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  • Products of Interest

JBL MSC1 Monitor System Controller

The MSC1 from JBL (see Figure 1) is a controller for system monitoring with room calibration features. The desktop unit allows the user to monitor up to three two-channel input sources, two sets of loudspeakers, and a subwoofer. The input connections include four balanced jacks and two unbalanced RCA inputs. The primary speaker output features user-controlled equalization and room mode correction (RMC). The subwoofer has an individual level control and features selectable crossover setting as well as RMC. A secondary set of loudspeakers can also be connected.

The MSC1 system includes a calibration microphone and control software. Prior to the room measurement and calibration the control centre software is used to measure the signal path of the user’s audio system. Once the system measurements have been recorded, the supplied microphone is then used to measure the room acoustics. Flash animations are used to guide the user through the measurement and calibration process. The company’s RMC technology uses the calibration microphone to identify low-frequency room modes and boundary conditions. It then calculates corrective filters and downloads the appropriate coefficients to the MSC1 controller, balancing the primary speakers and subwoofer to within 0.25 dB. When the calibration is complete, the software displays the values of each filter applied to the loudspeakers and subwoofer. The controller can then be used as a standalone unit. The software also gives the user control of the equalization settings for the monitors, speaker alignment delay, and the subwoofer crossover frequency, polarity, and level. The software is currently compatible with 32- and 64-bit Windows Vista, Windows XP, and a Macintosh version will be available in the future.


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Figure 1.

The MSC1 monitor system controller.

The controller has an A-weighted dynamic range of 110 dB at 20 Hz–20 kHz. The frequency response is ±0.5 dB at 20 Hz to 20 kHz and the total harmonic distortion is less than 0.04 percent for the same range. The controller uses 24-bit convertors and internal processing is 48-bit/48 kHz. The unit measures 7.8 × 6.5 × 3.25 in. A stereo headphone output and USB 2.0 port are also included.

The MSC1 is listed for US$ 375. Contact: JBL Professional, 8400 Balboa Blvd., Northridge, California 91329, USA; telephone (+1) 818-894-8850; Web www.jblpro.com/ .

Blue Microphone Yeti USB Microphone

Blue Microphone’s Yeti is a triple-capsule USB microphone marketed by the company as the first THX-certified microphone. The Yeti comes with a custom-designed desk stand and features a zero-latency headphone output with volume control, an adjustable microphone gain control, a microphone mute button, pattern selection switch, and master volume control, all on the body of the microphone (see Figure 2). The condenser capsules offer four recording patterns to the user: omni-directional, cardioid, stereo, and bi-directional.

The microphone samples at 48 kHz/16-bit and has a frequency response of 20 Hz–20 kHz. The sensitivity is reported as 4.5 mV/Pa (at 1 kHz) and the maximum SPL as 120 dB, with total harmonic distortion of 0.5 percent at 1 kHz. The frequency response of the headphone amplifier is 15 Hz–22 kHz, with a signal-to-noise ratio of 100 dB.

The microphone weighs 1.2 lbs on its own and 2.2 lbs with the accompanying stand. The maximum dimensions with the desk stand are 4.72 × 4.92 × 11.6 in. The installation does not require drivers and is compatible with Windows and Macintosh computers on USB 1.1 and 2.0 connections. Windows 7, Vista, [End Page 99] and XP are supported, along with Mac OS X 10.4.11 and higher.


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Figure 2.

Blue Microphone’s Yeti triple-capsule USB microphone.

The Yeti is listed for US$ 149.99. Contact: Blue Microphones, 5706 Corsa Avenue #102, Westlake Village, California, 91362-4057, USA; telephone (+1) 818-879-5200; fax (+1) 818-879-7258; Web www.bluemic.com/ .

AEA A840 Active Ribbon Microphone

The A840 from Audio Engineering Associates (AEA) is a...

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