... for 'off air' monitoring, conversations 
between remote/studio, and cues. :-)
Where it doesn't work well, is last night... when the studio operator 
would not only cue the talent via the 'remote' feed of the codec, but 
also wanted to comment/converse with the field reporter, etc.  So... we 
had a need to keep the 'remote' feed up along with the 'local' feed... 
problem is the 'remote' feed was delayed, and included him.
So what we had was massive need for a separate mix-minus.
There are close solutions, but none that will work perfect in my opinion...
-'Studio Mute' won't allow conversing during the cut away.  'Studio Dim' 
might work a little better, but as soon as the codec channel is turned 
on, is typically when remote talents listen the most for a cue...
-Changing the input to the codec to be a different bus (aud/mono/pre) 
would help the most, but takes away from the simplicity of the talkback 
function, not to mention having to rely on the human mind to remember to 
assign automation and mic channels to that bus, etc.  (Considering one 
of our codec applications is fully controlled by the remote talent with 
no studio intervention at all... I can easily see it not being assigned 
and no way to fix it miles away on a broadcast, etc.)  Oh, and if I were 
to choose the Pre fader bus, they'll forget to turn off the automation 
channels when answering a call, and it'll just be a big mess...
-I could leave it on the 'Studio' feed, and whenever a need for this 
comes up again, then they monitor a specific bus... but then by taking 
the codec channel out of that bus, there's no way for the studio 
operator to monitor what's going on with the remote end.
In an ideal world, the 'Studio' and 'Control Room' feeds could be 
separate, and have different things selected, etc.

It's such a simple request, but I think I am hampered by a console 
limitation here... unless we were to put $$$ down for a second studio 
module, I think my only option is the separate bus idea.  Unless someone 
can think of a way to implement it differently.  Just looking to "get my 
cake, and eat it too"
What's everyone else feeding to their codecs for monitoring?  (seems 
like I've asked that before...)

Ideas?  I know you all love a good challenge!
Thanks in advance...
Evan