Furthermore, I can switch to mono to test the quality of my mix with a single-speaker reference. During quiet hours I can still compose and mix music using the headphone outputs. With the Mackie Big Knob, I can eventually (some point way in the future) set up studio out speakers, which would be useful if I actually had a recording booth. However, that isn't a part of my current setup so I'll be leaving these outputs empty for now. I've been trying this out and I like the ease at which I am able to switch between outputs. So I'm pretty satisfied, especially since I know it will continue to meet my needs as my studio setup evolves.
