SPL MMC 1

As the first manufacturer worldwide, SPL has developed a stereo and multi-channel mastering console. The goal of the development was a console which is superior in audio quality to all known and foreseeable audio formats, whether analogue or digital, allowing an unrestricted reproduction of the sonic quality of SACD and DVD-Audio and to be a safe capital investment.

The MMC 1 operates in the center of a mastering environment fulfilling the tasks of speaker management, source connectivity, audio metering, track assignment, master and monitor level setting and automated insert routing of external processors.

Fade In ... Digital audio formats are subject to further development and change. The degree of incompatibility enforced by the “format war” between PCM and DSD has persuaded us to decide for a technology that is superior in dynamic range, headroom and sound quality – and that is discrete analogue technology in its most advanced implementation.

There are further requirements speaking for the employment of high-performance analogue technology:

• The number of necessary AD/DA conversions should be reduced to a minimum. Digital sources can be connected to a digital router (i.e. of Z-Systems), which outputs the selected source through the preferred DA converter to the MMC 1. Thus it is ensured that the sound quality remains comparable and is not affected by converter differences.
• From a sound-aesthetical view, high-quality analogue outboard processing is superior to digital processing. The analogue concept allows for problem-free integration of those processors.
• Monitors and power amplifiers are mostly analogue designs. Why have another converter in that chain?

New Technologies:

In the MMC 1 SPL’s new SUPRA operation amplifiers are used throughout. They operate at 120 V operating voltage. During a four-year period, SPL has researched this discrete operation amplifier, until the basis of a new generation of analogue audio technology was found. The SUPRA operation amplifier obtains a signal-to-noise ratio of 116dB with an headroom of 34dB. The dynamic range amounts to 150dB with a frequency bandwidth ranging to 200kHz.

With these basic specs, the MMC 1 is beyond the requirements of today's PCM digital formats up to 24 bit and 192kHz sampling rate or DSD digital format with 1 bit and 256 fs. It is not to be expected that digital technology will offer an environment in foreseeable time, in which the MMC 1 could become a “bottle neck”. 

The MMC 1 configuration in short:

• In the Source section the Inputs (4x stereo/ 4x 8-channel) and Returns (8x stereo/ 8x 8-channel) can be selected.
• The Input section offers a passive router to re-assign the track configurations of the various surround formats to match the SMPTE/ITU standard. Each input channel is equipped with an On, Phase Reverse and a special Trim switch for precise gaining in 0.5dB steps from -9,5dB to +6dB.
• The Insert section is quite unique. It offers control functions for an automated patchbay, called Insert Box. Up to eight 8-channel processors can be connected to this outbreak 19” unit. The mastering engineer can store and compare up to four sequences by a push of a button. An all-over bypass switches the Insert Box in and out of processing.
• The Monitor section features a central Monitor Level control and switches for Mute and Dim levels. Two stereo loudspeaker sets and two surround loudspeaker sets of up to eight speakers can be connected to the MMC 1. The speaker management offers an On and a Solo switch for each loudspeaker. The Solo function operates as Solo-in-place. With the Solo-to-Center switch each speaker can be monitored through the centre speaker for better comparison.
• The Master section is dominated by a second eight channel level control. With the Master Level control, the overall output level of the desk to the recording sends is governed. The range of adjustment is from -10dB to +10dB.
• The Output section offers the same Trim switch for precise gaining as used in the Input section. Level differences, which may have been introduced by outboard processing, can be compensated for each channel in 0.5dB steps ranging from -9.5dB to +6dB.