The ffrst room correction system in a plug-in
Contents
1. ARC Measurement will try to set the sampling rate to 48 kHz as soon you select your audio interface If the audio interface cannot be set at 48 kHz an alert mes sage will inform you that the room measurements cannot be taken Click NEXT once the Interface Outputs and Microphone Input are properly selected 4 Using the ARC Measurement ARC System 4 5 STEP 3 Put the Microphone at Main position and Adjust Levels Step 3 will guide you to how to check levels and properly measure the room figure 4 5 figure 4 5 The Levels adjustment must be done with the ARC Measuring Microphone posi tioned at the Main listening position Therefore the first thing you need to do is to place the ARC Measurement Microphone at the Main listening position From now on in this User Manual we will refer to the Main position as the single listening position that refers to the point where you ideally sit when listening to your monitors On figure 4 6 the number 1 identifies the Main position Main Position figure 4 6 4 Using the ARC Measurement 27 ARC System 28 4 5 1 The Main position identification is important but not very critical You can consider the Main position as a point in the middle of the speakers at a dis tance from them where you usually sit when working in your mixes Microphone orientation The ARC Measurement Microphone must be positioned VERTICALLY for all ARC measurements figure 4 72. Through the User Area each member of our registered users database will be able to e Edit your Personal data e Manage your products Authorization Codes e Download the latest products updates and free content e Transfer your License e Find out about the latest promotions e Enter the Preset XChange area To access the User Area go to www ikmultimedia com and click User Area from the navigation bar or visit www ikmultimedia com userarea To enter to the User Area for the first time you have to Log in with the Username and Password that you ve received from us via email after your first IK product registration If you have already changed your Username and Password please use your most current information to Log in 8 Support ARC System is a trademark property of IK Multimedia Production Srl Audyssey MultEQ Audyssey MultEQ are trademarks property of Audyssey Laboratories Inc used under license All other product names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners which are in no way associated or affiliated with IK Multimedia Use of these names does not imply any cooperation or endorsement www ikmultimedia com arc IK Multimedia Production Srl Via dell Industria 46 41122 Modena Italy Phone 39 059 285496 Fax 39 059 2861671 IK Multimedia US LLC 1153 Sawgrass Corporate Pkwy Sunrise FL 33323 Phone 954 846 9101 Fax 954 846 9077 www ikmultimedia com All specifications are subject
3. Typing 5 five number instead of an S s letter Typing 8 eight number instead of a B b Letter Typing a point instead of a minus 7 Troubleshooting 55 ARC System Suggestions e Whenever is possible please Copy and Paste the information e Cut off all the leading and trailing spaces e Please type all codes UPPERCASE during the Installation and Registration process e Check that the Serial number that you are entering is in correlation with the product installed During the Product Registration process I received this message The Serial Number is already registered Remember that you are able to register your product only once So if you are trying to get a new Authorization Code please go to our FAQ page at www ikmultimedia com faq and read the How can I get a new Authorization Code FAQ Where can I find my Digital ID The Digital ID is displayed in the Authorization window of your IK product figure 7 2 Product Authorization Wizard On Line Registration Connect to the Internet to receive your Authorization Code You are ready to connect to the Internet to receive your Authorization Code When you click on the Register On Line button a web browser window will open to the IK Multimedia registration page If you are prompted to insert the product Serial Number and Digital Id copy and paste the following information Serial Number ARC10 77ZE
4. you have calibrated the room Plus this microphone is omni directional making the proximity effect found in conventionally studio used car dioid microphones disappear which is important for home and project entry level studios since omni directional microphones are commonly not a part of the set up Does ARC work with surround monitoring systems Not at the moment A multi channel version of ARC System is under way and will be available in the future 6 Frequently Asked Questions 53 ARC System 54 6 Frequently Asked Questions ARC System Chapter 7 Troubleshooting Where can I find my IK product Serial Number The Serial Number is written on the Registration Card included with your IK product inside the license envelope In the snapshot please check its exact location figure 7 1 1 Here you can find your SERIAL NUMBER 2 At the bottom of the registration card a legend helps you identify the characters in your SERIAL NUMBER figure 7 1 For clear character identification please analyze the legend IMPORTANT the number zero can easily be identified in your Serial Number because it is crossed by a line Why is the Wizard rejecting my Serial Number Probably because it found a typo so please analyze the common errors Typing a 0 zero number instead of an O o letter Typing 1 one number instead of an I i letter Typing 2 two number instead of a Z z letter
5. Components ARC System Chapter 3 Setup for measurements 3 1 What you need to measure your room To correctly measure your room you need e The ARC Measuring Software properly installed This is included in the ARC System installer and works as a standalone application e High quality audio interface with at least one Microphone XLR Input with 48V Phantom power e ARC Measurement Microphone e Microphone Stand and XLR microphone cable 3 1 1 Audio Interface required features To correctly measure your room you need a high quality audio interface that can operate at 48 kHz and can reliably record one channel while playing back two channels full duplex operation must be supported The ARC Measurement Software only supports ASIO drivers on Windows and CoreAudio drivers on Macintosh Please check that your audio interface sup ports these standard drivers IMPORTANT NOTE considering that the measurement process must be done at 48 kHz the ARC Measurement Software must set your audio interface sam pling rate at 48 kHz For this reason please check in your audio interface that the sampling rate is not locked and that 48 kHz is supported and allowed ARC Measurement will try to set the sampling rate to 48 kHz as soon you select your audio interface If the audio interface cannot be set at 48 kHz an alert message will inform you that the room measurements cannot be taken 3 2 Howto setup for measurements To properly measure you
6. Remember that ARC is changing the Stereo Master peak level so the output DAW meters will not actually show the real level anymore Use the ARC Peak Meter in PRE mode to monitor the actual project level On the Peak Meter click POST figure 5 11 to check the ARC processed signal level 5 Using the ARC Plug in 47 ARC System 5 2 7 Correction ON switch and TRIM knob To enable the correction click on the CORRECTION ON switch figure 5 12 When it is illuminated the correction is ON TRIM knob the TRIM knob figure 5 13 adjusts the level of the corrected sound only so you can use the TRIM knob to compare between the before and after sounds When the TRIM knob is set to its default position 0 dB the corrected sound will be softer than the uncorrected one We suggest to increase the TRIM level a little bit to acoustically match the loudness of the corrected sound with the uncorrected one Once the comparison has finished please bring back the TRIM knob to its figure 5 13 default position 0 dB to avoid unwanted clipping of the signal Its value range goes from 12 to 12dB 5 2 8 Other controls LOCK if you are running the software in demo mode and you click on the LOCK button figure 5 14 the Product Authorization Wizard will appear However if you already registered and authorized your product clicking on the LOCK button will show you the product Serial Number Digital ID and Authorization Cod
7. Speakers connection Powered Speakers setup Passive Speakers setup Active Subwoofer and Powered Speakers setup How to connect the ARC Measurement Microphone Using the ARC Measurement Opening the ARC Measurement Microphone Selection STEP 1 Welcome to ARC System STEP 2 Setup your Audio IO STEP 3 Put the Microphone at Main position and Adjust Levels Microphone orientation Microphone height STEP 4 Take Measurements Examples of measurement locations in various room types Take Measurements STEP 5 Calculate and Save your system correction Using the ARC Plug In Opening the ARC Plug In in your DAW Starting ARC Plug In RTAS in Pro Tools LE Starting ARC Plug In TDM in Pro Tools HD Accel Starting ARC Plug In in Cubase Starting ARC Plug In in Logic Pro Logic Express Starting ARC Plug In in Digital Performer Starting ARC Plug In in Live Starting ARC Plug In in Sonar Starting ARC Plug In in GarageBand pag 3 pag 6 pag 9 pag 9 pag pag pag pag pag pag pag pag pag pag pag pag pag pag pag pag pag pag pag pag pag pag pag pag pag pag pag pag pag pag pag pag pag pag pag pag pag 10 12 15 15 15 16 17 17 17 17 17 18 19 20 21 23 23 23 25 26 27 28 29 31 32 37 38 39 39 40 40 42 42 42 43 43 43 ARC System 5 1 9 5 1 10 5 2 5 2 1 5 2 2 5 2 3 5 2 4 5 2 5 5 2 6 5 2 7 5 2 8 5 3 5 4 Ch
8. Stereo Tracks Aux ARC TDM plug in will not open on non HD Accel systems 5 Using the ARC Plug in 41 ARC System 42 5 1 3 5 1 4 SLS ARC TDM plug in authorization Please note that ARC System can be authorized with two different serial numbers If you bought ARC System TDM you received a serial number printed on the card included in the box that begins with ART10 prefix If the product has been authorized with this serial number all plug in formats will be sup ported TDM RTAS VST AU If you bought ARC System Native VST RTAS AU it came with a serial number that starts with ARC10 In this case when trying to instantiate the TDM ARC plug in you ll see the authorization wizard appearing asking for an ARC TDM serial number that starts with ART10 prefix Serial numbers starting with ART10 prefix will authorize all plug in for mats Native and TDM while serial numbers starting with ARC10 prefix will only authorize Native plug ins formats VST RTAS AU Plug in delay ARC TDM adds zero samples delay by itself However Pro Tools HD adds 4 samples when an insert is active therefore the total delay you will see on Pro Tools HD mixer when inserting this plug in will be 4 samples This is the lowest possible delay that you can get from a TDM plug in and this low level of latency will allow to apply correction on monitors even during tim ing critical recording functions Start
9. audio mixer and locate the Stereo Master BUS If you are using Pro Tools and your session does not have a Stereo Master BUS yet please create one 4 Load the ARC Plug In as the LATEST processor on the Stereo Master BUS 5 From the Measurements menu select one of your saved measure ment sets 6 Select one of the Target Curves from its menu We suggest to start with FLAT 7 Click on the Correction ON Switch When it is illuminated the cor rection is ON a If you are using mastering processors like T RackS be sure to insert the ARC Plug In AFTER all the other processors The ARC Plug In must always be the LAST one in the processing chain b If your master level is really hot very close to 0dB be sure to not overload the Stereo Master BUS because of the ARC intervention c Use the TRIM knob to lower the level if clipping occurs when checking the ARC Peak Meter in POST mode 8 Keep the ARC Plug In inserted on the Stereo Master BUS for the entire recording mixing and mastering processes 9 Switch the ARC Plug In OFF before bouncing to file the project Your final mix should NOT include the ARC processing because it is designed for MONITORING usage only 5 Using the ARC Plug in 49 ARC System 5 4 Suggestions for the best ARC System usage You are probably used how your studio acoustical condition sounds For that reason and considering that the ARC System will improve the accu racy of your monitoring system and ch
10. immediately clear and reliable The audible results will be e Low end alterations typically added by small rooms are removed with better low frequency control e More consistent frequency response across the entire range e Tonal balance is restored allowing you to create accurate mixes And the following advantages will be achieved e Room defects will no longer capture your attention allowing you to focus solely on the music and reducing your ears fatigue e Work on mixes faster and better because now you are sure about what you are hearing e Achieve greater consistency on your music productions e Create mixes that translate to the outside world without problems Moreover if you are a traveling musician you can conveniently bring ARC System with you and quickly measure correct any studio or room so you can produce music in any environment maximizing your time and fueling your creative power 11 ARC System 12 1 3 How does ARC System work 1 The first step is to measure your room To measure your room just connect the ARC Measurement Microphone to any phantom powered MIC input in your audio interface and launch ARC Measurement Software figure 1 4 from your Mac or PC computer Then ARC Measurement will guide you through 5 easy steps that will allow you to properly set up the microphone and measure your room Thanks to Audyssey MultEQ technology ARC System not only allows you to measure and cor rect
11. io gt Speakers YES figure 4 7 Do not attempt to measure the room by pointing the microphone to the speakers because all measurements will be wrong and the resulting cor rection will be wrong as well After having securely clipped the microphone on a standard mic stand be sure to point it to the ceiling Ideally the microphone should be perfectly perpendicular to the floor Try to use a mic stand with a boom arm that is extended as far away from the stand as possible This helps avoid reflections from the stand that will interfere with the measurements at high frequencies Do not stand or sit near the microphone while the measurements are running 4 Using the ARC Measurement ARC System 4 5 2 Microphone height Set the microphone at the same height where your ears usually are when listening to the speakers figure 4 8 Ears listening figure 4 8 At this point you should have your ARC Measurement Microphone connected to the audio interface Mic input 48 V phantom power ON pointed to the ceiling and at the correct height Now place the microphone at the Main position figure 4 9 E ccccccccccccccee H cccccccccccccces r cocccccccccccces ttt Main Position figure 4 9 4 Using the ARC Measurement 29 ARC System Once the microphone is correctly positioned at Main position you can start checking levels 1 figure 4 10 figure 4 11 30 Lower your studio listening
12. is not optimally shaped A complete and successful acoustical treatment usually means a hefty price tag for many making it an option only for a few high end studios Traditional room correction EQ and advanced self calibrated monitor systems are also expensive and generally are only able to correct the frequency response of a room but not the phase problems that can be introduced by room acoustics On the contrary traditional room correction EQ will alter the phase response by itself adding this to the already present phase room alterations All these phase distortions summed up is one of the reasons that leads many engineers to turn off equalizers on the monitoring setup after briefly trying them Moreover traditional correction EQ calibrates the response by only considering one single position in the room called the sweet spot usually making the listening experience on other zones of the room even worse Lastly all of these systems fail when it comes to easy portability and mobile situations which is now the growing trend for laptop based mobile studios and traveling musicians To offer the definitive solution for DAW based studios IK Multimedia has teamed up with Audyssey Laboratories Inc the leading provider of sound equalization solutions for the production of an innovative low cost and mobile solution to correct the distortion problems caused by room acoustics ARC System ARC System 1 2 What is ARC System Advanc
13. the FX area and go to Audio FX vstplugins ARC 5 1 8 Starting ARC Plug In in GarageBand Launch GarageBand and open your current project Go to Track Show Master Track In the Track Info window choose ARC from the Audio Unit Effects options included in the Effects menu To open ARC click on the pencil icon located to right of the Manual menu 5 1 9 Starting ARC Plug In Nuendo Launch Nuendo and open your current project File Open Go to Devices Mixer or Mixer 2 In the stereo out channel click the e icon and then select ARC as the last insert from the insert menu 5 1 10 Starting ARC Plug In in Tracktion Launch Tracktion and open your current project via the Open Project but ton Select an Audio track output as default audio device The default audio output will become the master output for Tracktion s mixed stereo output from the master fader located on the right hand corner on the Edit screen Then just drag and drop a new filter from the top right area to the selected track When the plug ins list appears select ARC so its interface will open Please read 5 2 ARC Plug In controls to understand how to use ARC Plug In 5 2 ARC Plug In controls Once opened on the Stereo Master BUS the ARC Plug In will apply one of the Measurement sets you have saved from the ARC Measurement Software to match four different Audyssey target curves You are able to switch from one measurement set
14. to change without further notice 000 2V NNW Nd
15. to flat However the system will not extend the low frequency response of the speakers beyond their limits to avoid possible damages and excessive distortion In fact the AUDYSSEY Flat curve corrects the response to flat from the low frequency cutoff point that the ARC System has determined to the upper frequency limit of the tweeters AUDYSSEY HF Roll off 1 this should be selected if you feel that FLAT sounds excessively bright in your room In fact the AUDYSSEY High Frequency Roll off 1 curve introduces a slight roll off at high frequencies that accounts for the balance between direct and reflected sound for small to medium size rooms Both AUDYSSEY FLAT and AUDYSSEY HF Roll off 1 target curves are also available with the Midrange Compensation Mid Comp option AUDYSSEY MIDRANGE COMPENSATION Mid Comp is sometimes neces 5 Using the ARC Plug in ARC System sary to correct the directivity differences that often occur in that frequency range due to the crossover circuitry or horn loaded speakers Start listen ing to the corrected systems without Mid Comp allow yourself to get used to the new sound of your studio and then try the Mid Comp option Listen to your favorite music and judge which AUDYSSEY Target Curve sounds more natural on your speakers and room environment 5 2 3 Full Range Bass Correction ARC System automatically detects the bass roll off point of each speaker to ensure that no correction is applie
16. volume to ZERO The studio listening volume can be controlled on your audio interface with the main outputs level control or with your monitoring management system If you are using a mixer you can use your Control Room level Click PLAY TEST figure 4 10 This will generate a test sound chirp and it will be sent to the outputs specified at point 4 4 At this point SLOWLY increase your studio listening level You should start hearing the test tone played back continuously Stop increasing the listening volume at a point where the heard test tone is ata medium intensity more or less at the level when you work in your studio CAUTION DO NOT INCREASE THE LISTENING LEVEL TOO FAST This could create damage to your speakers and to your hearing if the monitoring system is very powerful Check the Peak Meter indication on the ARC Measurement Software figure 4 11 This meter shows the level of the signal captured by the ARC Measurement Microphone a While the Test tone is playing and leaving the Microphone Level slider in its default position slowly adjust the MIC GAIN control on your audio interface or on your microphone preamplifier to have the Peak Meter indication within the OK range b In case you have increased the MIC GAIN control on your inter face up to the maximum and still see a very low or no signal at all on the Peak Meter please check that all cabling and connec tions are ok and turn Phantom Power On
17. 9 ARC System 60 7 Troubleshooting 8 Support ARC System Chapter 8 Support For any question you may have please refer to the FAQ webpage at www ikmultimedia com faq Here you will find answers to the most common questions To submit a Technical Support Form go to www ikmultimedia com Support php For other requests such as Product Sales or Web info please go to www ikmultimedia com ContactIKForm php 8 1 User Area The User Area is a special section of our website specifically designed for our users needs figure 8 1 Welcome to the IK User Area r Area Is a special s n of our website specifically designed for our users ere you can easily edit your personal data manage your product authorizations and licenses and download the latest IK products updates Access one of these areas Account Edit your personal data Authorizations Manage your products authorizations Downloads Download the latest products updates and free content gt License Transfer d Transfer your license FREE Promotions PROMO Get Your Products THN Sounds Download Downloads your sounds libraries Preset XChange Share your presets Ampeg SVX AmpliTube Classik Studio Reverb SampleTank Sonik Synth Philharmonik ARC System SampleMoog SampleTron StealthPiug T RackS GrooveMaker StompIo IK Multimedia Trademarks License Agreement Privacy figure 8 1 61 ARC System 62
18. F OR AWARE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES THIS MEANS THAT IK MULTIMEDIA PRODUCTION SRL SHALL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR THE LOSS OF PROFITS OR REVENUES OR FOR DAMAGES OR COSTS AS A RESULT OF LOSS OF TIME DATA OR USE OF THE SOFTWARE OR FROM ANY OTHER CAUSE EXCEPT THE ACTUAL COST OF THE PRODUCT IN NO EVENT SHALL IK MULTIMEDIA LIABILITY EXCEED THE PURCHASE PRICE OF THIS PRODUCT 10 CHOICE OF LAW You agree that any and all claims suits or other disputes arising from your use of the software shall be determined in accordance with the laws of Italy in the event IK Multimedia is made a party thereto You agree to submit to the jurisdiction of the court in Modena Italy for all actions whether in contract or in tort arising from your use or purchase of the software 11 GENERAL This Agreement contains the complete agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior or contempora neous agreements or understandings whether oral or written All questions concerning this Agreement shall be directed to IK Multimedia Production Srl Via dell Industria 46 41122 Modena Italy 2007 2009 IK Multimedia All rights reserved II License Agreement 7 ARC System 1 Overview Chapter 1 1 1 ARC System ARC System Overview Introduction The popularity of Digital Audio Workstation DAW based systems have made them the most used recording and mixing solution for hundreds of thou
19. IPTION OF OTHER RIGHTS AND LIMITATIONS Limitations on Reverse Engineering Decompilation and Disassembly You may not reverse engineer decompile or disassemble the IK Multimedia Product except and only to the extent that such activity is expressly permitted by applicable law notwithstanding this limitation of components The IK Multimedia Product is licensed as a single product Its component parts may not be separated for use on more than one computer Not for Resale Version If the IK Multimedia Product is labeled Not for Resale or NFR or Evaluation Copy then notwithstanding other sections of this EULA you may not sell or otherwise transfer the IK Multimedia Product Rental You may not rent lease or lend the IK Multimedia Product to any party Software Transfer You may not transfer license or sublicense your rights as Licensee of the software or any IK Multimedia product as licensed to you under this agreement without prior written consent of the rights owner The carrier on which the IK Multimedia product has been distributed may be transferred or otherwise made available to any third party only with the prior written consent of the rights owner and provided that a the original media 6 II License Agreement ARC System and license s accompany the carrier and b the party transferring the media does not retain a copy of the media 5 UPGRADES If the IK Multimedia Product i
20. NARC Advanced Room Correction System The first room correction system in a plug in STEP 3 of 5 Check levels Microphone Level Peak Meter ITINTINIINIIT I oK Measurement Measurement Microphone Software ARC System is powered by AUDYSSEY User Manual MULTEQ ARC System PLEASE NOTE ARC System is a trademark property of IK Multimedia Production Srl Audyssey MultEQ Audyssey MultEQ are trademarks property of Audyssey Laboratories Inc used under license All other product names and trademarks are property of their respective owners which are in no way associated or affili ated with IK Multimedia Use of these names do not imply any cooperation or endorsement ARC System I I Chapter 1 1 1 1 2 1 3 Chapter 2 2 1 22 2 3 Chapter 3 3 1 31 1 3 2 3 2 1 3 2 2 3 2 3 3 2 4 3 2 5 Chapter 4 4 1 4 2 4 3 44 4 5 4 5 1 4 5 2 4 6 4 6 1 4 6 2 47 Chapter 5 5 1 5 11 5 1 2 5 1 3 5 1 4 5 1 5 5 1 6 5 1 7 5 1 8 I Contents ARC System Table of Contents Contents License Agreement ARC System Overview Introduction What is ARC System How does ARC System work ARC System components ARC Measurement Microphone ARC Measurement Software ARC Correction Plug In Setup for measurements What you need to measure your room Audio Interface required features How to setup for measurements
21. ZEIX 76312 Digital Id 8EAHDOMH J1CN 5063 6MHK KNSG8DMK Copy Register On Line At the end of the registration process you will receive an Authorization Code that must be inserted in the next step of this wizard When you have received the Authorization Code click Next figure 7 2 56 7 Troubleshooting 7 Troubleshooting ARC System Why is my Digital ID being rejected during the Online Registration process There is probably a typo in it Remember that the Digital ID has NO letter I and 0 only the numbers 1 one and 0 zero In order to prevent any further mistakes please Copy the Digital ID from the Authorization Form to the Registration Form Where can I find my Serial Number Digital ID and the Authorization Code of a registered IK Product In your IK product interface locate the Authorization button the one with a small lock on it and click on it If your product version has no Authorization button log in into the User Area and click Authorizations You will be able to check your product Serial Number Then click on the View Request button You will be able to check the Digital ID and the Authorization Code information How can I get a new Authorization Code Please go to our FAQ page at www ikmultimedia com faq and read the How can I get a new Authorization Code FAQ I have already registered my product online but I did not get an Authorization Code Usually this happen
22. ange the sound of your room please apply the following suggestions to enrich your listening experience while using the ARC System 1 Use CDs or material you know very well and are very familiar with to evaluate the new way your studio sounds 2 Always let yourself get used to the new sound Do not judge the cor rected system by only listening a minute or two Always give your listening the time to understand the room sounds different 3 Do not change between various measurement sets or between cor rection ON OFF too often Your hearing process needs to get used to it It is like when your eyes needs some time to adapt to a very different lighting condition After you select the best measurements set you will start using ARC System without even thinking it is there it is like a set it and forget tool that will really help you to mix faster and better and achieve greater consistency on your artistic projects 50 5 Using the ARC Plug in ARC System Chapter 6 Frequently Asked Questions What is the difference between ARC and other room correction EQ systems ARC is powered by Audyssey MultEQ a breakthrough room correction technology that takes an innovative approach at measurement and cor rection that other room correction EQ systems do not 1 MultEQ allows you to measure multiple positions in your room to make a much wider sweet spot Many systems only correct for one seat in the room This typically makes other se
23. apter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 8 1 Starting ARC Plug In n Nuendo Starting ARC Plug In in Tracktion ARC Plug In controls Measurement menu Target Curve menu Full Range Bass Correction Frequency Response Graphs Speaker Icons Peak Meter Correction ON switch and TRIM knob Other controls Using the ARC Plug In Suggestions for the best ARC System usage Frequently Asked Questions Troubleshooting Support User Area pag 43 pag 43 pag 43 pag 44 pag 44 pag 45 pag 46 pag 47 pag 47 pag 48 pag 48 pag 49 pag 50 pag 51 pag 55 pag 61 pag 61 I Contents ARC System ARC System License Agreement END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT FOR IK MULTIMEDIA PRODUCT Please read this document carefully before breaking the seal on the media package This agreement licenses the enclosed software to you and contains warranty and liability disclaimers By breaking the seal on the media envelope you are confirming to have taken notice of terms and conditions of this agreement and you acknowledge your acceptance of the software as well as your acceptance of the terms of this agreement If you do not wish to do so do not break the seal Instead promptly return the entire package including the unopened media package to the dealer from whom you have obtained it for a full refund 1 DEFINITIONS EULA means this end user license agreement IK Multimedia Product means the software program included in the enclosed pac
24. as no mic preamplifier In this case you will need to connect the microphone to an external preampli fier or to a mixer and connect the preamplifier output to the audio interface line input To get the necessary precision the preamplifier should be as clean and flat as possible For this reason you should avoid using Tube preamplifiers for this purpose Also electronically balanced transformerless preamplifiers are preferred for this usage to transformer based designs which tends to color the sound too much To start set the Gain control on your preamplifier to its middle position Probably you will have to adjust this later on while setting up levels IMPORTANT TURN DIRECT MONITORING OFF Any direct monitoring on the audio interface mixer should be turned OFF To ensure this simply check that no microphone signal at all is going out to the speakers 3 Setup for measurements 21 ARC System 22 3 Setup for measurements ARC System Chapter 4 Using the ARC Measurement 4 1 Opening the ARC Measurement On Windows go to your Start Menu Programs and launch ARC Measurement On Macintosh go to your Applications folder and launch ARC Measurement 4 2 Microphone Selection The ARC measurement microphone is available in two slightly different versions It is important to keep in mind that neither microphone is inher ently better or worse it is simply that due to a small difference in frequency response the software mu
25. ation 8 WARRANTY CLAIMS To make a warranty claim under the above limited warranty please return the product to the point of purchase accompanied by proof of purchase your name your return address and a statement of the defect or send the CD s to us at the below address within ninety 90 days of purchase Include a copy of the dated purchase receipt your name your return address and a statement of the defect IK Multimedia or its authorized dealer will use reasonable com mercial efforts to repair or replace the product and return it to you postage prepaid or issue to you a credit equal to the purchase price at its option 9 LIMITATIONS ON WARRANTY IK Multimedia warrants only that the program will perform as described in the user documentation No other advertising description or representation whether made by a IK Multimedia dealer distributor agent or employee shall be binding upon IK Multimedia or shall change the terms of this warranty EXCEPT AS STATED ABOVE IK MULTIMEDIA MAKES NO OTHER WARRANTY EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED REGARDING THIS PRODUCT IK MULTIMEDIA DIS CLAIMS ANY WARRANTY THAT THE SOFTWARE IS FIT FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY SHALL BE LIMITED TO A NINETY 90 DAY DURATION OF THIS LIMITED EXPRESS WARRANTY AND IS OTHERWISE EXPRESSLY AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMED IK MULTIMEDIA SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR SPECIAL INCIDENTAL CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES EVEN IF IK MULTIMEDIA IS ADVISED O
26. ats in the room sound worse because a single measurement does not provide an accurate representation of the problems of the entire room 2 MultEQ measures your room using advanced proprietary methods perfected with years of extensive research from the Audyssey team MultEQ looks at patterns in the time domain responses and clas sifies them into clusters based on the similarities in those patterns typically in 3 5 groups A representative response is created from each cluster and a final response is then created from grouping the representatives The few EQ systems that do correct for multiple positions simply average the measurement results This tends to gloss over common acoustical problems and not fix them properly 3 MultEQ corrects for both time and frequency domain problems which solves many of the problems that have plagued room correc tion EQ systems since their inception Other EQ systems only correct for frequency domain problems which leaves the time domain to cause phase distortion and smearing 4 One of the other benefits of ARC with MultEQ is that it identifies the limits of the loudspeaker performance and does not apply cor rection beyond those limits This is particularly important in the low frequencies where other systems may overcorrect and potentially damage the speakers My studio already has some acoustical treatment Will ARC be useful for me Yes ARC System improves the clarity and focus of the perceiv
27. c If you need to fine adjust the level shown on Peak Meter just use the Microphone Level slider on the ARC Measurement Software d Always check that your audio interface preamplifier is NOT clip ping If you are not sure about which MIC GAIN control setting is best in case you have 2 settings that deliver a signal within the OK range always use the lowest one You can always trim it by using the ARC Measuring Software Microphone Level slider Once you found the correct level click PLAY TEST again to stop the test tones generator DO NOT CHANGE any of the audio settings studio listening level MIC GAIN control etc and click NEXT 4 Using the ARC Measurement ARC System 4 6 STEP 4 Take Measurements During Step 4 you will be able to take all the necessary measurements to properly analyze the room figure 4 12 figure 4 12 IMPORTANT NOTE unlike most other room correction systems ARC needs from 12 to 32 measurement positions A minimum of 12 measurement positions is required and it is not possible to proceed with the measurement wizard until they are properly taken We STRONGLY suggest to go beyond 12 possibly 16 20 measurement posi tions should be taken Each measurement should be taken at different points in the room covering the entire AREA you are planning to sit when listening to your speakers A single or a few points measurement will never be accurate and cannot rep resent the real acoustical
28. d below that point as it may potentially overload speakers However in some rooms with especially odd low frequency issues ARC s measurement system can be mislead and set a Low Frequency roll off point that is actually higher than required resulting in no correction applied to low frequencies even if it was actually needed To address this is it possible to disable the Automatic roll off point detection feature therefore allowing ARC s correction to be applied to the entire frequency spectrum down to 20 Hz no matter what roll off point is detected Please note that the maximum boost applied to the low frequency range will anyway never be higher than 9 dB to protect your speakers from excessive boost To select this option simply click the button labeled Full Range Bass Correction at the bottom of the ARC interface screen below the left Measurement graph figure 5 6 and 5 7 full range bass correction off and on On most rooms where the regular automatic roll off point detection works without issues you may notice a deeper low frequency extension of your monitoring system when Full Range Bass Correction is ON which you may find desirable figure 5 6 5 Using the ARC Plug in 45 ARC System 46 figure 5 7 ARC System goal is to achieve the most accurate room correction possible automatically however we suggest checking both options after various lis tening tests to match the preferred low frequency pe
29. duct Registration Form you will receive an email from us with your Authorization Code If not after you launch the program the Product Authorization Wizard will appear Please read and follow the instructions provided in each of the wizard s windows and get an Authorization Code While measuring the room I am getting error messages from the ARC Measurement software related to the low signal and high background noise As a result I can t complete the measurement process What should I do Quiet down the room as much as possible or increase the test tones playback level during the measurement process Also check the micro phone level again returning to the Measurement Step 3 While measuring the room I am getting phase errors from the ARC Measurement software Please check your speakers wiring If the speakers are passive check the polarity of the leads going from the amps to the speakers If the speak ers are active check the XLR or TRS cables connections and polarities When I open the Measurements set on my ARC Plug in and turn the Correction ON the resulting sound and the displayed response is strange and incorrect making the monitors sound worse than when ARC Plug in is not enabled Do you have any suggestions Be sure that your audio interface is set to 48 kHz when running the ARC Measurement software this is the only supported Sampling Rate by the ARC Measurement Software Also check your audio interface bu
30. e figure 5 15 figure 5 14 Product Authorization Wizard Welcome to the IK Multimedia Product Authorization Wizard Your IK Multimedia product is already authorized and is working with permanent unrestricted functionality Use the following data if you need to refer to your product authorization information Serial Number ARC10 77ZEZEIX 76312 Digital Id 8EAHDOMH J1CN 513S HMHK KNHSSALD Authorization Code 9R16RJ4K 1H79 8EVD B2G3 SSHKLEN8 To return to the application click Cancel Cancel figure 5 15 48 5 Using the ARC Plug in figure 5 17 5 3 ARC System INFORMATION INFO by clicking on the INFO button figure 5 16 the credit interface will be displayed Here you can check your ARC Plug In ver sion Clicking anywhere on the credit interface will return to normal mode PREFERENCES PREF click the PREF button figure 5 17 to open the Preferences window To restore last used plug in settings at opening select the check box located at the right unchecked by default and click SAVE to keep the recent changes Click CANCEL to ignore any changes KEYBOARD MODIFIER to reset the TRIM knob to its default value click on it while holding the ALT key Using the ARC Plug In Before using the ARC Plug In be sure you already saved one or more Measurement sets so that you can load them in the plug in 1 Open your DAW 2 Create a new session or open an existing one 3 Open the DAW
31. ed Room Correction ARC System includes 3 components 1 ARC Measurement Microphone 2 ARC Measurement Software 3 ARC Plug In The ARC System is a combination of a professional calibrated measurement microphone figure 1 1 a measuring software figure 1 2 and a multi platform plug in figure 1 3 that can be integrated with any DAW based studio capable of correcting the distortion caused by room acoustics and able to improve how a studio will sound forever STEP 3 of 5 Check levels TTT figure 1 1 figure 1 3 10 1 Overview 1 Overview ARC System ARC System features Audyssey MultEQ technology which measures sound information throughout your listening area in various zones of the room and then combines this information to create an accurate equalization solution for the room s acoustical problems The equalization solution then corrects both time and frequency response problems more effectively and efficiently than any other room correction EQ on the market ARC System represents one of the most advanced solutions to acoustic problems for any DAW based studio dramatically improving the acoustics of home and project studios as well as correcting even the highest acousti cally treated high end studio The ARC System produces results like you have never heard before improving the accuracy of your monitoring system When you experience ARC System the perspective of what you are record ing mixing or mastering becomes
32. ed sound as well and this will partially mask untreated rooms reverberation and reflections considerably If you already have any level of acoustical treatment in your room and if it s done properly it will only add to the ARC correction performance boosting the overall result of the monitor s accuracy 6 Frequently Asked Questions 51 ARC System 52 Does ARC s results depend on the quality of monitors I use How does the quality of my monitors affect ARC results ARC will improve any kind of monitor type in any room at any level of quality Of course there are aspect of the monitors that will always translate to the final hearing experience even after applying the ARC process for example good power handling power amps distortion free performance detail level accuracy and so on ARC System will improve any kind of monitor room matching and the higher the quality the moni tors the better the final results will be Can I use ARC System if I have a subwoofer Yes Just connect your system so that ARC System can measure and cor rect your Left and Right speakers with the inclusion of the subwoofer ARC System will correct the subwoofer frequency ranges as well con sidering its emission part of the Main Left and Right monitors Will I need to change the way I am used to working with my DAW No The only difference is having the ARC Plug In always inserted on your Stereo Master BUS you need to turn OFF the correction w
33. ffer size settings For a proper measurement it should be set from 128 to 2048 samples 7 Troubleshooting 7 Troubleshooting ARC System Iam trying to set the microphone levels on the ARC Measurement software However even if the test signal is being played back from the speakers I cannot see any level What should I do Please check which audio input has been selected on the ARC Measurement Software Step 2 if the 48V phantom power is ON and if the XLR cable is properly connected eventually check if the cable is in good condition When I open the Measurements set on my ARC Plug in and turn the Correction ON the resulting sound is not optimal and I don t feel it is cor rect for my monitors and for my room Please read carefully the ARC System User Manual Chapters 3 amp 4 and repeat the measurement process When I open the Measurements set on my ARC Plug in and turn the Correction ON the resulting sound and the displayed response is strange and incorrect making the monitors sound worse than when ARC Plug in is not enabled Do you have any suggestions Please check if the ARC Measurement Microphone is working by con necting the microphone to a 48V phantom microphone preamp and listening to it through headphones The microphone should exhibit a neutral clean sound If the microphone is not working producing loud noises or having a very weak output signal please contact IK Multimedia Technical Support 5
34. g examples Example 1 Studio one chair one main listening position figure 4 13 wa wa wa wawawa wa era era wa wawawa A wa eral wa wa wawa wawawa WA wa w4 Too eo CC CC CT CCT COD OO O 8 8 8 CELEREERRREREEEEREEEA Listening Area figure 4 13 Main position is marked as 1 and it is perfectly centered between the two speakers at the listening position This is the position you should use to calibrate levels see Paragraph 4 5 and for the 1st measurement All other measurements are symmetrical to an imaginary central line so 32 4 Using the ARC Measurement ARC System measurements after the initial one Main position are taken alternatively on the Left and Right side Example 2 Studio two chairs wider listening position figure 4 14 tttttttttttttttttttttt Listening Area figure 4 14 Main position is marked as 1 and it is perfectly centered between the two speakers at the listening position This is the position you should use to calibrate levels and for the 1st measurement All other measurements are symmetrical to an imaginary central line so measurements after the initial one Main position are taken alternatively on the Left and Right side The optimized listening area is wider than the one shown in figure 4 13 so the measured points location are distributed in a way that covers the entire listening area 4 Using the ARC Measurement 33 ARC System Example 3 Stud
35. he licensed software except as provided in Paragraph 4 below pertaining to Software Transfer Storage Network use You may also store or install a copy of the IK Multimedia Product on a storage device such as a network server used only to install or run the IK Multimedia Product on your other computers over an internal network however you must acquire and dedicate a distinct license for each user of the IK Multimedia Product from the storage device Any given license for the IK Multimedia Product may not be shared or used concurrently or otherwise on different computers or by different developers in a given organization 3 AUTHORIZATION CODE The IK Multimedia Product only functions when you are in the possession of an authorization code You will receive an authorization code upon complet ing the authorization code request procedure Once your authorization code is activated you may use the product You agree to follow the authorization code request procedure and will provide true accurate and complete information about yourself If you provide any information that is untrue inaccurate not correct or incomplete or IK Multimedia has reasonable grounds to suspect that such information is untrue inaccurate not correct or incomplete IK Multimedia has the right to suspend or to revoke the license The termination of the license shall be without prejudice to any rights whatsoever of IK Multimedia 4 DESCR
36. hen bouncing the final mix down If you use mastering processors on the main Stereo Master BUS make sure to put these before ARC ARC will always have to be the very latest processor in your audio path A few the list is growing DAWs also have dedicated Monitoring BUS so inserting the plug in on this BUS is the best possible option Can I use another measurement microphone instead of the included one No this is not possible To achieve the best possible accuracy ARC must know the exact frequency response and directional pattern of the microphone used That is why the entire system is especially calibrated to the ARC Measurement Microphone and cannot be used with other measurement microphones Using another measurement microphone with the ARC System will give unpredictable results Can I use the included microphone for recordings other than for measurement Yes Measurement microphones usually exhibit a flat frequency response at the expense of a poor sensitivity and a noise level that is too high for high quality recording The ARC Measurement microphone exhibits a flat frequency response as well but at the same time the sensitivity noise level and max SPL are extremely good So once you have measured your room you ll be pleased by how well this micro phone sounds when recording various acoustic sources which turns 6 Frequently Asked Questions ARC System this microphone into a valuable tool that will be useful to you even after
37. importance it deserves See the next paragraph for a step by step description on how to take all measurements 4 Using the ARC Measurement ARC System 4 6 2 Take Measurements figure 4 18 To properly measure the room follow these simple steps Preparation to the measuring 1 DO NOT CHANGE ANY OF THE LEVELS THAT HAS BEEN SET AT POINT 4 5 2 Quiet down the room as much as possible e g if you are using a fan and or air conditioning please turn it Off while measuring your room 3 Be sure that the room doors or windows are set as they will be during your usual listening For example don t close the main door when measuring if this door is never closed while you are working or vice versa 4 If you usually work with a few persons attending the sessions please measure the room in the same conditions if it is possible Taking the measurements m Place the ARC Measurement Microphone at Main Position 2 Click TAKE MEASUREMENT Do not generate any noise during the measurement process 3 A measurement Chirp will be played 10 times on the Left speaker and 10 times on the Right per each measurement 4 Do not walk talk or move while the chirps are played or during pauses between the chirps 5 Do not touch the microphone until the ARC Measurement display says Move the microphone to the next position then click TAKE MEASUREMENT and the arrow has moved to the next measure ment number 6 When a mea
38. ing ARC Plug In in Cubase Launch Cubase and open your current project File Open Go to Devices Mixer or Mixer 2 In the stereo out channel click the e icon and then select ARC as the last insert from the insert menu Starting ARC Plug In in Logic Pro Logic Express Launch Logic and open your current project File Open Recent Then go to Audio Audio Mixer and insert ARC as the last plug in in the Out 1 2 track If you have to create an Audio object go to Windows Environment New Audio Object In the Audio Object s parameter box set the Channel parameter to the desired Logic Audio Outputs e g output stereo 1 2 Now insert ARC Plug In on the newly created Audio Object Starting ARC Plug In in Digital Performer Launch Digital Performer and open your current project File Open or Recent Files Go to Project Add Track Master Fader track Select an active output Then click on the last insert and select ARC from the IK Multimedia options 5 Using the ARC Plug in ARC System 5 1 6 Starting ARC Plug In in Live Launch Live and open your current Live Set File Open Recent Set In Plug In devices drag ARC from the Audio Units or VST plug in options and drop it on the stereo Master Track Remember that ARC should be the last plug in to be inserted so organize them accordingly 5 1 7 Starting ARC Plug In in Sonar Launch Sonar and open your current project File Open On the Master track right click
39. io one chair plus client couch listening area figure 4 15 figure 4 15 Main position is marked as 1 and it is perfectly centered between the two speakers at the listening position This is the position you should use to calibrate levels and for the 1st measurement All other measurements are symmetrical to an imaginary central line so measurements after the initial one Main position are taken alternatively on the Left and Right side The optimized listening area is extended to the client couch as well placing the microphone as shown on figure 4 15 will create a correction intervention that at the same time optimize the listening at the engineer s chair and at the client couch 34 4 Using the ARC Measurement ARC System Ina situation like this we suggest saving two measurements sets or correc tions so that one can be done with all 16 measurements at the engineer s chair and the other will include the client couch as well The most suitable correction will be loaded in the ARC Plug In depending if the client is pres ent and wants to listen from the couch Example 4 Movie mixing studio theater figure 4 16 Listening Area figure 4 16 Main position is marked as 1 and it is perfectly centered between the two speakers at the listening position This is the position you should use to calibrate levels and for the 1st measurement All other measurements are symmetrical to an imaginary central line s
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41. microphone Speakers figure 3 1 18 3 Setup for measurements ARC System 3 2 3 Passive Speakers setup Figure 3 2 shows one possible way to connect your system components when passive speakers are used Monitor Controller Analog Mixer this device may not be present Volume Input Audio Interface OUT 1 2 Power Amplifier MIC GAIN MIC Input Turn 48V Phantom Power ON ARC Measurement microphone Speakers figure 3 2 3 Setup for measurements 19 ARC System 3 2 4 Active Subwoofer and Powered Speakers setup Figure 3 3 shows one possible way to connect your system components when an Active Subwoofer is used together with powered speakers Monitor Controller Analog Mixer this device may not be present Volume Audio Interface OUT 1 2 Subwoofer MIC GAIN MIC Input Turn 48V Phantom Power ON ARC Measurement microphone Satellites figure 3 3 20 3 Setup for measurements ARC System 3 2 5 How to connect the ARC Measurement Microphone Please connect the ARC Measurement Microphone to a high quality micro phone preamplifier enabling the 48V phantom power supply Please check these two options both are ok a The preamplifier is built in in the audio interface In this case the microphone will be directly connected to the XLR input on the audio interface without using any attenuator pad and enabling the 48V phantom power b The audio interface h
42. o measurements after the initial one Main position are taken alternatively on the Left and Right side The entire sitting area is covered and the most accurate listening experi ence will be at main chair front line 4 Using the ARC Measurement 35 ARC System 36 Example 5 Project studio figure 4 17 Listening Area figure 4 17 Main position is marked as 1 and it is perfectly centered between the two speakers at the listening position This is the position you should use to calibrate levels and for the 1st measurement All other measurements are symmetrical to an imaginary central line so measurements after the initial one Main position are taken alternatively on the Left and Right side Only 12 measurements are shown here but as in all other examples we sug gest to take 16 20 measurements at least Please note that these are just examples Considering that all rooms are different you should experiment with various measuring patterns and take several measurement sets to maximize ARC System capabilities and expand your monitoring options Then you can store all measurement sets and recall them later on in the ARC Plug In allowing you direct on the fly comparisons It should be noted that the quality of the correction curve is only as good as the accuracy and care taken when doing measurements Since the measurement process is supposed to be done once we strongly suggest giving to this process the
43. one is omni directional This makes the proximity effect found on studio used cardioid microphones to disappear making it sounding very open and natural This aspect makes it even more useful considering that on entry level studios omni directional microphones are usually not an option Technical Specifications Type 1 4 precision measurement condenser microphone Polar pattern omnidirectional free field Capsule frequency response 20 16 000 Hz Calibrated frequency response when used with ARC 16 20 000 Hz 1 5 dB e Output transformerless electronically balanced 200 ohms output impedance e Sensitivity 50 mV Pa e Noise Equivalent Level 22 dB e Max SPL 130 dB for 3 THD ARC Measurement Software ARC Measurement Software is a standalone application that analyzes your speakers and room system and automatically calculates the best possible correction intervention that will be applied later on by the ARC Plug In The ARC Measurement Software works by sending test tones to your speak ers and at the same time recording the signal captured in the room by the ARC Measurement Microphone 15 ARC System 2 3 ARC Correction Plug In This multi platform plug in is the ARC System component that will apply the ARC System correction curve generated by the ARC Measurement Software to the monitoring system The ARC Plug In should be inserted on your DAW Stereo Master BUS or when possible on the Monitoring BUS 16 2
44. problems of the room precisely Consequently the ARC System requires at least 12 measurements for two main reasons 1 ARC System can fix the acoustics of a room from various listening area at the same time To do that it needs to measure each listen ing area 2 Even if you are planning to listen in a small area ARC System requires at least 12 measurements to properly describe different listening points even if they are separated a few inches one from the other After clicking TAKE MEASUREMENT this button will change its status to CANCEL So to stop a running measurement press CANCEL 4 Using the ARC Measurement 31 ARC System 4 6 1 Examples of measurement locations in various room types This section will visually describe a number of different audio production rooms with an indication of where the measurement microphone should be placed for each measurement However these diagrams should be taken as a guide The order of each of the 12 required measurements is not enforced However it is essential to take the measurements in a symmetrical pattern Using a clock quadrant as an example if you take a measurement at 9 o clock you need to take another measurement at 3 o clock and so on Now if you have two listening areas one chair plus client couch like in example 3 the result will be more accurate if you take one measurement set 12 required measurements or more per listening area Please check below the follow in
45. r room you need to connect the ARC Measurement Microphone to your audio interface and your audio interface to the speakers In general you will already have the speakers properly connected so you do not need to change anything on the speakers connections at all What is important is having a couple of outputs of your audio interface going to the speakers as directly as possible 3 2 1 Speakers connection Be sure that your Left L and Right R speakers are directly connected to a couple of your audio interface outputs If anything is present between your audio interface and your speakers like a mixer a monitor management sys 3 Setup for measurements 17 ARC System tem etc please check that their settings do not alter the audio signal in any way e g no tone controls no mono switch or phase reverse etc If you use a powered subwoofer that performs bass management just connect your audio interface outputs to the subwoofer inputs and your L amp R satellites to the proper subwoofer outputs This way the system will still be seen as a standard dual channel system with an increased low frequency extension 3 2 2 Powered Speakers setup Figure 3 1 shows one possible way to connect your system components when powered speakers are used Monitor Controller Analog Mixer this device may not be present Volume Audio Interface MIC GAIN OUT 1 2 MIC Input Turn 48V Phantom Power ON ARC Measurement
46. rformance The ARC Plug In shows two frequency response graphs figure 5 8 one for the Left channel and one for the Right channel Each frequency response graph is showing three color coded curves simultaneously figure 5 8 ORANGE CURVE Before represents the original measured speakers room frequency response WHITE CURVE After represents the corrected speakers room fre quency response 5 Using the ARC Plug in figure 5 11 5 2 5 5 2 6 ARC System GREEN CURVE Target represents the selected Target Curve In figure 5 4 the selected target curve was AUDYSSEY FLAT and you can see that it is actually flat from 20 to 20 000 Hz Analyze these graphs to understand where the correction curve was applied Speaker Icons The ARC Plug In shows the Speakers Icon that have been chosen after the measurement is saved on the ARC Measurement Software This is useful to identify and recall the measurement sets already taken and their association with a real speaker model The speakers icon selection is a mnemonic help and does not interact with the sound of the ARC System in any way Peak Meter This precision Peak Meter figure 5 9 can show the INPUT level unpro cessed or OUTPUT processed by the ARC System figure 5 9 On the Peak Meter click PRE figure 5 10 to check the input unprocessed signal level This mode is very useful to keep under control the actual Stereo Master level of your project
47. s because the Digital ID was not submitted dur ing the registration process In order to get a new Authorization Code please go to our FAQ page and read the How can I get a new Authorization Code FAQ I need to log in into the User Area but I forgot my User Name and Password What should I do Please go to www ikmultimedia com On the navigation bar click User Area On the top left please click on the I forgot my username and or password link located below the login button Ihave already installed registered and authorized my IK product in my main computer What do I have to do to use my IK product in other computers You need to install the program and get a new Authorization Code Please go to our FAQ page and read the How can I get a new Authorization Code FAQ 57 ARC System 58 I just bought an IK product What should I do to register and authorize my new product Visit our website www ikmultimedia com In the Support Area click on the Product Registration link In the Serial Number field of the Product Registration Form please insert the Serial Number written on the Registration Card included with your IK boxed product inside the license envelope or the one that has been delivered to you e g Online purchase such as a Digital Delivery or update Complete the Registration Form and click Submit Regarding the Authorization process if you already typed your Digital ID while filling the Pro
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49. sands of professional project and home studios worldwide While much emphasis is placed on the gear and tools used for composing mixing and mastering one of the most critical factors influencing the quality of a music production is the accuracy of the monitoring system In fact the combination of speakers and room acoustics prove to be the weakest link in the music production chain Near field monitor systems used in studio applications are designed to deliver sound without distortion or coloration However when monitors are placed in a room surrounding walls ceiling furniture and other objects reflect and absorb their sounds creating complex distortions specific to the room and causing them to lose the accuracy they have been designed for In other words you end up hearing more of the sound of the room than the actual music being produced The traditional solutions to this problem so far have been acoustic treatments traditional room correction EQ or lately advanced self calibrated monitor sys tems Unfortunately each of these options has some drawbacks which may not be the best alternative for today s DAW based music production scenarios Acoustic treatments require a degree of expertise in their set up that is not commonly available among musicians working in project and home studios At the same time it can be extremely expensive for professional studios especially when a precise sonic target result is required and the room
50. session go to Track New Select stereo Master Fader and click Create 44 1 kHz or 48 kHz sampling rate sessions Click on the last Master Fader insert and select ARC from the following path multichannel TDM plug in Other ARC stereo figure 5 2 HA SY INSERTS A E figure 5 2 5 Using the ARC Plug in ARC System ARC TDM multichannel stereo plug in only supports HD Accel systems and up to 48 kHz sampling rates ARC TDM plug in will not open on non HD Accel systems 88 2 kHz or 96 kHz sampling rate sessions The computing power offered by a single Accel DSP chip is not enough for two channels of ARC correction at these high sampling rates For this reason when working at 88 2 kHz and 96 kHz the ARC correction plug in must be used as a multi mono TDM plug in this allows Pro Tools HD to share the computing needs on two DSP chips To use ARC at higher sampling rates click on the last Master Fader insert and select ARC from the following path multi mono TDM plug in Other ARC mono figure 5 3 DM plug in RTAS plug in ARC mono figure 5 3 This way two ARC plug in instances will open one for Left and one for Right channel Pro Tools HD will keep the two instances aligned for you so any change you apply on one will automatically reflect on the other ARC TDM multi mono plug in only supports HD Accel systems and up to 96 kHz sampling rates on Stereo Master Faders or
51. st be told which microphone you are using to ensure the most accurate measurement possible The microphone selection screen is displayed as soon as the ARC Measurement application is opened figure 4 1 figure 4 1 4 Using the ARC Measurement 23 ARC System 24 To determine which microphone type you re using simply check the P N number on the label of your microphone and select the corresponding option on the ARC Measurement application figure 4 2 This number is located above the XLR connector on your microphone You can also deter mine which microphone type you have by looking to see if your microphone has an orange ring around the microphone located near the XLR connector figure 4 2 Once you have selected which microphone type you have click NEXT to proceed with the ARC Measurement process If you have not selected a microphone type you will not be able to click NEXT to continue IMPORTANT if the wrong microphone type is selected the resulting ARC correction will be incorrect Please take the time to make sure that you have selected the correct microphone to ensure an accurate measurement 4 Using the ARC Measurement ARC System 4 3 STEP 1 Welcome to ARC System After having selected the Microphone Type ARC will display its welcome screen Click NEXT to continue figure 4 3 figure 4 3 Note after you have completed each steps instructions click NEXT The follow ing step number will be reflec
52. stem the sound of your studio monitors and room Now you can easily select the measurement sets already taken from the ARC Plug In interface figure 1 5 This particular screen shot of the ARC Plug In figure 1 6 shows how a highly distorted monitoring system is flattened almost perfectly when MultEQ is applied In Orange is the actual room response in Green is the flat response of an ideal speakers room system and in White is the cor rected room response applied by ARC system As you can see the low frequency extension of the speaker is not pushed beyond the physical limits of the speaker another advantage in comparison to all conventional room correction EQ auto equalizers figure 1 6 13 ARC System 14 1 Overview ARC System Chapter 2 ARC System components 2 Components 2 1 2 2 ARC Measurement Microphone The ARC Measurement Microphone provides an overall higher quality when compared to regular low or mid priced measurement microphones Measurement microphones usually exhibit a flat frequency response at the expense of a poor sensitivity and a noise level that is too high for high quality recording The ARC Measurement Microphone exhibits a flat frequency response and at the same time sensitivity noise level and max SPL are extremely good This means that you will be able to use this mic not only to measure your room but also to record various acoustic sources In addition this microph
53. sure has been successfully taken its number is high lighted and the arrow moves to the next one figure 4 19 This figure 4 19 picture shows Measurement 1 successfully taken and the ARC 4 Using the ARC Measurement 37 ARC System figure 4 20 38 Measurement System stands by to acquire Measurement 2 Repeat points 2 3 4 5 6 for all measurements figure 4 20 You will not be able to press NEXT until 12 successful measure ments are taken 9 If possible always take more than the required 12 measurements We recommend to take from 16 to 20 measurements 10 Once you are done with the measurements click NEXT om 4 7 STEP 5 Calculate and Save your system correction Once all measurements have been taken you will be presented with the screen shown on figure 4 21 figure 4 21 Measurement name click on this field and give a name to the recently taken measurement set You can measure several speaker sets or vari ous listening conditions see paragraph 4 6 1 Examples of measure ment locations in various room types giving different names to them This feature is very useful because you will be able to instantly recall different measurement sets in the ARC Plug In to match the needed monitoring requirements Speaker icon after naming your measurement set and before pressing the NEXT button you can choose your preferred speaker icon This is just a mnemonic help to easily recall and associate your speakers
54. ted in the top left area as STEP 2 of 5 and the steps indicator will show you the steps already made 1 and the current step 2 4 Using the ARC Measurement 25 ARC System 26 4 4 STEP 2 Setup your Audio IO Select your audio hardware here and choose which channels to use for speaker s outputs and for the microphone input figure 4 4 figure 4 4 Audio Hardware click on this menu to select the audio interface you are going to use in the measurement process ASIO compatible interfaces will be listed on Windows and CoreAudio compatible interfaces will be listed on Mac OS X OUTPUT L click on this menu to select the audio interface output that is con nected to the LEFT speaker for example Output 1 OUTPUT R click on this menu to select the audio interface output that is con nected to the RIGHT speaker for example Output 2 Microphone INPUT click on this menu to select the audio interface input where the ARC Measurement Microphone is connected Remember to set the Gain at middle position now and to turn on 48V phantom power supply ASIO Panel this button only appears on Windows where ASIO drivers are used IMPORTANT NOTE considering that the measurement process must be done at 48 kHz the ARC Measurement Software must set your audio interface sampling rate at 48 kHz For this reason please check in your audio interface that the sampling rate is not locked and that 48 kHz is supported and allowed
55. the sweet spot usually where the mixing engineer is seated but you can also measure multiple positions in the room ensuring the most accurate representation of its acoustical problems in the overall space figure 1 4 In fact instead of applying a regular standard EQ as all other systems do that will be valid only on the sweet spot making all other room areas sound worse than before the ARC System will analyze all your studio zones such as your center sweet spot producer desk or client couch Then it will provide a correction curve that effectively works on all of the zones at the same time Once the measurement sets have been taken the ARC Measurement Software will save its results as a file that describes the room acoustics and its relative correction If you have various speakers configura tions just repeat the process taking multiple measurement sets and saving them in different files The overall measurement process will take only a few minutes but the ARC System will give you a timeless solution 2 The second step is to apply the correction as a plug in in your preferred DAW Open your DAW such as Pro Tools Cubase Logic Sonaro Live Digital Performer etc and insert ARC Plug In figure 1 5 on the Stereo Master BUS enable the Correction On and voila the alterations introduced by your room acoustics will be corrected This will allow you to finally trust 1 Overview 1 Overview ARC Sy
56. to another one on the fly allowing you to compare your saved options and match your different needs It will also show graphical frequency responses for the Left and Right chan 5 Using the ARC Plug in 43 ARC System 5 2 1 figure 5 4 5 2 2 figure 5 5 44 nels before and after the correction The ARC Plug In alters the Stereo Master BUS level For this reason a preci sion Peak Meter is included to show both Input or Output levels PRE POST so that the actual project Master level can still be kept under control Measurement menu Click on this menu figure 5 4 to select the Measurement set you saved from the ARC Measurement System You can save various measurement sets and use them at your convenience e g for several speaker systems or for various listening situations Target Curve menu To cover a wide range of room types ARC System provides a selection of four Target Curves created by Audyssey Click on this menu figure 5 5 to select one of these four Target Curves e AUDYSSEY FLAT e AUDYSSEY HF Roll off 1 e AUDYSSEY FLAT Mid Comp e AUDYSSEY HF Roll off 1 Mid Comp Once your measurement is done listen to material that you re familiar with using the ARC Plug In on your DAW Stereo Master BUS To start select the FLAT target curve and listen carefully to the speakers system AUDYSSEY FLAT the system will correct the frequency response so that the final response will be very close
57. w to use Aux tracks Monitoring Bus Master tracks faders etc Therefore the indications about how to start ARC in several host applications are just a starting point a guideline For example if your session already has a Master track you do not need to create another one 5 Using the ARC Plug in 39 ARC System 40 S11 5 1 2 just insert ARC as the last plug in To expand your knowledge it will probably be a good idea to read your DAW manual specially the chapters related to outputs Monitoring bus Master tracks routing configurations etc Starting ARC Plug In RTAS in Pro Tools LE Launch Pro Tools and open your current session If you do not already have a Stereo Master Fader in use in your session go to Track New Select stereo Master Fader and click Create Click on the last track insert and select ARC from the following path multi channel plug in Other ARC This RTAS plug in supports all Sample Rates up to 96 kHz and is only avail able as a multichannel plug in The ARC RTAS plug in can be used in Pro Tools HD sessions however Pro Tools HD adds latency to the whole session when using RTAS plug ins on the Master Bus To avoid this added latency we suggest using the TDM ARC plug in on Pro Tools HD Accel systems Starting ARC Plug In TDM in Pro Tools HD Accel Launch Pro Tools and open your current session If you do not already have a Stereo Master Fader in use in your
58. with a particular measurement set but it does not affect the sound in any way 4 Using the ARC Measurement ARC System Chapter 5 Using the ARC Plug In ARC Plug In figure 5 1 is a multiplatform audio processor that applies the correction curve calculated by the ARC Measurement Software to the incom ing audio stereo signal in real time figure 5 1 ARC Plug In is compatible with TDM RTAS VST and AudioUnits plug in for mats on both when they apply Windows XP Vista and Mac OS X platforms 5 1 Opening the ARC Plug In in your DAW ARC Plug In is a stereo to stereo processor that should be inserted on the Stereo Master BUS of your Audio Sequencer or Digital Audio Workstation The ARC Plug In should remain inserted and active on the Stereo Master BUS dur ing the entire recording mixing and mastering processes Just before printing the final mixdown to a file or to an external recording device it should be turned OFF This is because the ARC Plug In is used to correct the monitoring room system response and it is NOT intended to process the mixdown of your project A few DAWS support a dedicated Monitoring BUS where you can insert plug ins In those cases the ARC Plug In should be inserted on the Monitoring BUS instead of the Stereo Master BUS considering that the ARC Plug In will not process the mixdown of your project even if you don t turn it OFF before printing the mix Each DAW has its own criteria about ho
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