Your studio is only as good as your monitoring setup, and a central monitor controller like the JBL MSC1 is a must-have for a professional recording and mixing environment. Adjusting the output level using your interface can be detrimental to your signal's sound quality, as it compromises the gain structure of your monitoring path. After all, you rarely see professional studios plugging monitor speakers directly into the outputs of an audio interface. With two pairs of 1/4" TRS inputs, stereo RCA inputs, two pairs of 1/4" stereo outputs plus a mono 1/4" subwoofer output, the JBL MSC1 is the control center for all your audio routing. Adjust your monitors' volume with the MSC1's large, ergonomic gain knob, and then tweak your system's backend gain, phase, and balance via the MSC1's included control software. More than just a monitor controller, the JBL MSC1 can actually help you deliver better-sounding mixes: the included measurement microphone and easy-to-use room-correction software can detect "problem frequencies" and automatically compensate for less-than-ideal acoustics in your room. Factor in its affordable price, and the MSC1 is a must-have for the home or project studio.

Connect Two Pairs of Monitors Plus a Sub

Featuring three inputs, the JBL MSC1 acts as a central hub for all of your audio components. Plug in an audio interface, mixing console, and MP3 player, and quickly switch input devices with the push of a button. Connect main and auxiliary monitors to the MSC1's two pairs of stereo outputs, then toggle between them just by pressing a button. Switching between A and B sets of speakers can help you get a better perspective on your mix. There is also a separate subwoofer output, allowing you to independently control the level, phase, and crossover frequency of your favorite subwoofer. The JBL MSC1 also has a dedicated headphone output section with independent level control for artists or engineers who need to monitor the mix independent of the main monitor level.

Room Correction with a Real Measurement Microphone

The most impressive feature of the JBL MSC1 is JBL's highly acclaimed RMC room correction. RMC stands for Room Mode Correction and it combats the peaks and nulls in a room's frequency response. When a room is not acoustically treated, the frequency response is skewed, making it hard to actually tell what's happening with your mix. Low-end tends to build up in corners, and parallel walls cause room modes -- areas where there's a severe phase cancellation of a particular frequency. Mixing in a room with problem frequencies makes for mixes that don't translate well outside of your room -- because you are boosting or attenuating frequencies to compensate for your room's problems. The MSC1 can help you take the room out of the mix. Just plug in the included measurement microphone to make an audio blueprint of your room, and JBL's room-correction software will boost or cut frequencies to compensate. For example, if you mix in a square room, excessive bass build-up can make it seem like your mixes contain more low-end than they actually do. The JBL MSC1 can detect this problem and attenuate the lower frequencies, resulting in a more balanced and accurate sound.

Tweak Your System With Powerful Software

The JBL MSC1 features the intuitive and powerful MSC1 Control Center software. This software provides in-depth control of monitor EQ, speaker alignment delay, subwoofer balance, and bass-management crossover settings. Every aspect of the sound output can be calibrated here, making the MSC1 one of the most flexible central monitor controllers on the market. Before analyzing the acoustics in your room, the Control Center software guides you through the steps necessary to correct any problems in your audio path from the DAW to the MSC1. The MSC1 Control Center guides the user through the entire process using detailed, simple language and intuitive visual guides that are helpful to the beginner and expert alike.

Features:

- Master Volume Control
- Two Stereo 1/4" Outputs
- Three Stereo 1/4" Inputs
- USB Connection (Cable Included)
- Measurement Microphone and Cables included
- JBL MSC1 Control Center software
- Subwoofer Output with Gain Control and Selectable Crossover Frequencies
- Adjustable Low- and High-Frequency Speaker EQ
- Headphone Output with Volume Control
- Adjustable input gain with Signal and Clip indicator
- The MSC1 can be used with any studio monitor system

With the advancements made in digital recording, it has never been easier to set up a home studio. However, no room is perfect -- especially home studios that weren't built with acoustics in mind. Combining powerful and intuitive central monitor control and room correction to compensate for less-than-desirable acoustics, the JBL MSC1 helps you solve these problems. The JBL MSC1 comes with everything you need right out of the box -- cables, calibration mic, and MSC1 Control Center software are included. After you calibrate your MSC1 and your room, simply disconnect the JBL MSC1 from your computer and all the settings are saved internally. Any measurements taken by the MSC1 during the software correction are saved to the device and function without the JBL MSC1 connected to the computer, making the JBL MSC1 a standalone monitor control unit perfectly calibrated to your room. With the JBL MSC1 you will hear what's really happening in your mixes, and your work will shine like never before. zZounds is an authorized dealer of JBL products.

Specifications
- S/N, Dynamic Range: 110 dB typical A-weighted 20 Hz - 20 kHz
- Frequency Response: +0/-O.5 dB, 20 Hz - 20 kHz
- THD+N: < 0.04% A/D/A, 20 Hz - 20 kHz
- A/D, DA Converters: 24 Bit
- Internal Processing: 48 Bit, 48 kHz
- Maximum Input Level: +24 dBU 6.5mm (1/4 in. TRS Inputs) +4 dBu phono (RCA Inputs)
- Maximum Output Before Clipping: +17 dBu
- Power Requirements: 12 VDC, 0.5A
- Dimensions (W x D x H): 198 x 165 x 83 mm (7.8 x 6.5 x 3.25 in)
- Inputs A, B / C: 4 Balanced 1/4 in. TRS 2 Unbalanced RCA
- Outputs A, B and Subwoofer: 5 Balanced 1/4 in. TRS
- Headphone: Stereo 1/4 in.
- RMC Mic IN / OUT: 1/8 in. TRS
- Computer Interface: USB 2.0
- LF EQ Frequency: 20 Hz to 1.1 kHz Shelf 32 options
- LF EQ Gain: +/- 3 dB in .25 dB increments
- HF EQ Frequency: 2.5 kHz to 17 kHz Shelf 28 options
- HF EQ Gain: +/- 3 dB in .25 dB increments
- Level: +/- 10 dB from nominal in .5 dB increments
- Selectable Crossover Frequencies: 60 Hz, 80 Hz, 120 Hz
- Polarity: 0 degrees / 180 degrees

Dimensions and Weight in Packaging

Base Item

Shipping Weight: 5 lbs

Shipping Dimensions: 9 x 9 x 8 in

Product Description

The MSC1 Monitor System Controller includes essential "Monitor Strip" features found in large mixing consoles so you can take control of all monitoring functions from your place at the mix position. Since the acoustics of the room can play a big part in what you hear, the MSC1 includes JBL's highly acclaimed RMC Room Mode Correction Technology to tune your monitor system to the room. The end-result is a calibrated reference environment in which your speakers work in harmony with your room to take the guesswork out of mixing.

Features

- Master volume control

- A/B speaker select

- A/B/C input source select

- Subwoofer output with level control and selectable cross over frequencies

- Adjustable low frequency and high frequency speaker EQ

- Headphone output with volume control

- Monitor mute control

- RMC on/bypass control

- Adjustable input gain with Signal Present and Clip indicator

- Can be used with any studio monitor system

Now Available: MSC1 Control Center software for Apple/Mac! Download available in the support section at jblpro.com.