ikMultimedia ARC 4 Studio

[James Steele]

Well new product out:

https://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/arcstudio/

This is attractive to me because the correction is now contained in an external hardware box. No CPU hit on your computer... no latency. Have ik bucks or whatever and could get the system with the new mic for $220. Sorely tempted.

There is one downside... I would probably have to pull my Presonus Central Station out of mothballs to switch between pairs of monitors. Currently I was using the A/B capability of my 828es, but with a box like the ARC4 Studio, it has analog XLR ins/outs. I can think of a way to keep using the built in monitor switching of the 828es, since to switch you change between to different sets of physical analog outputs.

So... if I want to get ARC4 Studio, I would probably have to connect main XLR outs of 828es to the ARC Studio box, then out the ARC Studio Box to the input of my Central Station so that I could do the switch (and of course send the correct profile to the ARC Studio box once when I change over).

All that said, I'm really tempted at this point do go this route. Not having to remember to put a plugin on my master buss sounds very appealing!

[James Steele]

Pretty good video regarding this. I'm sure there are lots of others hitting YouTube:

[mikehalloran]

Hmmmmm…. I’ve not found any of the software bypass solutions satisfactory and have given up on ARC 3, using the Slate headphones for critical listening.

Since I still use a monitor controller, this might work for me. Holding off for now, however.

[daniel.sneed]

360 € here, and no digital input and no digital output!
Is it just me, or is it a no-go?

[James Steele]

360 € here, and no digital input and no digital output!
Is it just me, or is it a no-go?

Yeah. It’s $299. When I said $220, that would be my price after I used my Ik multimedia bucks that I gave accrued.

[daniel.sneed]

360 € here, and no digital input and no digital output!
Is it just me, or is it a no-go?

Yeah. It’s $299. When I said $220, that would be my price after I used my Ik multimedia bucks that I gave accrued.

Ok James, I see.
The price is not my only concern about ARC 4 Studio.
In fact, I was much tempted at first glance.
But I think it's not convenient, for I try to get as much digital signal path as possible (my JBL 2326 monitors and sub have digital inputs and digital control).

[James Steele]

360 € here, and no digital input and no digital output!
Is it just me, or is it a no-go?

Yeah. It’s $299. When I said $220, that would be my price after I used my Ik multimedia bucks that I gave accrued.

Ok James, I see.
The price is not my only concern about ARC 4 Studio.
In fact, I was much tempted at first glance.
But I think it's not convenient, for I try to get as much digital signal path as possible (my JBL 2326 monitors and sub have digital inputs and digital control).

That’s a good point. Part of me is thinking I just may hold off and make do with the ARC 3 system until I can upgrade to some nice ADAMs or other monitors that have correction built in.

[Michael Canavan]

Should be mentioned there is latency.
https://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/a ... hp?p=specs
If you do not need to use the linear phase mode it's nothing though.

I'm going back and forth on this, it's $180 for me owning ARC 3 and the mic. As it stands when not composing I use ARC in Audio Highjack systemwide, there's obvious latency doing it this way, but for mixing it's not bad. This gets rid of the mistake of leaving it on during mixdown etc.

The idea of not having to think about it until your room changes is tempting though.

[James Steele]

Should be mentioned there is latency.
https://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/a ... hp?p=specs
If you do not need to use the linear phase mode it's nothing though.

I'm going back and forth on this, it's $180 for me owning ARC 3 and the mic. As it stands when not composing I use ARC in Audio Highjack systemwide, there's obvious latency doing it this way, but for mixing it's not bad. This gets rid of the mistake of leaving it on during mixdown etc.

The idea of not having to think about it until your room changes is tempting though.

Yeah. I really one day want a hardware solution and from what I’ve read this is the first budget type device of its kind. I could probably get it cheaper than $220 since I have ARC 3, but I have the older measurement microphone. I would rather get the more modern MEMS mic for measurements.

The silly thing here is I still have SonarWorks and microphone still in the box and unopened that I bought on sale. I haven’t opened it because I’m still experimenting with the position of furniture and monitors in my studio and felt it made no sense to take measurements until I have that sort of locked down.

[James Steele]

Should be mentioned there is latency.
https://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/a ... hp?p=specs
If you do not need to use the linear phase mode it's nothing though.

Still must be more with the plug-in although that’s compensated for in DP. Still any plug on the Master Fader runs in real-time so having a device like this would free up some CPU.

I’ll have to go see what the latency is. In a video review I saw it was suggested that the hardware would allow you to leave it on during TRACKING, which seems like a really good idea especially if you’re micing live instruments. In theory it would make for better decisions on mic placement and any processing you might do on the way in.

[Michael Canavan]

I’ll have to go see what the latency is. In a video review I saw it was suggested that the hardware would allow you to leave it on during TRACKING, which seems like a really good idea especially if you’re micing live instruments. In theory it would make for better decisions on mic placement and any processing you might do on the way in.

The other consideration is if you're using DP to compose, then you're mixing as you go for taste, and if that's the way it will sound at the end then you're more than 90% there by the time the song is finished. That's a massive time and ear fatigue saver.

[mikehalloran]

Revisiting this...

I'd never gotten satisfactory results from ARC 3. Inexpensive calibrated measurement mic or the MEMS didn't make much difference—results were terrible. I came to the conclusion that my sub was the issue. Because of the strange shape of my desk, the microphone cannot handle my room if the sub is engaged.

Last week, I decided to wade back into this. Since I have a reliable way of balancing my sub with the rest of the system, I decided to disengage it and run ARC 3 again—much, much better. Then I added the sub back in and I like the results.

Ok, time to look at ARC 4. Well, I have 3 and their mic that I purchased directly—I qualify for the new box as an upgrade, right? Well, no, can't add it to the cart. Ok, go to their Forum, am advised to contact Support with the particulars which I did. A week later, Support got back to me with this:

Thanks for your patience while we got back to you.

Select ARC Studio (not the Upgrade) and apply the Promo Code of: ARCSTU50

It's for the ARC Studio with the MEMS Microphone, not the Studio box without.

$50 is ok but I can use up to 90 JAM points to lower the price another $40 so I'll do that. Too bad we can't use both. Oh well…

I'm not the only one with that result. I replied but if I don't get a more favorable update, I'll just place the order and sell the mic I bought last year on Reverb or somewhere for whatever I can get (don't need two).

[daniel.sneed]

Jut sayin', a Metric Halo app called SpectraFoo has a very deep analyser (update to new OS is on its way, actual is maxed with Mojave).
A real learnin' curve, and for sure a time consumming process, but in the end great results.

IMOE, being confident about what you hear in your studio is invaluable.

BTW a professionnal test mic is something you'll keep forever.
Mine is an Eartheworks Audio M30 (bought second hand).
I have many budget test mics too (sometimes, you need 2 or 3 test mics).

[mikehalloran]

I couldn't get it through to anyone at IK that, having purchased the current MEMS microphone directly less than a year ago, I didn't need another. So I purchased the ARC 4 Studio with the $50 discount I posted earlier and will sell the spare mic on Reverb or eBay to extend my discount. Oh well. I need to dedicate some time to set it all up, hopefully later this week.

I had the devil of a time running the software installer. It turned out that the sounds download for one of the Pianoverse instruments has a mistake in its installer. This caused it to not know the sounds were installed so it wouldn't load anything else. Many force-quits and reboots later, I was able to install ARC 4 properly and register it. I sent all of that info to Support—hopefully they will make the edit and fix the problem quickly.

If anyone has problems with the IK Project Manager 1.1.4 on the Mac, I'll let you know what I know but I'm hoping that IKM edits that faulty installer file first. Turns out this was not a Sonoma 14.4 issue but five missing characters and a space. Kind of galls me that anyone watching the installer run should have seen that one of the files was wrong.

[James Steele]

I couldn't get it through to anyone at IK that, having purchased the current MEMS microphone directly less than a year ago, I didn't need another. So I purchased the ARC 4 Studio with the $50 discount I posted earlier and will sell the spare mic on Reverb or eBay to extend my discount. Oh well. I need to dedicate some time to set it all up, hopefully later this week.

Hey Mike... I'm still deciding if I'm going to go for this or not, but as an current ARC3 owner if I can get a discount I might be interesting in buying your spare if its the MEMS mic? I have the older style mic and it's my impression the MEMS gives more accurate results?

I am curious what your impressions are of the hardware are? I guess the only downside I see is for me to use it it's going to add another A>D and D>A conversion prior to going to the monitors. Still I do like the idea of a hardware solution rather than using a plugin, and from what I understand this is the first of that kind priced within the reach of mere mortals.