SM Pro Audio M-Patch Monitor Control Station

Manufacturer's Description for SM Pro Audio M-Patch Monitor Control Station

An affordable high-quality problem solver for mixerless DAW and nonlinear video production environments, the M-Patch provides an ideal desktop stereo level control solution for any monitoring or distributed sound application.

Features
Passive volume control

Independent Main & Aux controls

A/B multiple outputs

Balanced and unbalanced input (XLR, RCA)

Stereo/Mono summing switch

Mute function switch

2 x stereo input sources

2 x stereo output destinations (A&B)

3.5mm input for soundcard matching

Half rack sized desktop design

The M-Patch is essentially a multi channel stereo attenuator using passive circuitry designed for users wishing to work without outboard mixers or bit-degrading digital volume attenuators. The M-Patch provides stereo level control solutions for any monitor or distributed sound application. Featuring two rotary controls for precise two x stereo channel level adjustments, and housed in a compact half rackmount sized chassis, the M-Patch passive volume control and patch control device is perfectly suited to serve in any common capacity in which more control over volume is desired. From desktop, mixerless DAW and MIDI systems in which no mixer is present to public presentations, professional multichannel installations, distributed sound systems, or audio and video post production environments, the M-Patch adds high quality zone and/or channel control wherever it's needed.

No active circuitry. No buffers, transistors, batteries, or power supplies of any kind. The M-Patch adds no gain to the signal. It simply just attenuates the signal. There is nothing electronic to break down. That's it.. pure, simple transparent.

The M-Patch's dual rotary controls allows precise level adjustments within 1dB from 0 to -40dB, with � .5dB interchannel accuracy to -60 dB. In addition, the M-Patch features completely balanced operation with its combo XLR/TRS input jacks, and XLR outputs, and can be used in unbalanced applications with the RCA & 3.5mm stereo input connectors. Two stereo output channels are provided (A&B) with a selector switch on the front panel.

The M-Patch is a true problem solver. It will work seamlessly within your system, is very transparent and silent. You will now be able to keep your bit levels up in your system, eliminate using your mixer, and keep all volumes at an acceptable level. This is a very handy tool for a wide variety of applications.

You can use M-Patch anywhere you want to trim the amount of gain; ie, reduce the volume of analog audio signals. For example, you could use one to trim the output of a microphone pre-amplifier. With its high-quality potentiometer, the M-Patch passes signal more accurately, and sounds better than most built-in volume controls. Another use might be to trim the levels of a 5.1 or greater multi-channel monitor system -- either one pair of channels, or two, or all of them. You can also use a M-Patch to trim the output level of a Digital to Analog Converter like those found in high end pre-amplifiers. Or as a local volume control for distributed audio systems. The possibilities are endless.

Handy application..
The M-Patch is great for those times when you prefer to monitor directly from the outs on your sound card or audio interfaces main outputs directly to your monitors. When your monitors are on they are normally extremely loud. As a result, you may become a bit frustrated as the volume is often simply too high to be comfortable. Your only choices is to either hook up through an external mixer and attenuate the signal or to attenuate the signal in the computer outputs, thereby degrading your bit-levels. Neither solution is completely satisfying. Mixers adds color to the signal and reducing the digital output in the computer will compromise the fidelity of your audio.

Typically you should connect the output of your soundcard to the input of the M-Patch using RCA, TRS or XLR jacks. Then you should connect XLR cables from the outputs of the M-Patch to your active monitors or the amplifier that powers the monitors. Turn the volume all the way up on your monitors, software volume control, or amplifier and use the M-Patch on your desktop to control your monitor level. Simple, effective, transparent. zZounds is an authorized dealer of SM Pro Audio products.