Published in the September 2008 issue of DJ Times Magazine
Volume 21 - Number 9

Mixing in a room with poor acoustics is like trying to paint a picture with 3-D glasses on.

Standing waves, flutter echoes, and low-frequency room modes are some of the culprits that prevent you from hearing what is really going on in your mix. Hiring an acoustical engineer is an expensive endeavor and learning the science of acoustics is a full-time job unto itself.

So Italy’s IK Multimedia—based Stateside in Sunrise, Fla.—has come to the rescue by creating its ARC System (Advanced Room Correction) as a solution for engineers of all levels to make their mixing environment more accurate.

The ARC System ($699 list) consists of a calibrated microphone, stand-alone room-analysis software, and a multi-platform correction plug-in that goes on the master bus. Using the microphone in conjunction with the analysis software, the ARC System measures the acoustics of the studio using Audyssey MultEQ technology. It then corrects identified time and frequency response problems in the control room. The results are saved as a preset and can be recalled in any DAW that uses VST, RTAS, or AU plug-ins.

The included manual and on-screen instructions provide an easy to understand step-by-step guide to this process and it took about 20 minutes to run the test. Phantom power and 48 kHz operation is required to give juice to the condenser mic and play the test tones, respectively.

It is recommended that you try testing the room a few times. According to the company, this is recommended because “often times the first test can be inaccurate because you are getting used to the system and how it should be set up. The more times you run the test, the better at it you will get, and it will result in a more accurate reading. If you have done the test correctly, you should have very similar results in the room every time.”

To properly gauge the effectiveness of the ARC System, it needs to be used during the entire production process—recording, mixing, and, if needed, mastering. It is applied as the last insert on the master fader and is only turned off when exporting to a file. For this review, I produced a two-minute song that included multi-tracked programmed drums, bass and electric guitar. The first time around, the ARC correction plug-in was engaged and the second time, the song was produced without it.
This test is flawed because during the second production and mix, I was already familiar with the song. However, the one made with ARC engaged simply sounded better. The lows were clearer and the mix had an overall shine that was lacking from the non-ARC mix. I would imagine that any particular user would have to run many of their own tests to see if their mixes began to translate better to the world outside their control room.

A drawback with the ARC System is that it can only be used within a DAW and that prohibits iTunes or other players from being used for referencing. It is a well-known technique to listen to works that you regard as sounding good to compare to a mix in progress. This requires importing that file into your session and incorporating it into the session to pass it through the same master bus. If using a sequencer with a limited track count (like Pro Tools LE), this is a problem.

According to the company, IK Multimedia is “currently working on an update to let ARC work across the whole system, so you will be able to use it with iTunes, video games, DVDs, etc., in the future.”

It is important to note that the ARC System will not improve the fidelity of your monitors. If you are already accustomed to the way your room sounds, then you probably do a little compensation of your own to get mixes to translate better to the dancefloor. That being said, if you do have serious inconsistencies with the way mixes sound on different systems, then this might be the perfect solution to your acoustic nightmares. If you have a very limited sweet spot and poor stereo imaging, ARC might also be what your control room needs.

If you have any questions for Phil Moffa or Making Tracks, please send them to djtimes@testa.com.