There's a reason almost all of today's top-tier studio monitors include active room correction - it vastly enhances their performance and ensures that mixes translate flawlessly. Rooms have a big impact on how music is heard. The size, shape, materials, and furniture all work to distort the frequency and stereo balance of studio monitors, degrading their sound.
IK Multimedia's ARC software was a pioneering solution that enabled many home and project studios to benefit from the concept, being offered as a complete solution, including a calibrated measurement microphone. Over the years, the ARC software evolved to include more advanced options and even speaker response emulation, while IK Multimedia introduced even more consistency to the measurements by introducing the industry's first-ever MEMS-based measurement microphone, less susceptible to degradation over time.
The new ARC Studio now offers a massive boost in performance and accuracy to any monitor in every studio. The system includes a standalone hardware processor; the new ARC 4 software (also available separately) for analyzing and correcting the listening environment with additional controls; and a precision MEMS measurement microphone.
For the first time, an affordable hardware processor can be used as a correction and calibration system for any type of studio - be it home, project or professional - without the limitations of a software-only system. ARC 4's all-new algorithm analyzes and corrects any room acoustics issues in minutes, allowing reproduction to snap into focus with more controlled low-end, tighter transients and pinpoint stereo imaging. It's like an instant upgrade for monitors, allowing users to mix more confidently.
With the included mic connected to an audio interface, the new ARC 4 software guides the user through a rapid process of measuring acoustical responses within their listening position. IK's ARC technology uses this 3D snapshot to identify and completely correct all the problematic issues degrading a monitor's performance. ARC 4 then stores the correction profile and loads it to the ARC Studio processor, sitting invisibly between the interface and monitors to apply to all incoming signals. The standalone processor corrects studio monitors in any studio, including hardware- and console-based setups.
For any studios, whether DAW-based or console-based, the new ARC Studio with ARC 4 system offers sonically transparent correction and custom-tuning for any monitoring setup from nearfields to main monitors, preserving the inherent system's sonic quality.
For DAW-based studios, ARC Studio eliminates the need to insert the ARC 4 plug-in on the master bus of a project and preserves zero-latency monitoring setups. Plus it allows users to listen to their preferred streaming service with acoustically corrected monitoring without messing around with system drivers.
Using ARC 4, profiles can be created and stored for every configuration, listening position or even monitor pair and quickly recalled or loaded to the processor unit at any time. Whether in a makeshift studio or a world-class one, fine-tuning the monitoring perfectly to taste is no longer a challenge.
The ARC Studio hardware is designed and made in Italy to the highest standards, and it is available at a fraction of the cost of other hardware solutions. Now everyone can dramatically improve the sound in their mixing environments: from a single pair of monitors to multiple monitoring systems, up to large facilities with multiple mixing and recording rooms.
ARC Studio features a 120dB (A) analog input to analog output dynamic range, 0.5Hz to 40kHz frequency response, and ultra-stable clocking for vanishing low jitter, offering total sonic transparency and accuracy only found in mastering-grade audio converters.
The processor unit connects to the studio and monitors via balanced XLRs with a power-safe relay-based hard bypass - so when bypassed everything is protected from sudden power-related pops.
ARC 4 Monitor Emulations
ARC Studio can be reloaded instantly with new settings using ARC 4 software. ARC 4 now features a new monitor emulation function that turns any monitor system into iconic studio monitors, plus popular hi-fi speakers and mobile devices, accurately reproducing the frequency and phase response of the originals.
With over 20 profiles included in ARC 4, a single pair of monitors now lets users test a mix on different reference systems quickly, without ever having to head to the car or moving to another studio.
ARC 4 now comes with 9 factory-tailored target curves suitable for most situations. The default curve offers optimally balanced results with Flat and other specific curves for different needs or setups. By default, ARC corrects the entire frequency spectrum, but users can define limits to both upper and lower correction ranges separately. This is useful to preserve monitors' unique voicing or correct a certain frequency range.
There's also a control to adjust the resolution of the correction filter to use more or fewer frequency bands. Depending on the room's unique sound, this can achieve a more surgical correction, or a broader, smoother balance.
Selectable Natural and Linear phase modes ensure precise stereo imaging. Natural mode improves the phase response, while linear phase maintains the original inter-channel phase response, which may be preferable in certain rooms and conditions.
ARC Studio and ARC 4 software are shipping now and available from the IK Multimedia online store and IK authorized dealers worldwide. The ARC Studio retails for $/€299.99 (plus taxes) and includes the processor unit, ARC 4 software, and measurement microphone.
For registered users of ARC (any version with mic), iLoud MTM, or iLoud Precision, there is a ARC Studio Upgrade package with the processor unit and ARC 4 software (microphone not included) for $/€249.99. The ARC 4 software only costs $/€149.99. All prices excluding local taxes.
www.ikmultimedia.com
