MSC1_RMC

The MSC1 includes JBL’s acclaimed RMC Room Mode Correction technology that measures your room and tackles low frequency problems caused by room modes and boundary conditions. The MSC1 comes with everything needed to calibrate your system including a Calibration Mic, MSC1 Control Center Software*, and accessory cables. Calibration is simply carried out using the supplied microphone, MSC1 Control Center Software and your computer. Before measuring your room, Control Center meticulously measures the signal path of your audio system to set the stage for an accurate speaker calibration. Control Center Software guides you through every step. Once your system has been measured, re-calibration of your speakers is fast and easy and can be done at any time. After RMC calibration, the MSC1 works as a stand-alone controller and connection to a computer is not required.

MSC1 Control Center Software is a sophisticated software program that not only manages the RMC Room Mode Correction process, it also checks your computer audio signal path to ensure accurate calibration of your speaker system. Using flash animations, Control Center software walks you through each step of the process. Once your computer and audio interface have been measured, calibration of your speaker system is fast and can be easily repeated at any time.

Control Center Software checks your computer settings and asks you to confirm if you are using an external audio interface or the computer’s internal sound card for RMC calibration.

During the system check, Control Center provides animated on screenv instructions that guide you in setting the MSC1 and audio interface and for the tests.

After performing system tests, Control Center provides instructions for mic placement prior to calibrating your speaker system.

The MSC1 includes accessory cables needed for calibration. Control Center shows you the cables and connections needed for each step of the system check.

During the RMC Process, Control Center measures your speaker system, identifies low frequency room modes and boundary conditions, calculates corrective filters and downloads coefficients to the MSC1 Controller. Following calibration Control Center displays the a graphic image and numeric values of the filters applied to the feed to each speaker and subwoofer.

A JBL first, the RMC™ Room Mode Correction system includes everything needed to analyze LF problems and restore low frequency accuracy at the mix position. RMC is included in JBL’s premium LSR6300 series and LSR4300 Series. The MSC1 makes RMC available at a most affordable price point for use with any speakers.

In low bass region, the ROOM is in control – Rooms resonate at low frequencies. The resonance is the result of Standing Waves or Room Modes. Room modes can mislead you give you a false impression of bass at the mix position. A Room Mode is caused by the room’s geometry. In a typical project studio, the strongest room modes exist at 60Hz and below. When your speakers play bass frequencies, say from a bass guitar, the room may resonate at the frequency of the room mode. The effect is a boomey sound that continues to ring even after the note is gone. This is perceived to be a problem in the mix, when actually it is a problem in the room. Depending on where the speakers are placed and where you are sitting, it can be very dramatic. If you don’t correct for this problem, you may attenuate, limit or eq bass signals that excite the problem. But the problem is not the mix. It is the way the mix sounds in that specific room. And if you react by changing your mix, the mix will sound bass-light everywhere else it is played.

Professional studios eliminate the problem by building real bass traps in the control room. Since low frequencies wave lengths are very long (50 Hz has a 22 foot wave length) it takes a lot of space and mass to absorb the frequencies that excite the room modes. Most studios have neither the room or budget to build real bass traps. Putting absorptive material on the walls does not help low frequency problems. Additionally, a speaker’s proximity to walls and the work surface can cause reinforcement of upper base frequencies, and coloration that may also adversely affect mix balances.

JBL RMC™ Room Mode Correction in the MSC1 is an analyzer that measures the problem and applies filters that dramatically improve the bass performance. It can make a big difference in problematic rooms. Once the system is calibrated, you can make better mixes, that sound right when played on other systems. Achieving mix balances is no longer a struggle and mixing is a pleasure.

(*Control Center Software is compatible with XP and Vista 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems. Use on a Macintosh computer requires Macintosh Version MSC1 Control Center, and Macintosh OS. MSC1 Control Center Software for Macintosh OS available Spring 2010. Check this website for updates.)