According to Nashville-based studio systems design veteran Carl Tatz, the upgrades to its proven monitors render a subtly more open sounding vocal range and an even tighter low-mid frequency performance. Tatz is the creator of the PhantomFocus System and the PFM 1000 monitors series, which are at the foundation of the company's success, with hundreds of commercial studios as references.
"We’re always trying to refine all that we do, and since we now have a new PhantomFocus MixRoom lab, we have been able to test some ideas that I’ve wanted to try, and the results are the new Mk II iterations," explains Carl Tatz.
Both studio monitors are designed around the same familiar concept, with a 1.5" dual tapered port, and 3/4" HDF self-bracing trapezoidal design, with a low profile D’Appolito transducer array. The HD-1000 model uses a proprietary 1" ring dome diaphragm tweeter, with patented symmetrical dual drive (SD-2) motor, AirCirc with five neodymium magnets, and diffraction damping rubber front with phase plug. The two woofers are 5.63" Uniflow aluminum diecast units with double magnet system, and 3" aluminum voice coil.
The refined PFM UHD-1000 Mk II Master Reference Monitor uses the same 1" ring dome diaphragm with SD-2 symmetrical dual drive motor with a die cast rubber painted aluminum face plate. The two 5.5" woofers with black-anodized aluminum cones are the main differentiators. Both monitors are decoupled from the surfaces where they stand thanks to the custom, integrated pistonic decoupler system by IsoAcoustics.
The PFM HD-1000 Mk II monitors (pitured above) are also available now as an upgrade to the Mk I monitors, and the initial pair has recently been commissioned at Crystal Gayle’s Audio 51 Music studio located in Nashville. "I’m particularly impressed with the tighter low end and more open vocal sound compared to the previous version, which was already amazing," comments Audio 51 Music engineer Chris Gatzimos. Engineer/producer Ryan McFadden’s The Nest, a PhantomFocus MixRoom in Nashville, has also upgraded his PFM HD-1000s to the Mk II specifications. A PFM UHD-1000 Mk II upgrade is also available and is less involved, since no crossover replacement is necessary. In both cases, an onsite retuning is required.
Upcoming HD-1000 Mk II installations include two rooms at The Panhandle House in Denton, Texas, and a new 5.1 PhantomFocus MixRoom at Cool Brick Studio in Carbondale, Colorado, outside of Aspen.
Carl Tatz Design (CTD) is an award-winning studio design firm offering design and consulting services to homeowners and entertainment industry professionals in areas of: recording studios, home screening rooms, dedicated listening rooms, and other areas. Carl Tatz is the inventor of the proprietary PhantomFocus Monitor System (PFMS), a monitor tuning protocol taking room acoustics into account and incorporating multiple elements, from monitor stands to custom digital processors. There are approximately fifty steps in the proprietary PhantomFocus Monitor System implementation protocol, and its evaluation and implementation is a full two-day process that can be applied to any type of monitors, regardless of manufacturer.
www.carltatzdesign.com
www.phantomfocus.com
