As the first
manufacturer worldwide, SPL has developed a stereo and multi-channel
mastering console. The goal of the development was a console which is
superior in audio quality to all known and foreseeable audio formats,
whether analogue or digital, allowing an unrestricted reproduction of
the sonic quality of SACD and DVD-Audio and to be a safe capital
investment
The
MMC 1 operates in the centre of a mastering environment fulfilling the
tasks of speaker management, source connectivity, audio metering, track
assignment, master and monitor level setting and automated insert
routing of external processors.
Bob Ludwig
Excerpt from an
interview by Fernando Curiel in RECORDING Magazine,
September 2006 ("Bob Ludwig, the master of mastering shares his
thoughts"):
Recording:
"What gear do you use and how is it different from the gear that a
recording facility might have?"
Bob
Ludwig:
"The SPL MMC1 8-channel analog console that I use has electronics that
spec out far superior to a recording console that must jam 48 channels
into a package that is still somewhat affordable. Plus the heat from
pure Class A circuits would probably make a multitrack console like
that melt!"
Fade
In ...
Digital audio formats are subject to further development and change.
The degree of incompatibility enforced by the “format war” between PCM
and DSD has persuaded us to decide for a technology that is superior in
dynamic range, headroom and sound quality – and that is discrete
analogue technology in its most advanced implementation.
And there are further requirements speaking for the employment of
high-performance analogue technology:
The
number of necessary AD/DA conversions should be reduced to a minimum.
Digital sources can be connected to a digital router (i.e. of
Z-Systems), which outputs the selected source through the preferred DA
converter to the MMC 1. Thus it is ensured that the sound quality
remains comparable and is not affected by converter differences.
From
a sound-aesthetical view, high-quality analogue outboard processing is
superior to digital processing. The analogue concept allows for
problem-free integration of those processors.
Monitors
and power amplifiers are mostly analogue designs. Why have another
converter in that chain?
New
Technologies
In the MMC 1 SPL’s new SUPRA operation amplifiers are used throughout.
They operate at 120 V operating voltage. During a four-year period, SPL
has researched this discrete operation amplifier, until the basis of a
new generation of analogue audio technology was found. The SUPRA
operation amplifier obtains a signal-to-noise ratio of 116dB with an
headroom of 34dB. The dynamic range amounts to 150dB with a frequency
bandwidth ranging to 200kHz.
With these basic specs, the MMC 1 is beyond the requirements of today's
PCM digital formats up to 24 bit and 192kHz sampling rate or DSD
digital format with 1 bit and 256 fs.
It is not to be expected that digital technology will offer an
environment in foreseeable time, in which the MMC 1 could become a
“bottle neck”.
The
MMC 1 configuration in short
In
the Source section the Inputs (4x stereo/ 4x 8-channel) and Returns (8x
stereo/ 8x 8-channel) can be selected.
The
Input section offers a passive router to re-assign the track
configurations of the various surround formats to match the SMPTE/ITU
standard. Each input channel is equipped with an On, Phase Reverse and
a special Trim switch for precise gaining in 0.5dB steps from -9,5dB to
+6dB.
The
Insert section is quite unique. It offers control functions for an
automated patchbay, called Insert Box. Up to eight 8-channel processors
can be connected to this outbreak 19” unit. The mastering engineer can
store and compare up to four sequences by a push of a button. An
all-over bypass switches the Insert Box in and out of processing.
The
Monitor section features a central Monitor Level control and switches
for Mute and Dim levels. Two stereo loudspeaker sets and two surround
loudspeaker sets of up to eight speakers can be connected to the MMC 1.
The speaker management offers an On and a Solo switch for each
loudspeaker. The Solo function operates as Solo-in-place. With the
Solo-to-Center switch each speaker can be monitored through the centre
speaker for better comparison. There is provision to monitor the LFE on
the L/C/R. Three Mono functions (L/R; LS/RS; Lt/Rt) and two mode
switches for stereo or multi-channel operation round up the Channel
Selection section. The meter bridge houses a RTW Surround Monitor
10800x and eight big VU meters with superb ballistics. The remote
control for the RTW Surround Monitor is already built into the console
next to the calibration switches for the VUs. The VUs can be switched
to either show input or output. The VUs can be calibrated to eight
different values (0 dB/-2/-4/-6/-8/-10/-12/-14 dB).
The
Master section is dominated by a second eight channel level control.
With the Master Level control, the overall output level of the desk to
the recording sends is governed. The range of adjustment is from -10dB
to +10dB.
The
Output section offers the same Trim switch for precise gaining as used
in the Input section. Level differences, which may have been introduced
by outboard processing, can be compensated for each channel in 0.5dB
steps ranging from -9.5dB to +6dB.
Source
The Source section is divided into two departments. On the left side
are the selectors for the input sources, which undergo the mastering
process. Four stereo sources and four 8-channel sources can be
connected to the MMC 1.
On the right side are the selectors for the returns of the recorders,
DAW, analogue multi-tracks, SACD- and DVD-Players, TV, AC3/DTS
encoder/decoder etc. The Input/Return button switches the monitoring to
a total of eight stereo and eight multi-channel returns.
The inputs and the returns can be attached on the back of the MMC 1
both to XLR sockets and to EDAC multi-pin sockets.
Input
The Input section receives the signal selected in the Source section.
First the signal goes through a passive routing switch, with which the
individual channels can be routed to every other channel. This function
is essential regarding the different channel configurations of the
surround formats.
A table above the routing switch gives an overview of the most
important channel configurations:
DTS: L / R / LS / RS / C / LFE / L(t/o) / R(t/0)
Film: L / LS / C / RS / R / LFE / L(t/o) / R(t/0)
SDDS: L / LC / C / RC / R / LFE / LS / RS
The MMC 1 buss structure for all inputs and outputs follows the
SMPTE/ITU track assignment:
SMPTE: L / R / C / LF / E / LS / RS / L(t/o) / R(t/0)
Note: L(t/o) and R(t/0) explained: The appendix ‘t’ means ‘total’ and
refers to the automatic stereo downmix function within AC3-encoders,
whereas the appendix ‘o’ means ‘only’ and stands for a separate stereo
mix.
The routing selector transfers each conceivable channel configuration
into the SMPTE configuration. The high-quality switch has gold-plated
silver contacts with a life span of over 25.000 switching cycles.
Audio then runs through an On and a Phase Reverse switch followed by
the 32-position Trim switch. The range of trimming is -9.5dB to +6dB in
0.5dB steps. The specialty of this switch is its mechanical
architecture that interconnects only two contacts. Common switches
route the audio through a chain of resistors switched in series.
Thermal noise and tolerances are adding up. The MMC 1 Trim switch
avoids that by routing the audio through only one 0,1% metal film
resistor at any position.
Insert
While it is relatively easy in a stereo environment to connect
processors via a patchbay and specify their sequence, it becomes
complicated and time consuming when dealing with surround.
The MMC 1 features an Insert-Box to which up to eight 8-channel
processors can be connected. The unique advantage of MMC 1 is that the
engineer can specify up to four routings, called sequences, which can
be stored and re-called.
The Insert section provides a switch for each of the eight external
processors. Depressing them in a sequence specifies the signal flow
through the processors. Beside each switch is a seven segment
LED-display indicating the current position of the processor in the
sequence.
The mastering engineer can use this feature to compare between
sequences in a varying order or to compare the same type of processor
like equalisers of manufacturer A with manufacturer B.
Three memory banks are available. Together with the current sequence,
four different signal flows can be compared instantly. A bypass
switches the Insert Box to hard-bypass.
Monitor
The audio signals returning from the Insert Box are sent to the Monitor
section and coevally to the recording outputs. The Monitor section is
divided in the following sub sections:
Speakers
Two stereo pairs and two surround loudspeaker sets can be connected to
the MMC 1 for monitoring.
Channel Selection
Each loudspeaker can be switched on with the On switch, which is
labelled with the respective loudspeaker position. Underneath them a
Solo function is provided for each loudspeaker. Multiple solo is also
possible.
The Solo-to-Center function allows for monitoring of each loudspeaker
through the centre speaker to obtain a better comparability.
Solo-to-Center can only be activated, if a speaker was switched to solo
before. In a multiple solo situation the Solo-to-Center cannot be
activated.
The LFE-to-L/C/R switch distributes the LFE signal proportionately on
L/C/R.
In the Monitor section two switches are provided to change the MMC 1
configuration from stereo to multi-channel. The stereo switch should be
pressed before starting a stereo mastering job to switch off all
monitoring functions except for L/R for improved operation safety. When
depressing Multi-Channel, the MMC 1 resets itself to the last
multi-channel configuration.
The Monitor section offers three mono functions:
1. Mono L/R
2. Mono Rear (cannot be enabled in stereo mode)
3. Mono L(t/o)/R(t/0) (cannot be enabled in stereo mode)
Monitor Level
The Monitor Level is regulated with a genuine custom-made potentiometer
with eight chambers. The MMC 1 avoids using DACs, steps ladders or VCAs
for this operation. The specifications of this potentiometer are
impressive. The maximum tolerance is 0,5 dB over the entire control
range! And such a masterpiece deserves an appropriate optical frame:
this noble potentiometers is moved with an 60 mm diameter knob of
massive aluminium. The scaling is illuminated with 30 blue LEDs on a
circular area of 120 mm with a pointer element from miniature orange
LEDs.
Dim/Mute/Back
Three Dim levels are available (-10 dB, -20 dB and -30 dB). In addition
to the Mute function a switch labelled Back is incorporated. It is used
in case a Dim function is activated and afterwards Mute was pressed.
The Back function immediately returns to the actual Monitor Level
setting without releasing Dim and Mute.
Metering
Right of the Monitor Level potentiometers are the switch functions for
the VUs and the RTW Surround Monitor. All functions of the RTW can be
controlled remotely. They are placed next to the Monitor Control
potentiometer for easy access. Thus the mastering engineer does not
need to leave the optimal hearing position.
The VUs are likewise custom-made by a Japanese company, which
manufactures VUs with the optimal ballistics. The VUs can be calibrated
on eight different reference levels (0 dB/-2/-4/-6/-8/-10/-12/-14 dB).
Furthermore the VUs can be switches to indicate either input or output
levels.
Master/Output
The MMC 1 provides three eight channel and four dual channel recording
outputs. The output section features the same 32-position switch for
level trimming in 0,5dB steps as in the input section. Additionally a
Master Output level is provided to regulate all eight channels
simultaneously. The same potentiometer is used as for the Monitor Level
regulation. With this potentiometer, extremely fine recording level
settings are achievable to retrieve the very last bit of the recording
headroom. Owing to a genuine potentiometer with infinite resolution a
dynamic mastering is possible.
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