No matter where you record, produce, mix or master, if you’re using studio monitors, that space will influence the sound that you’re hearing inside it.
The acoustics of a studio are affected by a combination of factors; the room’s size and dimensions, the gear and furniture you have in it, and the materials on the floor and walls will all play a role in colouring its sound. And while acoustic room treatment can certainly help to negate these issues, it can be an expensive and often impractical solution.
Software-based alternatives exist, but many of these present difficulties of their own, requiring you to remember to open up a room correction plugin in your DAW every single time you need it - one that must be then bypassed before mixdown - or apply system-wide correction that can often be buggy, unreliable and difficult to install. Many of these software-based solutions also can’t be paired with console-based studios, standalone synth rigs or non-PC based systems.
IK Multimedia has an alternative that solves these problems, uniquely meeting the needs of producers that don’t want to purchase new, expensive monitors with onboard correction, but can’t work with the inconvenience of a plugin-based solution.
ARC Studio is a hardware-based acoustic correction solution for stereo monitoring systems that is truly set-and-forget; simply set up the device, calibrate using the included microphone and your acoustics issues will be a distant memory.
By measuring your room’s unique acoustic profile and applying compensation to your output before it reaches your monitors, ARC Studio creates a reliably neutral listening environment that empowers you to trust your ears and focus on what matters: the project you’re mixing.
Arriving with a hardware device, precision MEMS measurement microphone and the bundled ARC 4 software, ARC Studio is quick and easy to set up. It can be installed seamlessly in any space; especially temporary or makeshift studio spaces where conventional acoustic treatment isn’t possible to achieve.
All you’ll need to do is open up IK’s intuitive software helper and follow its instructions, measuring and analysing the frequency response of your studio space and monitors to create a personalized profile that addresses any issues. What’s more, you can create multiple profiles and conveniently switch between these when working in different locations.
ARC Studio is a game-changer for producers that solves many of the problems presented by solely software-based room correction. It’s a smart solution to an all-too-common problem, enabling you to improve the accuracy of your listening environment without replacing your monitors, without hogging precious CPU resources, and without introducing an inconvenient plugin or app to your daily workflow.
In fact, it’s the only standalone hardware device on the market that offers flexible acoustic correction for any professional studio monitoring system. Anybody that wants to enjoy audio free from the interference of room acoustics - whether you’re recording, mixing, mastering or just simply listening - would benefit from the improvements ARC can make in their listening environment.
Producer and engineer Romesh Dodangoda, known for his work with Bring Me The Horizon and Motorhead, has placed ARC Studio at the heart of his monitoring set-up.
"Adding the ARC Studio into my tracking room has made me enjoy improved monitoring without worrying about latency when recording,” he says. “Having the correction being done in the hardware unit means you don’t have to use a plugin which really helps my workflow in the recording process as it just becomes a part of my speakers."
Head over to IK Multimedia’s website to find out more.
