A separate headphone mix is useful when people need to hear different balances. It is not automatically necessary for every podcast. If the host and guest both need the same playback and voice levels, one shared monitor mix may be enough. Separate mixes add control, but they require outputs, routing, and a way to adjust those mixes.
An audio interface can only provide the monitoring options its hardware and software support. Focusrite’s documentation shows how custom cue mixes are configured for particular interfaces; for example, see its Control tutorial. The details vary by model, so check the manual before buying or planning a session around separate sends.
Ask what each person needs to hear
A host may want more of their own voice and less of the guest. A remote guest may need the host and playback without hearing a delayed version of their own voice. A musician guest may need a click track or music cue. Write down those needs before setting up the routing.
If everyone can work with one mix, keep it simple and make sure each person has a comfortable listening level. Avoid sending a remote caller their own voice with noticeable delay; that can make conversation difficult.
Confirm the output count
Each different headphone mix needs a separately routable signal path supported by the interface and its software. A headphone splitter duplicates one mix; it does not create independent balances. Software control may provide multiple mixes on some interfaces, but the capability is model-specific.
Before recording, ask each person to describe what they hear. Play a short test, stop playback, and confirm that microphones and computer audio arrive in the correct mix. Check that the audience recording is separate from the headphone mix if you need post-production control.
A common arrangement is one mix for the host and a different return for a remote guest. The guest may need the host and playback, while the host may need to hear the guest and their own voice without a distracting delay. That is a routing requirement, not a headphone-splitter feature. Before recording, mute the microphones briefly and confirm what each person hears, then record a test and check that the audience mix contains the intended sources.
Separate mixes solve a specific monitoring problem. If nobody needs different levels, use one reliable mix and spend the saved setup time on a test recording. Add independent mixes when a host, guest, or performer can name what they need changed and the equipment can deliver it.