The Ultimate Monitoring Experience ! Revolutionary Monitoring Solution With Your Choice of Monitors ! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!“Awesome” Elliot Scheiner – Engineer (Foo Fighters, The Eagles, Steely Dan!" Willisoundz II, Nashville, TN 2 " There is no more important element in a control room than accurate monitoring. “The PhantomFocus™ System Our experience tuning dozens of control room (PFS™) addresses the sonic monitors in every imaginable control room environment – from bedrooms to million-dollar response of the Acoustic Trinity™ recording complexes of our own design or Yes Master mastering, Nashville, TN, — the relationship between the with Lipinski monitors in a Mid–Field others’ – has taught us this: Great speakers in a PhantomFocus System speaker, the listener and the room great room do not equal great monitoring. — as a single entity, as if it were a The award–winning Blue Grotto, The PhantomFocus System is a Nashville, TN, with Dynaudio M3 and new speaker being designed on a custom turnkey solution for M1 monitors in a Dual PhantomFocus test bench in an audio lab, System studios desiring the highest level rendering the ultimate monitoring of monitoring accuracy in their experience. Attempting to control room environment – any optimize these three elements environment – any speakers! independently rather than by their sum in a monitoring system, Utilizing an amalgam of techniques, is tantamount to acoustic sacrilege proprietary protocols, hardware and software, the acclaimed PhantomFocus System is a and challenges the laws of powerful tool in optimizing monitor systems. physics.” — Carl Tatz Without using any sort of psychoacoustic DSP, but rather relying on the laws of physics and Great speakers in a great room do powerful high-resolution digital processing, the PFS concentrates on full and accurate not equal great monitoring. frequency response and “reach out and touch Although proper acoustic treatment in a control the vocalist” imaging where pinpoint detail is room is vital to good monitoring, a common spread out before the listener in an almost myth is that it will “tune” your speakers to holographic panorama. Room acoustic accuracy. evaluation precedes system implementation. 3 PFS With Focal Twin 6B Monitors Dual PFS With Dynaudio M3/ Yamaha NS10 Monitors “The PFS is absolutely remarkable. Looking back I feel like I was “After hearing a PhantomFocus System using NS10Ms, I was mixing with only a 3-pack of Crayola Crayons, but now I've got very impressed, and frankly, I didn’t expect to be... Awesome!” – the entire spectrum to work with which is so much more exciting.” Elliot Scheiner – Engineer (The Eagles, Steely Dan, Foo – Eric Brengle – Engineer/Producer/Artist, Owner Fighters) NashvilleMix, Nashville, TN 4 Near-field monitoring is the backbone of the Introducing the PhantomFocus studio industry that engineers rely on to make System – where near-fields their tracking and mixing decisions. Some near- field speakers are designed to go down to as low become mains as 30Hz; however, in practice, speaker-stand or Traditionally, large monitors in a studio have console-mounted near-fields will invariably been used to “see what the low-end is doing,” and result in a severe dip starting at about 100Hz – near-fields are used most of the time to make the 150Hz and then return somewhat to their native sonic decisions, with or without a subwoofer. low-end extension (see graph). This is due to the various low frequency cancelations caused by the With the PhantomFocus System, now the boundary effects of floor, walls, ceiling and engineer can enjoy the intimacy and impact of console bounces, as well as axial room mode near-fields along with the enveloping low end Top: Typical frequency response of interaction. of large in-wall monitors – the perfect console mounted near-fields before and combination. However, the system goes well Therefore, making comments or decisions about after PFS implementation beyond that in two ways: One – the listener will low-frequency information is a little like The be hearing the accurate, anechoic chamber Bottom: Frequency response of main Emperor’s New Clothes, and of course it’s not response curve of his speakers in his studio monitors before and after PFS just the low-end being distorted by these issues. environment for the first time with imaging that implementation Then, if a subwoofer is added to extend the low- has to be heard, not explained (see testimonials). frequency performance, what you end up with Two – the low frequency extension of the system are inaccurate speakers with some low-end. will be typically around 20Hz – 25Hz. This is why several speaker manufacturers have Surprisingly, many large soffit monitors do not offered “auto-tune” DSP to their monitors in an go that low. attempt to ameliorate or at least temper these A Mid-Field PhantomFocus System offers the problems, because they realize that it is same qualities as the near-field system but with impossible for them to build a monitor that is an enlarged sonic image and longer throw. immune to fluctuating real-world conditions. These systems have been implemented in However, it is also impossible to design “auto- mastering suites and often used in Dual tune” that can be as aggressive and as PhantomFocus Systems where the near-field intuitive as it needs to be. It would be like and mid-field speakers share the same being able to buy a “mix” software program subwoofer system but are tuned separately. where you could simply press a button for A Mains PhantomFocus System may be “Rock,” “Pop,” “Jazz,” “Country,” “Hip- configured several ways including a Dual Hop,” etc., depending on the project you were PhantomFocus System. working on, and it would come out perfect every time. 5 Near-Field System Mid-Field System Main Monitor System The most popular PhantomFocus Mid-Field Systems deliver the same Depending on the studio’s goals, the System choice offers the frequency full frequency response as the Near- main monitors can either be tuned to range of large mains but with the Field System but with a wider and maximize the existing monitors, have intimacy and impact of near-field larger image. Pictured, a PFS is used the low end extended or match the speakers. Here the PFS is coupled here with a pair of Quested monitors low frequency response of the Near- with Dynaudio M1 monitors and a at Full Moon Studios. Fields in Dual PhantomFocus Carl Tatz Signature Series™ by “Carl Tatz installed a Mid-Field System (a Near-Field PFS will often Auralex control room acoustics PhantomFocus System in Full Moon have a more extended low end than package creating the CTD Recording’s ICON control room, large mains). Pictured here is the The MixRoom™, where a former utilizing the existing Quested HQ210s. Gallery at Reba McEntire’s bedroom is transformed rendering The results have been amazing; mixes Starstruck Studios in Nashville with spectacular results, down to 25Hz. now have unreal stereo imaging and Boxer T5 monitors. “In my career, I have been insane bass response. The “With the PhantomFocus System, privileged to work in studios all over PhantomFocus System has been the Carl Tatz has given our mains new the world, but the experience of best investment I have ever made in purpose. Incredibly, what you hear is using the PFS in my MixRoom my studio!” – Ron Ruane – Full what you’ve got, at any volume – We trumps them all - and at a very Moon Recording, Charlottesville, love it! Our clients love it!” – Cliff affordable cost.” – Dream Room VA Williamson – COO, Reba’s Owner/Engineer Bob Bullock Business, Inc., Starstruck Studios, (Shania Twain, George Strait, " Nashville, TN Reba McEntire) 6 " FAQ All systems using Is the PhantomFocus System some and phase control; dampening near-fields share sort of DSP-based psychoacoustic modules and proprietary speaker identical speaker effect? stands. spacing, tweeter- to-tweeter, No. Quite simply, it relies on the laws Mid-field systems include the same of physics to set up and tune monitors enhancing image elements but can require custom in the listening position, correcting stands that are to be determined per compatibility frequency and phase anomalies that implementation. from system to are commonly overlooked in studio system. control rooms. Soffited Main Monitor Systems may include all of the above without the Are you using an RTA and a graphic stands depending on the studio’s EQ to change the frequency specific goals. response? How long does it take? Phase and frequency information is The Four Basic Systems: measured using a 1/24-octave time Once preliminary consultation and domain data analyzer. The tuning is evaluation is complete, on average, PFS One: 5,000 peak Watts – 114dB for control rooms performed by actively adjusting the two days – the first day for the up to 9,500 cubic feet – 15Hz extension crossover frequency points, slope and physical alignment and the second to gain while the phase relationship tune. PFS Two: 4,000 peak Watts – 111dB for control between the speakers and the Can I use a PFS One in a small rooms up to 7,400 cubic feet – 20Hz extension subwoofer system is continuously room? monitored assuring a sonically PFS Three: 4,000 peak Watts – 111dB for control seamless coupling. High-resolution Absolutely. There is no danger of rooms up to 5,400 cubic feet – 25Hz extension (24 bit/96kHz) digital parametric overpowering the room. You will equalization is applied at the same only benefit from higher performance PFS Four: 2,000 peak Watts – 105dB for control time toward a target frequency curve in the low end. rooms up to 2,500 cubic feet – 25Hz extension followed by a period of critical listening and tweaking. I already have a sub woofer. Can I System choice is based on, but not limited to, the desired use that in the system? sonic muscle and cubic footage of the control room.