IK Multimedia has announced ARC System: Advanced Room Correction System, which they claim is the first acoustic room correction system in a DAW plug-in.

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. When monitors are placed in a room, the surrounding walls, ceiling, furniture and other objects reflect and absorb their sounds; creating complex distortions specific to the room- causing them to lose the accuracy they have been designed for, and you end up hearing more of the sound of the room than the music actually being produced.

IK Multimedia has teamed up with the leading provider of sound equalization solutions, Audyssey, for the production of an innovative, low-cost and mobile solution to correct the distortion problems caused by room acoustics: ARC system.

ARC System delivers an advanced solution to acoustical problems for any DAW-based studio. Combining a professionally calibrated microphone, standalone software that captures sound information and calculates proper room correction, and a multi-platform plug-in: this technology intends to improve how your studio sounds forever.

ARC features the "revolutionary" Audyssey MultEQ technology, which measures acoustical information throughout the listening area in your studio. It then combines this information to provide an accurate representation of the room's acoustical problems. The equalization solution then corrects for both time and frequency response problems effectively and efficiently. The result is a clear and reliable representation of your mix. Regardless of the acoustical issues in your studio, what you are recording, mixing or mastering becomes immediately clear and reliable and your studio sound will improve forever.

How ARC System works.
The first step is to measure your room by simply connecting the included professional measurement microphone to any phantom powered MIC input in your audio interface and launching the included ARC System measurement software for Mac/PC. Thanks to MultEQ technology, (and uniquely compared to other room correction EQ systems of advanced self-calibrating monitors) ARC System not only allows you to measure and correct the sweet-spot, (where normally, 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. This way you will be able to correct the sweet-spot, but also other various listening positions within the room.

The second step is to apply the correction as a plug-in in your preferred DAW by conveniently applying the ARC System plug-in on the master BUS of your DAW (such as Pro Tools, Cubase, Logic, Sonar, Live, etc.), enable the correction unit to "on", and voila': the distortion introduced by your room acoustics will be corrected, allowing you to finally trust the sound of your monitors and your studio.

Your studio sound will be improved forever. ARC System represents one of the most advanced solutions to acoustical problems for any DAW-based studio, dramatically improving the acoustics of home and project studios as well as correcting even the highest acoustically treated high-end studios. The ARC System featuring Audyssey MultEQ technology produces results like you've never heard before, improving the accuracy of your monitoring system. When you experience ARC's Advanced Room Correction System, the perspective of what you are recording, mixing or mastering becomes immediately clear and reliable and you'll work on mixes faster because you're sure of what you're hearing. You will finally be able to trust the sound of your studio.

ARC System includes:

1. Easy to use, step-by-step, room measurement software for Mac/PC.
2. VST, RTAS, AU correction plug-in for Mac/PC most popular DAWs (such as Pro Tools, Cubase, Logic, Sonar, Live, etc.).
3. Professional measurement microphone:
   • Type: 1/4" precision measurement condenser microphone.
   • Polar pattern: omni-directional, free field.
   • Capsule frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000 kHz +/- 5dB.
   • Calibrated frequency response when used with ARC: 20 Hz – 20,000 kHz, +/- 2 dB.
   • Output: transformerless, electronically balanced, 200 ohms output impedance.
   • Sensitivity 50 mV/Pa.
   • Noise Equivalent Level: 22 dB.
   • Max SPL: 130 dB for 3% THD.

ARC System Measurement Software features

• Automatic multi-point room measurement system, wizard based, based on Audyssey MultEQ technology.
• Measurement precision when used with ARC System microphone: +/- 1.5 dB.
• Requires 48 kHz operation (only for measurements).
• Requires ASIO Audio Hardware on Windows Vista or XP, CoreAudio on Mac OS X.
• Saves Measurements sets to be opened on the ARC System Correction Plug-In.

ARC System Correction Plug-In features

• Multi platform high quality Frequency AND Time correction processor based on Audyssey MultEQ technology.
• Correction precision when used with ARC System microphone: +/- 1.5 dB.
• Correction processor resolution: 32 bits floating point.
• Correction processor supported sampling rates: 32 kHz to 96 kHz.
• Four target curves.
• Graphic Frequency response display.

Price & Availability

ARC System will have a MSRP of €579/$699 (comparable to a low-cost room acoustic treatment kit). A crossgrade version for all IK registered users will also be available at the reduced price of €419/$499. The product is expected to be available through IK's network of dealers and distributors within the last quarter of 2007. Pre-orders are already available at the IK online store.