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The routing selector translates any possible channel confi gurations
into the SMPTE confi guration. The high-quality switch has gold-plated silver contacts
with a life span of over 25,000 switching cycles.
The audio signal continues through an On and a Phase Reverse switch, followed by the
32-position Trim switch. The trimming range is -9.5 dB to +6 dB scaled in 0.5 dB steps.
The specialty of this switch is its mechanical architecture that involves only two contacts
at a time. Common switches route the audio through a chain of resistors in series.
Thermal noise and tolerances add up. The MMC 1 Trim switch avoids this by routing the
audio through only one 0,1% metal fi lm resistor at any of its 32 positions.
Insert
While it is relatively easy in a stereo environment to connect processors via a patchbay
and specify their position in the audio path, this task is much more complicated and time
consuming when dealing with surround. To help alleviate this complexity, the MMC 1
features an Insert Box to which up to eight 8-channel processors can be connected. The
unique advantage of MMC 1 is that the engineer can specify up to three routings, called
“sequences”, which can be stored and re-called.
The Insert section provides a button for each of the eight external processors. The order in
which the processor selection buttons are activated determines the processor sequence.
A seven segment LED-display next to each button indicates the current position of a
processor. The mastering engineer can use this feature to compare between sequences
in varying order or to compare the same type of processors—such as in the case of an
equalizer from Manufacturer A and one of Manufacturer B.
Three memory banks are available which allow an active signal fl ow sequence to be
compared instantly at a button push with three others (for a total of four). An Insert On
switch engages the Insert Box or switches to hard-bypass.
The Sections In Detail
Sequence
Position
Processor
Selection
Store/
Recall
Insert
Processor
1
Processor
2
Processor
3
Processor
4
Processor
5
Processor
6
Processor
7
Processor
8
Store
1
Store
2
Store
3
New
Recall
1
Recall
2
Recall
3
Bypass
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
