A
TEC Award
nominee in the
category
Small Format
Console.
More ...
DMC
Modell 2490
Dual-Channel Mastering Console on 120V rails
In Detail
New Analog Technology DMC-Configuration
Our aim in the development of 120V mastering equipment was the creation of a technology that would be superior in audio quality to all known and foreseeable audio formats, whether analog or digital. Such a console would provide both for an unaltered reproduction of the sonic quality of SACD and DVD-Audio and in the process, remain a safe capital investment for many years.
Digital audio formats have undergone continuous development and change and will continue to do so. The degree of incompatibility created by the “format war” between PCM and DSD is a main argument for a technology that is superior in dynamic range, headroom and sound quality to either or any other such format – and that is discrete analogue technology in its most advanced implementation.
Moreover additional aspects speak for the employment of high-performance analog technology:
The number of necessary AD/DA conversions should be reduced to a minimum. With the DMC, digital sources can be connected to a digital router, which outputs the selected source through the preferred DA converter. This ensures that the sound quality remains comparable and is not affected by converter differences.
From a purely aesthetic standpoint, high quality analog outboard processing consistently proves itself superior to digital processing. The analog concept allows for problem-free integration of such analog processors.
Monitors and power amplifiers are almost exclusively analog in design. Yet another converter at this point in the chain only degrades monitoring signal paths. Furthermore, DSD signals cannot be monitored on a digital monitoring that operates in PCM.
New
Analog Technology
SPL’s SUPRA operation amplifiers are used throughout. They perform
at an industry benchmark of 120 volt. The SUPRA op amp achieves a signal-to-noise
ratio of 116dB with a headroom of 34dB. The dynamic range amounts to 150dB
with a frequency bandwidth of 200kHz.
With such specifications, the DMC rides comfortably beyond the requirements
of either the current maximum 24Bit/192kHz PCM format or 1Bit/256 fs DSD
format.
Sources
The
Sources section provides for the selection of four stereo inputs and four
returns. The inputs are fed to the mastering path, the returns are fed
to the monitoring section.
The Source section is divided into two parts. At the left are the input
selectors, which are fed to the mastering path. The DMC accepts four stereo
inputs here. The returns provide selection options for returns from recorders,
DAW, audio players, and so on.
All Input buttons allow for switching between the input monitoring mode
and the output monitoring mode for a direct comparison what comes in and
what goes out of the console.
Input
Any input selected in the Source section is routed to the Input section.
The signal passes passive L/R Phase Reverse switches, balanced input receivers
and active L/R On as well as Mono L/R switches.
Pre and
Post Insert Trims
Sophisticated rotary trim switches with 32 steps are used for precise
gaining from -10dB to +10dB for each Pre Insert L/R as well as Post Insert
L/R channel. These switches route the signal through one precision resistor
at any position only, keeping thermal noise and tolerance at an unrivalled
minimum.
Insert
The DMC offers a switchable Insert point between the Pre Insert Trims
and the Post Insert Trims to include external processors into the signal
path.
Monitor
Section
Besides the central high-end Monitor Level control the DMC’s monitor
section features L/R Solo switches as well as L/R Phase Reverse and L/R
Mono switches. Three signal paths can be monitored: input, output and
return.
Master
Fader
This fader features the same level control potentiometer as in the Monitor
Level section for dynamic mastering purposes and fine tuning the overall
level from +10dB to -80dB. The range can also be customized to operate
from 0dB to -80dB.
The Master Fader allows for dynamic mastering as well as fine tuning the
overall level from +10dB to -80dB. With this control's extremely high
(if not infinite) resolution the engineer can attain every ounce of recording
headroom. The result is an unparalleled excellence in dynamic mastering.
The Master Fader can be taken out of the signal path with the Master Fader
On switch.
Speakers
The Speakers section allows for connection of four stereo speaker sets.
Three different Dim levels (-10dB, -20dB and -30dB) and Mute can be selected
by the push of a button.
Option:
SPL MasterBay
The DMC can optionally be complemented with an insert box called MasterBay.
The MasterBay consists
of a 4U insert box and a remote control panel. Up to eight, 2-channel
processors can be connected to the insert box, which is operated by the
MasterBay remote panel.
The remote control provides a button for each of the eight external processors.
Depressing them in sequence switches among choices in processor signal
flow. Beside each button 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 processors.
Three
memory banks are available which allow an active signal flow sequence
to be compared instantly at a button push with three others (for a total
of four). If the optional MasterBay is connected, the DMC’s Insert
On switch activates the MasterBay or switches it to a hard-bypass.
|
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
